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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-05-24-SC-minLEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Conducted by Remote Participation Meeting Minutes CALL TO ORDER AND WELCOME: 6:32 P.M. SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT Sara Cuthbertson, Chairperson Deepika Sawhney, Vice -Chair (via Zoom) Kathleen Lenihan, Clerk Eileen Jay Larry Freeman STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE Sara Mei SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PRESENT Dr. Julie Hackett, Superintendent The minutes were taken by Julie Kaye, School Committee Meeting Recording Secretary. The School Committee convened at the LPS Central Office. 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. Ms. Cuthbertson started the meeting with a moment of silence for everything going on in the news over the past few weeks (the shootings in Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, Texas). She reflected on the impact of these events and how to move forward, she was reminded of all the DEI work and other support our community has, and that gave her a little bit of hope. 14%]:10191ItSLGI►Til►7iIk1014LTA 14iTA1.]4Wil ►1►[$Y1►[a]Ak&1ALIk&1F 1IIII11.191► 1R 4101.1&1 Mr. Freeman attended a SHAC meeting last week, Julie Fenn and the entire SHAC team have been working hard this last year. There were more students in attendance than he's ever seen, and he has been a member for many years. Mr. Freeman announced that SHAC is in need of a co-chair and that they have two student co-chairs. He also mentioned the HRC (Human Rights JK 05/24/22 - DRAFT Committee) still has a ton of AAPI activities still going on and encouraged everyone to check their calendar. Mr. Freeman also announced the Lexington Fairy Homes & Gardens Tour is coming and that June is Pride month and to visit LexPride's website to view all of the upcoming activities. Ms. Lenihan attended the Recreation Committee meeting last week, and the issues with the javelin and track meets have been resolved. An athletics study was presented at that meeting, it looks at the reconfiguration of fields. Ms. Jay reminded everyone of the remaining AAPI Heritage Month events in May. There is an AAPI cooking event tonight and on May 30th is the 5k race. Also, this Saturday is Discovery Day in Lexington Center from 10 AM - 3 PM. Ms. Jay also announced that LexPride is having an outdoor event on June 12th from 12 PM - 3 PM, it is also the same day as Race Amity Day. Ms. Sawhney apologized for not being in person. She mentioned the photo exhibition that is going on at the Cary Library. She also attended the National Honor Society Induction, 180 students got certificates for their community service hours. She just came from the Permanent Building Committee (PBC) meeting, she encouraged everyone to vote for the new police station. Ms. Sawhney also brought up the AAPI event called My American Story that happened on May 19th, she encouraged everyone to check out the link and listen to all of the stories (one is of Hastings co -principal Chris Wai). Sara Mei reported that the Student Representative Conference was on May 14th at Essex Tech in Danvers. They discussed a new association that was created, the role of the student on the School Committee, and how to ensure continuity and momentum. There were thematic discussions and Sara enjoyed hearing other students' experiences and student reps. Privileges. She enjoyed taking a tour of the vocational/technical school (Essex Tech). Sara volunteered for the Special Olympics on May 16th and visited Clarke Middle School yesterday for the Joy in Learning celebration. The student Government kids will be hosting an event called Diversity Day on May 20th from 4:30 PM - 6 PM. Ms. Lenihan also spoke about how wonderful the Joy in Learning celebrations have been. Ms. Cuthbertson thanked The Chinese American Association of Lexington (CAAL) for their event last week; she encouraged viewers to check out the art and photo exhibits at the library. The final quarterly meeting with SEPAC was yesterday, Ms. Cuthbertson wanted to publicly thank Colette Powell and Carissa Black because it was their last meeting as SEPAC co-chairs. COMMUNITY SPEAK JK 05/24/22 - DRAFT Avon Lewis: Dr. Lewis is the President of the Lexington Education Association, the largest labor union in town representing over 1,000 Lexington employees. She is speaking tonight to ask the School Committee to pass a motion in support of the Fair Share Amendment, a question that will be on the November ballot. The Fair Share Amendment will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by requiring the very rich to pay their fair share. This will create an additional tax of 4% on annual personal income above 1 million dollars a year, only people who earn more than 1 million dollars will be impacted. The new revenue projected to be over 1 billion dollars a year is required to be spent on quality public education, affordable public colleges and universities, and repair and maintenance of roads, bridges, and public transportation. The Fair Share Amendment would provide much-needed funding to help give educators and students the resources they need moving forward. Valerie Overton: She is a member of LexPride and wanted to remind everyone of an AAPI event happening on Thursday, May 26th at 7 PM called Listening to Asian Voices. It is sponsored by many Lexington organizations and it consists of six panelists who will tell their stories that will be interpreted by ASL interpreters who also hold AAPI identities. More information can be found