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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-02-28-SC-minLEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Meeting Minutes CALL TO ORDER AND WELCOME: 5:30 PM SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT Sara Cuthbertson, Chairperson Deepika Sawhney, Vice -chair Kathleen Lenihan, Clerk Larry Freeman Eileen Jay Grace Ou, Student Representative SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PRESENT Dr. Julie Hackett, Superintendent The School Committee convened remotely via Zoom. Members of the public can view and participate in the meeting webinar from their computer or tablet by clicking on the link provided with the meeting agenda. Please note that this meeting is being recorded and that attendees are participating by video conference. This evening's meeting is being broadcast live and also taped by LexMedia for future on -demand viewing. All supporting materials that have been provided to members of this body are available on the Town's website unless otherwise noted. The minutes were taken by Julie Kaye, School Committee Meeting Recording Secretary. EXECUTIVE SESSION Ms. Jay moved that the School Committee enter into Executive Session under Exemption 3 — For the purpose of discussing strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the Lexington Educators Association (LEA), as the Chair so declares an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the School Committee, Mr. Freeman seconded. Ms. Cuthbertson took a roll call vote, passed 5-0. The School Committee entered Executive Session at 5:31 PM and returned to Open Session at 6:21 PM STUDENT DIWALI PROJECT PRESENTATION Dr. Hackett made the following statement about the calendar: In pursuit of creating a calendar that is inclusive of our increasingly diverse community, we have taken several action steps in recent years based on our conversations and feedback from various JK 02/28/23 - DRAFT community members. Prior to the current school year, our calendar listed the names of all holidays that matched days when school and offices were closed, which primarily included federal holidays but also included three religious holidays (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Good Friday) based on a School Committee decision many years ago. Many members of our community felt that listing those three religious holidays on the calendar highlighted the important observances of some members of our community while invisibilizing others. So we made the decision with the current calendar to create a more comprehensive list of all cultural and religious holidays that are important to our community that is posted on our website with educational information for those who may need to learn more. On the published calendar this year, we removed the names of specific holidays and referenced the full list online. Each month, the upcoming holidays are emailed to district administrators, many of whom include them in school, department, and family communications in part to increase awareness for those who do not observe these dates. Recent feedback from community members suggests this is a practice we should institute districtwide, as members of historically marginalized groups have shared that they feel recognized and seen when educators acknowledge their observances in this way. After hearing from several members of our community this year, next year's proposed calendar includes every date and observance from the online listing on a second page. All of this must work in tandem with ongoing discussions about which dates we close schools beyond the federal holidays. Some staff members, including those who observe some of the three religious holidays when schools are currently closed, have suggested that eliminating these three dates would provide a more equitable experience for all historically marginalized groups. While this does not provide an equitable experience for those community members who celebrate Christmas (since that observance is a federal holiday and schools cannot be open), some students and families have shared with us the opposite (including the student you will hear from tonight). They would prefer to add days off to the calendar, specifically Lunar New Year, the start of Diwali, and the end of Ramadan, adding three more school days to the end of our school calendar. The days that schools are open is ultimately a School Committee decision, and one that requires significant thought and consideration to all members of our community. Dr. Hackett introduced Nikhil Shah, a fifth grader at Bowman Elementary School. Nikhil created a slideshow proposal on why he thinks schools should be closed for Diwali. His slideshow included an introduction, background information, his research process, main points to consider, quotes, and a list of people who helped him. This is the PDF. School Committee Questions/Comments • Mr. Freeman told Nikhil he did a great job and that his presentation was impressive. He likes all of the stats included in the proposal. Mr. Freeman reiterated Dr. Hackett's comment that we can not promise anything but that he gave a strong argument. • Ms. Lenihan thought Nikhil's presentation was amazing and incredibly well organized. She said that not being closed for other people's holidays does not feel right, she pointed out that Christmas Eve is closed. • Ms. Jay was impressed with Nikhil's advocacy skills, other groups have come before the School Committee with similar requests but his presentation is one of the most polished. Ms. Jay commented that we have a very multicultural community and everyone is passionate about their own culture. As a Town, we try very hard to do a good job of JK 02/28/23 - DRAFT celebrating and recognizing everyone's holidays. This will require discussion with the School Committee. Ms. Jay really appreciates him coming forward and we always learn something when people come before the School Committee and present their holidays. • Ms. Sawhney asked Nikhil when he started this work, and he replied that he started in 4th grade. She is impressed that he has kept with it for over a year, this shows that he has great staying power and perseverance. Ms. Sawhney stated that this is an important topic and she is sure that there are many children in Lexington who have special cultural events that they would like to share with the School Committee. She is hoping that this will open the floodgates of having a lot of our students come and present what is important to them. • Grace stated that this presentation was great and that Nikhil's sentiment is reflected at the high school. She applauds him and supports his points. • Ms. Cuthbertson is impressed that Nikhil stuck with this for so long, it shows that he is very dedicated and that this is something that is really important to him. She added that getting out there and meeting new people is important, it builds relationships with people in the community. She appreciates all of his work and this gives the School Committee lots to think about when they look at holidays and the calendar. • Dr. Hackett added a big thank you to Nikhil and his parents, she is very proud! CONSENT AGENDA Ms. Jay read the following consent agenda items: Minutes January 24, 2023 February 7, 2023 Ms. Sawhney read the following consent agenda items: Payroll and Accounts Payable Warrant Approval a. February 10, 2023 - Payroll Warrant in the amount of $4,545,789.48 b. February 17, 2023 - BMO Warrant in the amount of $73,789.42 c. February 17, 2023 - AP Warrant in the amount of $1,892,542.86 d. February 24, 2023 - Payroll Warrant in the amount of $4,325,820.24 e. March 3, 2023 - AP Warrant in the amount of $931,376.11 Mr. Freeman read the following consent agenda items: Donations a. $1,000 donation to LEMACS from the Jane Street Group LLC Ms. Jay wanted to give some information in regard to field trips. She announced that there is a new process that we are trying to put in motion. Secondary field trips are going to Jennifer Gaudet, she reviews them (if there are international field trips she sends them to Ms. Sawhney and Ms. Jay). Ms. Gaudet sent a memo with some tweaks, one of them being that, since we are now asking for a 12 -month advance pre -approval of the trips, it becomes a little more difficult for the organizers to accurately gauge the expenses of things like flights. A buffer amount is being requested from parents when they sign up, if the flights for example turn out to be lower, they will get a refund for the difference. Ms. Jay stated that she thinks it is an additional $400 JK 02/28/23 - DRAFT that is added to the total price. She also added that this is a routine field trip and that the relationship with Neuchatel is working very well. There were some issues around vaccination requirements for the exchange students coming here and our nursing staff is working through this. Ms. Sawhney added that there are provisions available for students who can't afford to go on field trips. Mr. Freeman asked how families know that this assistance is available, Ms. Sawhney responded that the teachers know the students very well and they can help figure out how to help the children if there is a desire but not the means. Ms. Sawhney does not have the information on who goes, she did ask Ms. Gaudet. Ms. Jay added that it was suggested that when communication happens in the classes, there is clear communication about anyone being able to apply and that there is assistance available. Mr. Freeman asked, who are the students who went on previous trips? Ms. Sawhney replied that this question was asked. Ms. Cuthbertson jumped in and asked if we could have Ms. Gaudet join in a future meeting to explain the process and answer any questions. Ms. Lenihan read the following consent agenda items: Field Trips a. LHS field trip to Neuchatel, Switzerland from February 8, 2024 to February 21, 2024 Ms. Jay made a motion to approve the entire consent agenda, Mr. Freeman seconded. Ms. Cuthbertson took a roll call vote, passed 5-0. SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS AND LIAISON REPORTS Ms. Freeman hopes everyone had a great winter break. He does not have any announcements or liaison reports. Ms. Lenihan encouraged people to check out the LHS Project website; there is a link to it on both the Town's website and the LPS website. She added that the next School Building Committee meeting is on March 23rd at 2:30 PM. Ms. Jay reminded everyone that Monday, March 6th is the local election for all of our Town -wide offices and Town Meeting members. She urged everyone to do their civic duty and go out and vote. Ms. Sawhney attended the first Ad Hoc Transportation Committee meeting today. There was some interest that the schools and the Town work closer together to create transportation options for our people and our students. Grace stated that Senate went over course advice night, they advised students who are moving up on courses. Ms. Cuthbertson announced that Annual Town Meeting starts on March 20th. The School JK 02/28/23 - DRAFT Committee will need to take positions on articles that will happen at the next meeting. She will share a document with School Committee members that has a list of the articles she thinks the School Committee will need to take a position on. Ms. Cuthbertson also stated that we got an increase in Chapter 70 state aid (roughly 1.7 million dollars), Dr. Hackett will go over this more in her