HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-06-06-SC-min LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Tuesday,June 6,2016
Town Hall,Selectmen's Meeting Room
1625 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA
Present:
Chair, Alessandro Alessandrini; Vice Chair, Eileen Jay; Jessie Steigerwald; Kate Colburn; Kathleen
Lenihan; Superintendent, Dr.Czajkowski;
The minutes were taken by Kristen Cronin, Executive Assistant to the School Committee and
Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent.
The meeting convened at 7pm
Call to Order and Welcome:
Chair, Alessandro Alessandrini called the meeting to order, and introduced committee members.
Public Comments:
J. Crocker: MASC strongly recommends that anyone who served on the School Committee be allowed to
present feedback on the Superintendent's evaluation.
Superintendent's Announcement:
Dr. Czajkowski invited the School Committee to Laura Lasa's Retirement Reception on June 20.
Dr. Czajkowski updated the Committee on the High School Principal Search.
School Committee Member Announcements:
K. Colburn: Attended graduation on Sunday. It was beautiful and exciting to see the graduates as they
start their new journey. Congratulations Class of 2017.
K. Lenihen: Congratulations Class of 2017.Thank you to so many people who organized the All Night
Graduation Party. It truly takes an army of volunteers.
J. Steigerwald: Thanked the 5t"grade class at Estabrook classroom for the Annual Read Aloud Event. On
June 7,the Community Coalition will be having two Welcome Coffee events at the Community Center.
Meeting this morning on late start task force with Mr. Ian Dailey was very productive. Survey will be
coming out in August to parents, staff and students. Change at one level could affect all levels, so the
feedback on this survey is very valuable.
A.Alessandrini: Congratulations Class of 2017.
E.Jay: Congratulations Class of 2017.
Consent A.Rends:
1. Request for Approval of Donation to Harrington Elementary from the Harrington PTA on behalf of
the Harrington 5t"grade class in the amount of$1,049.00
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2. Request for Approval of Donation to Harrington Elementary from Lexplorations in the amount of
$200.00
3. Request for Approval of Donation to Bridge Elementary from Wilson Farms for the "Shop your day at
Wilsons" in the amount of$176.00
4. Vote to Approve Lexington High School International Field Trip for the National Science Bowl Team
to Sydney,Australia,July 15 through July 20, 2017
5. Vote to Approve Clarke Middle School and Diamond Middle School International Field Trip to
Malaga, Spain, March 14 through March 23, 2018
6. Vote to Approve Clarke Middle School and Diamond Middle School International Field Trip to
Quebec City, QC, May 30 through June 1, 2018
7. Vote to Approve School Committee Minutes of January 13, 2017
Motion to approve consent agenda items 1-7. (Jay/Steigerwald)
The Motion was approved (5-0).
Agenda:
1. Discussion of 2018-2019 Recommended School Calendar:
The School Committee discussed the feedback that was received on the 2018—2019 Calendar.
Students from across the district came to speak on how important it is to celebrate Muslim holidays
as we would any other holiday in the district.The Muslim community is requesting that the schools
be closed in observance of their religious holidays.
Dr. Czajkowski: If the schools were to be closed then the district would need to start before Labor
Day. If we don't do that and we add holidays,we would have to build in five additional snow days.
Another approach is to eliminate all religious holidays altogether.
K. Colburn: I think that given the climate in our country right now, awareness of all cultures is
extremely important and setting the stage in the school can be important. Having these holidays on
the calendar would prompt conversation; having students excused from school that day would make
sense as well. It should be all or nothing when it comes to holidays.,This may be a bigger
conversation especially if it involves negotiations. Ms. Lenihan agreed with Ms. Colburn that all
holidays need to recognized or none at all.
E.Jay: It is very important that we as a community recognize all the different cultures and religions.
Recognizing Muslim holidays on the calendar is important.This could open opportunities to have
discussions around the holiday. If you are celebrating a religious holid,ay that should be an excused
absence.
The School Committee agreed to recognize the Muslim holidays for the 2017—18 School Year
Calendar.The School Committee also recommends that Dr. Chase form a calendar working group
with Administration and a School Committee member to start reviewing the 2018-19 calendar and
2019-20 calendar. Andrew Baker will serve on this working group to start looking at all holidays and
the effects of starting before/after Labor Day.
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Move to recognize adding two holidays on the 2017-18 calendar. (Steigerwald/Alessandrini)
The Motion was approved 5-0.
2. Discussion on Changing Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day
From the survey that was provided to the School Committee, 77% of students strongly believe that
Columbus Day should be changed to Indigenous People's Day because it is highly disrespectful and
unjust to celebrate a man who led many horrible events such as Indian removal and destruction of
culture.
The School Committee supports the change from Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day. Mr.
Alessandrini will be researching the next steps that other districts took to change Columbus Day to
Indigenous People's Day.