on LexPride's website. PRESENTATION: LEXINGTON EDUCATION FOUNDATION ANNUAL UPDATE The Slideshow was presented by LEF representatives Raquel Leder (co -president), Carolyn Coppe Peacock (co -president), and Nicole Coelho (deputy president). • The second slide displayed the LEF Mission: Bring the community together to support the Lexington Public Schools in fostering innovation in teaching and learning to inspire lifelong learning. Ms. Leder explained that 30 grants were awarded across the district and every school received a grant. The six big themes are: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Building Community, Joy in Learning, Reading & Writing Support, Social & Restorative Justice, and Building New Skills. Ms. Leder stated that it is interesting to note that these grants went across multiple schools which is a unique role that the LEF can play in supporting grant initiatives. She also wanted to note that these LEF grants provide really great opportunities for teachers and the district to pilot and test things out. Ms. Leder also mentioned that while attending the Joy in Learning celebrations she saw the communication studio at Harrington and the Sensory Garden and flexible furniture at Bridge. • Ms. Coppe Peacock reviewed the third slide that shows some of the things that the LEF does to bring the Community together such as the Grantee Reception, the Trivia Bee, JK 05/24/22 - DRAFT the LEF Golf Classic, a newer event called Lexington in Conversation, and the Celebration for Education weekend. • Ms. Coelho (who will be co -president next year with Carolyn), extended a big thank you to so many people including the PTOs and PTAs, the contributions from individuals and family donors, and corporate sponsors. School Committee Questions/Comments: Mr. Freeman is thankful for the work and the presentation, he has seen the grants in action. Ms. Sawhney thinks that the LEF is wonderful, it enables our educators to experiment and come up with new ideas in the service of the children and is an amazing service to the whole district. She also added that you can give a Star Award online. Ms. Leder added that there are options for families who can't afford it to still give a Star Award as well, anyone in the community can give a Star Award! Ms. Lenihan mentioned the slide that lists the grants and amounts given out and this made her think about how fortunate people are to live in Lexington where so many people are committed to providing a wonderful education to our children. Ms. Jay remarked that the array of things that the LEF is able to fund is remarkable. Sara Mei stated that the number of grants that the LEF is able to support and their mission is really impressive. Ms. Cuthbertson likes how students are involved with the grants, having students be active agents goes with our strategic plan. She also mentioned that we are very fortunate to have the LEF in our community and that some of these programs will help our students greatly in their futures and affect more than just the Lexington community. Ms. Cuthbertson is excited that the Celebration for Education is back. Dr. Hackett is very appreciative of all of the behind -the -scenes work and making sure what the LEF supports is in alignment with our mission and vision. Everyone in the School Committee is extremely grateful and thankful for the Lexington Education Foundation! SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT • School Safety JK 05/24/22 - DRAFT o Dr. Hackett acknowledged the sad news that just broke out before the meeting and wanted to start with addressing school safety. She appointed Mr. Martellone, Director of Technology, and Mr. Coelho, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations to oversee staff safety training modules. She also mentioned ALICE training in her report. During the pandemic we purchased the safety modules online and asked people to go through those exercises. There is also information about fire drills and enhanced active intruder simulations, exit and rally, and all of the types of things we have to consider and think about for a school safety plan. She emphasized that this is a work in progress and that we are actively thinking and planning on how to keep our children safe. o Ms. Lenihan made a comment about how these events (school shootings) do not happen in other countries. • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion o Dr. Hackett mentioned a DEI session that the Director of Equity and Student Supports (Johnny Cole) had with students on the DEI Student Advisory Council discussing her letter. Dr. Hackett read responses from two students. o Student made a video for a project called Diversify Lexl-iterature, it was shared at Bridge. o Dr. Hackett spoke about the importance of a community coming together. • LPS COVID-19 Update o Dr. Hackett included a link in her report to LPS data. She mentioned the correlation between spikes in cases and communication. o The Center for Disease Control (CDC) approved the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recommendation to authorize Pfizer boosters for children ages 5 to 11 years old. We will offer these at our upcoming vaccination clinics. o Dr. Hackett answered one of Ms. Sawhney's previous questions about which type (Moderna or Pfizer) we offer at our clinics. We offer both but do not advertise in order to reduce the effects on the inventory. o Ms. Lenihan mentioned that there has been work on getting a vaccine for ages 6 months to 5 years approved. She asked about the protocol for people who are testing positive. Dr. Hackett referred back to an update she made on