Superintendent's report. COMMUNITY SPEAK Catie Sawka - 21 Florence St, Bellingham, MA: She has been a teacher for 14 years, and she has been at Bowman for 9 years. She stated that the last two School Committee meetings left her feeling angry and disrespected. She wishes she could only work within her contracted hours each day and each school year. The claims that were made that teachers' salaries are adequate are disheartening. She also spoke about the LEA contract and how statements made were not truthful or transparent. She added that Lexington isn't in the top 50 top -paying districts in the State. "If you want to continue to be the top performing district, you need to retain the talent that allows you to hold that ranking." Ms. Sawka also mentioned how important having the half days is. Teachers, use that time for planning, training, and professional development. Avon Lewis - President of the Lexington Education Association: "My name is Avon Lewis and am the president of the LEA. I want to start by thanking Nikhil for the fabulous Diwali presentation. I would like to speak on two issues tonight. You will be hearing that Lexington is getting an additional 2.5 million dollars in state aid this year. This 2.5 million dollar is the direct result of a coalition of thousands of ordinary citizens from across the state who made it possible for the Student Opportunity Act and the Fair Share Amendment to pass, including you, the School Committee, who passed resolutions of support. A huge percentage of the people who fought for these pieces of legislation were Massachusetts Teachers Association members. So I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who called a legislator, who knocked on doors, who held a sign, who testified, and who stood up for assuring that the students of Massachusetts get the resources that they need. I am also delighted to hear that the additional revenue Lexington is getting is going to be put into the operations of the schools, and not into yet another rainy day fund, like the more than 20 million dollars that are currently being diverted from the schools and other town departments. The other issue I wish to address is the $1.6 million dollars that the district is planning to return to the Town next year, in particular the $600,000 that comes from staff turnover and unfilled positions. Staff turnover and unfilled positions, not to mention the positions that we desperately need but have never been approved or posted, are devastating to the morale of long-term employees. We are working without lunch and prep times. We have seen friends quit. We have hired people who arrived, only to quit after just a few days. We are constantly training our new colleagues. There is this myth out there that Lexington employees are so well paid, but I have spoken with former colleagues who are now making more money, working fewer hours, and having far less stress in their life. The fact of the matter is that we are not competing with Winchester or Belmont for staff. We are competing with entry and middle -level jobs who will be happy to take someone with the communication and human -facing skills an educator has. We must do better, and a good place to start is to recognize the hard work, and the excellent service, that the employees of Lexington Public Schools provide for the families of Lexington. It's not much, but a start would be to take the $600,000 of turn -back money that is due to employee turnover, which results in extra wear JK 02/28/23 - DRAFT and tear on our employees, and give it back to the employees. The LEA leadership would be delighted to discuss this with you." Annie O'Connor - 651 Main St, Bolton, MA: She is an itinerant elementary art teacher, she has worked at all six elementary schools for the past 11 years. She is speaking in support of the elementary half day. Her classes are more than often not back to back which means that if she notices a student who's experiencing challenges in her class, she has little to no time during the school day to touch base with their classroom teacher to discuss strategies or get feedback on how to help that student. Her daily prep time rarely coincides with classroom teacher prep time. She is very limited in what time she can commit outside of work hours. One of the most essential things she uses the half day for is meeting with classroom teachers, counselors, and special educators to collaborate on ways to best support all students in her classroom. "The time provided through the elementary half day shows that our district prioritizes the quality of education our students are getting." Katrina Roscoe - 18 Daytona St, Nashua, NH: She is a fifth -grade teacher at Estabrook, currently in her twelfth year of teaching. She has worked in Lexington for ten years and last year was the first time she was comfortably able to allow teaching to be her only job. She has had many second jobs and even as a single person without children she needed them to survive. She mentioned that the MIT living wage calculator fails to take into consideration the cost of obtaining the education that is required of teachers. For most of Ms. Roscoe's career, she was paying $800 a month in student loans. She can not afford to live in Middlesex County to this day. She travels to Lexington because she loves her students and the way that Lexington values and believes in the power of education, but she wishes that she and her colleagues felt valued. Robin Strizhak - 15 Juniper St, Chelmsford, MA: She is a high school English teacher at LHS and is reading on behalf of a middle school special education teacher: "I believe another teacher has spoken already about being in Lexington for over 7 years with a masters degree and not being