Move to recognize Indigenous People's Day on the 2017-18 school year calendar;however, leave
Columbus Day on the calendar until the Committee hears back from Mr.Alessandrini.
(Steigerwald/Alessandrini)
The motion was approved 5-0.
3. Science Curriculum Review:
Dr.Jackie Crowe, LHS Science Department Head; Dr.Valerie Franks, Middle School Science
Department Head and Ms. Karen McCarthy, K-5 Science Curriculum Coordinator updated the School
Committee on their committee's work during year one of the Science Curriculum Review, including K-
12 Curriculum Review Goals for year one and K-5 Accomplishments in year one. 37 educators from
across the district, represented each grade level, special education, ELL,technology, and
administration.
The School Committee thanked Ms. Crowe, Dr. Franks and Ms. McCarthy for conducting this review.
The School Committee would like Year 2 and 3 of the Science Curriculum Review to include
evaluation of the sequence of science courses at LHS, including what years AP classes should be
offered. It was suggested that we survey students about AP classes to see what students would be
interest in taking.The School Committee would also like to see a proposal for the elementary level to
have more time for Science and Social Studies.
4. Vote to Approve Clarke Middle School and Diamond Middle School International Field Trip to
Taipei,Taiwan, May 24 through June 2, 2018.
Anna Monaco, Principal at Clarke Middle School, explained to the School Committee that the high
school trip to China was becoming redundant with the middle school China trip.That is why they
would like to go to Taiwan this year as a combined trip with both the middle schools.
There will be a working group with School Committee representative the Leadership team to
discuss international field trips.
Motion to approve Clarke Middle School and Diamond Middle Schools International Field Trip to
Taipei, Taiwan, May 24 through June 2,2018(Alessandrini/Colburn)
The motion is approved 4-1 (Steigerwald abstained).
S. Update on Estabrook Homework Pilot
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Jeff LaBroad, Principal at Estabrook Elementary School and Maureen Kavanaugh, Director of
Planning and Assessment, updated the School Committee on the ongoing pilot at Estabrook that
involves no written homework, but encourages reading by students at home. . Provided a summary
of data used to understand the effects of this policy.
Dr. Kavanaugh reviewed highlights regarding Self-Reported Impacts on Families and Student Life
Outside of Schools (Question 1) and highlights for Regarding Self-Reported Impacts on Students'
Social and Emotional-Well being (Question 2) as well as Additional Concerns and Challenges.
Mr. La Broad reviewed the next steps for sharing information with parents and staff. The school will
use findings from this pilot to inform future school improvement goals.
6. Cost for Hastings
Pat Goddard and Donna DiNisco reviewed the cost estimate for the Hastings Elementary School
building, with the goal to identify recommended options going forward to meet MSBA Deadline on
June 29, 2017.
Mark Sandeen, chair of Sustainable Lexington, recommended geothermal as an option because it is
low cost, renewable energy. Authorization tonight would be to support 62.5 million include
geothermal in the plan that will go to MSBA.
Vote to support 65.28M for Hastings cost including Geothermal. (Alessandrini/Steigerwald)
The Motion was approved 5-0.
7. Homework Policy First Reading—Public Hearing
Kathleen Lenihan read the draft Homework Policy IKB as the first reading of this policy.
• Henna Yang- Proposes to LPS that homework should not be assigned during religious
holidays
• Helen Abraham—No definition of homework; some people think homework is a worksheet
some people think homework is a project. If it is clearly stated/defined in the
implementation guide, it would take some stress off of parents. CPAC most common
conversation is that parents do not look at students' IEP or reduction.
• Sara Cuthbertson -541 Bedford St.—Definition of homework. Feels the first sentence in this
draft policy would be confusing.
The policy was drafted from feedback from Lexington Listens and surveys.
The School Committee would like to review the "philosophy' behind the policy.What are the
holidays for which we should not be assigning homework?
The School Committee will be sending feedback to the Policy Subcommittee before the June 20
School Committee meeting.
8. Lexington Children's Place (LCP) Building Discussion
Dr. Czajkowski Updated the School Committee on the history of Lexington Children's Place and read
a letter from Liz Billings-Fouhy, LCP Director, on the reasons why it would be problematic for the
director and the program to wait another year for a new location for LCP.
The School Committee agreed that the LCP cannot be put off for another year.
Motion to adjourn. (Alessandrini/Steigerwald)
The Motion was approved 5-0.
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The meeting was adjourned at 11:05.
Meeting Materials:Agenda;A.1-Agenda Item Summary A.2-Agenda Item Summary, Memo,
Powerpoint A.3-Agenda Item Summary, Memo,Survey, Powerpoint A.4-Agenda Item Summary,
Current Homework Policy, Draft Revised Homework Policy A.5-A.6-Agenda Item Summary,A.7
Agenda Item Summary A.8—Agenda Item Summary
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