February 2, 2022. A 10 day quarantine is not mandatory, Dr. Hackett read other expectations and conditions for COVID positive individuals. • Summer Learning Grant o Caitlin Ahern, Director of Elementary Education, and Barbara Hamilton, METCO Academic Director, submitted an application to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and were awarded a $80,000.00 grant for the expansion of higher quality summer learning. JK 05/24/22 - DRAFT • Enrollment Update o Dr. Maureen Kavanaugh, Director of Planning and Assessment, was invited to be a panelist to go over enrollment updates. Dr. Hackett spoke about staffing and ratios as well as processes for collecting data. Dr. Kavanaugh explained the use of enrollment data, she mentioned documents that are linked in the Superintendent's report as well as some enrollment highlights (See Supt. report for document links). o Ms. Sawhney mentioned that she read in a report that Fiske is in need of more space for its special education program. Dr. Hackett replied that this is correct and we need to look at different ways to accommodate this need. o Ms. Jay and Dr. Kavanaugh had a discussion on class sizes, staffing, and enrollment. Dr. Hackett also added comments about staffing processes. o Ms. Cuthbertson made comments about Lexington's history of having high enrollment numbers. Dr. Kavanaugh replied with statements about space in schools. o Ms. Sawhney asked for Town data on the buying of homes in Lexington, she made a point that families with young children might not be able to afford to live in Lexington due to increased costs. • Congratulations and Celebrations o LABBB hosted the annual Special Olympics of Massachusetts, it was held on Monday, May 16th. Dr. Hackett thanked all of the volunteers. o Dr. Hackett congratulated the Mathcounts Team for placing fourth at Nationals, LPS for their participation in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, and Clarke's Science Bowl Team for making it to the National Finals! The full Superintendent's report can be viewed here. NEW BUSINESS A. Enrollment Update See Superintendent's Report above for the enrollment update. B. FY22 3rd Quarter Financial Report Mr. Coelho was promoted to panelist to go over the FY 22 3rd Cwarter Financial Re ort. Ms. Jay and Mr. Coelho discussed substitutes, staff, and how they are represented on the report and transportation. JK 05/24/22 - DRAFT Ms. Sawhney asked about our contract with the bus company, and if we are able to get some money back since enrollment is low. Mr. Coelho responded that the total number of trips would have to be reduced. C. Proposed MASC Resolution Ms. Lenihan read the roposed resolution drafted by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) calling on the State legislature to pass laws to ensure the rights of transgender children and families. Ms. Lenihan moved to adopt the MASC Resolution. Mr. Freeman seconded. Ms. Cuthbertson took a roll call vote, passed 5-0. D. Superintendent Evaluation Process Ms. Cuthbertson reviewed the Superintendent Evaluation Process memo to assist members in completing their Superintendent Evaluations. She asked the School Committee members to submit evaluations to the Chair by June 10, 2022. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. FY 22-23 School Calendar with Half -Days On March 28, 2022, the School Committee approved the 2022-2023 Academic Calendar with the exception of half days. The determination of whether to move elementary half days from Thursdays to Fridays was pending impact bargaining with the LEA. Further discussion was had at the April 11 and April 25 School Committee meetings. The vote at tonight's meeting is for final approval of the 2022-2023 Academic Calendar with elementary half days scheduled weekly on Fridays. Ms. Lenihan moved to approve the School Calendar with Half -Days. Mr. Freeman seconded. Ms. Cuthbertson took a roll call vote, passed 5-0. B. Vote to Approve School Innovation Plans for Hastings Elementary School, Clarke Middle School, Diamond Middle School and Lexington High School. Mr. Freeman made a comment about one of the innovation plans being different, having its first goal/initiatives be about pilots (reading and math and world languages). Dr. Hackett replied that the needs are different in that school community, she believes that it is important for the schools to have different plans, it makes them more honest. JK 05/24/22 - DRAFT Ms. Jay moved to approve School Innovation Plans for Hastings Elementary School, Clarke Middle School, Diamond Middle School, Lexington High School. Ms. Lenihan seconded. Ms. Cuthbertson took a roll call vote, passed 5-0. COMMUNITY SPEAK No speakers. UNFINISHED BUSINESS (continued) Dr. Hackett suggested that the Innovation Plan for Lexington High School should be tabled until the fall. Ms. Jay moved to amend the vote on the Innovation Plan for Lexington High School approval and to postpone it for the fall 2022. Ms. Lenihan seconded. Ms. Cuthbertson took a roll call vote, passed 5-0. CONSENT AGENDA Ms. Sawhney moved to approve: Payroll and Accounts Payable Warrant Approval a. May 20, 2022 - Payroll in the amount of $4,212,230.71 b. May 27, 2022 - AP Warrant in the amount of $733,131.45 c. May 27, 2022 - BMO Warrant in the amount of $28,849.07 Mr. Freeman moved to approve: Minutes a. January 24, 2022 Ms. Jay made a motion to approve the entire consent agenda. Ms. Lenihan seconded. Ms. Cuthbertson took a roll call vote, approved 5-0. ADJOURNMENT Ms. Lenihan made a motion to adjourn at 9:15 P.M. Ms. Jay seconded. Ms. Cuthbertson took a roll call vote, approved 5-0. JK 05/24/22 - DRAFT