anywhere near the "average salary." I'm in the same boat and want to add my story. Recently my partner and I have fallen on difficult situations and all of them have added up to our cost of living going up. We are currently lucky to afford our mortgage, we are living paycheck to paycheck, unable to save money in case of an emergency. We have looked into the possibility of moving, but a home with our needs within a driving distance of Lexington is out of our price range. We are stressed and we are scared. I think this is why I had such a strong and horrified reaction when I went through the slideshow a few weeks ago, specifically the slide that gives advice on how to destress. I personally feel like I'm not being heard. I am not making a livable wage for the current climate we live in especially in the area in which we work around. Furthermore, in order to gain credit to switch lanes, it takes time and in many cases money down which I do not have. I would like to know, how will you help with this stress because "me time" and breathing exercises aren't going to fix this." SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT Dr. Hackett wants everyone to know that the School Committee, herself, administrators, and leaders in our district value you, believe in what you do and see the hard work that you do every day. She is optimistic that we will hopefully have a contract done soon. JK 02/28/23 - DRAFT Dr. Hackett reviewed her Superintendent's Report with the School Committee. The highlights from her report include: 1. Congratulations and Celebration • 2022 Scholastic Art Awards; Lexington Public Schools students were recognized with 120 awards across the three schools. • The Northeast Regional Middle School Science Bowl took place at MIT over the weekend. Lexington schools secured first, second, and third place! We All Belong • The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion section has been renamed to "We All Belong." • The 9th Annual Parent Academy is being held on March 11th at the Lexington Community Center. 3. One Step Closer - An Important MSBA Vote on Wednesday, March 1st. • The School Building Committee has a presentation about the new or renovated high school that will be shared at Annual Town Meeting. 4. Some Welcome News - State Chapter 70 Funding Increase • Chapter 70 is the major program of State aid to public elementary and secondary schools. • LPS FY 24 budget would increase by $1,734,371 (74%), and the municipal budget would increase by $609,057 (26%). School Committee to Host Legislative Breakfast in March • The School Committee, Dr. Hackett, the LEA, and the ALA are working together to organize a legislative breakfast to educate our community, elected officials, and policy and decision -makers. School Committee Questions/Comments: Ms. Sawhney sent Dr. Hackett an email with questions about the Legislative Breakfast. She looked at Hopkinton's town budget and she really likes that their budget session starts with something called the budget equity slides. They look at the most vulnerable section of the population in the town and they map out what the costs of things like electricity are. Ms. Sawhney shared these slides with some Select Board members. She has repeatedly talked in budget sessions over the years where she is trying to suss out who is the most economically vulnerable section in our otherwise seemingly very affluent town. Looking at census data, she found that about 1,000 people in our community can be considered economically vulnerable (this is often the older population). Dr. Hackett added that vulnerability extends beyond socioeconomics, there are many reasons why equitable services are necessary for different populations. NEW BUSINESS a. FY 23 Second Quarter Report was tabled for the next meeting. COMMUNITY SPEAK Avon Lewis - President of the LEA: She wants to comment on Ms. Sawhney's comment she made about an elderly couple going to Panera once a week for a muffin and coffee being their special treat. She thinks there is a substantial number of people who work for this district who JK 02/28/23 - DRAFT feel like they don't have the disposable money to go out and get something as humble as Dunkin in a regular way. The staff is struggling with pay in many places, especially in Unit C and Unit D which are below what they need to live near Lexington. Jennipher Burgess - Belmont: She is a Unit C member who is lucky to live 4 miles away from school. She also wanted to comment on Ms. Sawhney's comment about Panera. At Hastings, there are at least two people who are unhoused. These are hardworking people who have children, some of which are special needs. She shared her personal struggles of being a single person with no children. "Money is a giant issue" Ms. Burgess also brought up the half days being imperative for training and professional development. Sarah Koch - Chelmsford, MA: She is a teacher at Estabrook. She agrees with everyone who is speaking on behalf of half days, she thinks that they are imperative for collaboration. She also commented on elementary school hours, they are "far too late." She would like to have a start time between 8:00 and 8:30. Studies show that elementary students are more productive earlier in the day. Another reason is that most of the teachers are unable to live within 15 miles of Lexington. She added that starting later has not benefited our students or staff. POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS Proposals/additions: • Field Trip Approval Process short presentation to SC. • Report on student demographics in LPS clubs. ADJOURNMENT Mr. Freeman made a motion to adjourn at 7:53 PM, Ms. Jay seconded. Ms. Cuthbertson took a roll call vote, passed 5-0. JK 02/28/23 - DRAFT