HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-11-13-SC-min
LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Lexington Town Office Building, Selectmen’s Meeting Room
1625 Massachusetts Avenue
Present: Dr. Paul Ash, Superintendent, Margaret Coppe, School Committee Chair; Alessandro
Alessandrini, Vice Chair; Members: Mary Ann Stewart, Bonnie Brodner and Jessie
Steigerwald, and Sam Alpert, Student Representative
The Minutes were taken by Jean Curran, Recording Secretary
The Meeting Convened at 7:30 p.m.
I. Call to Order and Welcome:
The Chair called the meeting to order and invited public comment
There were no public comments.
II. Superintendent’s Announcements:
Dr. Ash presented the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Award for
Academic Excellence to Lexington High School Seniors Veronica Wharton, Isabel Evans and
Felix Cancre
Dr. Ash announced that the Joseph Estabrook Elementary School was selected as the gold
medal winner of the Massachusetts School Wellness Award, a joint initiative between the
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Massachusetts
Department of Public Health.
III. Members’ Reports / Members’ Concerns:
Bonnie Brodner announced that the Ad hoc Cary Memorial Building Program Committee
which looks at improvements and restorations to Cary Hall will be holding a public hearing on
November 27th in Cary Hall at 7:00 p.m.
Alessandro Alessandrini reminded everyone that the second Budget Summit will be held on
November 15th at 7:00 p.m.at the DPW Building with the Board of Selectmen, Capital
Expenditures Committee, Appropriations Committee and the School Committee.
Mary Ann Stewart announced that she and Margaret Coppe attended the Massachusetts
Association of School Committee conference and updated the Committee on resolutions that
were passed and discussed last Friday, November 9th. There were six resolutions and all were
passed. Resolution 1: Establishment of a Special Commission of the Legislature for the
Study of Mandated Reports and Data Submissions for School Districts, as amended;
Resolution 2: Modification of the Circuit Breaker Formula; Resolution 3: health Insurance
Coverage for Medically Necessary Treatment in School; Resolution 4: Funding for Educator
Evaluation System; Resolution 5: Relative to an Adequacy Study; and Resolution 6: Election
of Governing Boards of Common Charter Schools. For more detailed information please visit
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www.mass.org. They also attended a Legislative Update seminar which discussed recent and
pending legislation and the impact on communities and school district budgets. Ms. Stewart
then asked Dr. Ash if he would speak to Title 1, IDEA and how Lexington would be affected.
Jessie Steigerwald shared that she and Bonnie Brodner attended the PTA President’s meeting
last week and they were asked to reach out to Mary Ellen Dunn about fees charged to parents
who pay with credit cards and whether taxpayers pay for those fees as part of budget process.
Dr. Ash recommends that they come forward over the next few weeks and make a proposal to
the School Committee. The parents and Ms. Dunn can meet with them after January 1st.
Ms. Steigerwald thanked Carol Pilarski, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction
and Professional Development and all the teachers who participated in 300th Anniversary
Music Festival and all the students in show.
Margaret Coppe thanked Sam Alpert for chairing the Twelve O’clock Scholars Team who
will represent the School Committee at this year’s Lexington Education Foundation Trivia
Bee to held tomorrow evening. Ms. Coppe also shared a letter from the Clarke Middle School
Social Study Chair Matthew Mehler regarding the mock elections which were held on
Election Day.
IV. Agenda:
1. Article 6 of Special Town Meeting – Vote to Request Additional Funding, as
Recommended by the Permanent Building Committee
Patrick Goddard, Director of Public Facilities presented a PowerPoint presentation of the
Estabrook School Project Budget Overview. The presentation included (i) April 2 STM
Project Budget, (ii) Cost Drivers, (iii) Value Engineering (VE) Process with No Cuts to
Education, (iv) 60% CD Project Budget Update, (v) Estabrook Construction Risks, (vi)
School Budget Trends, (vii) Project Schedule, (viii) Estabrook Budget Review October 23,
2012, (ix) Plan for Getting to Budget, and (x) Notable Cost Increases. There were questions
and comments from the Committee regarding (a) State reimbursement, (b) MSBA and
contingencies, (c) additional money.
Motion to Request Additional Funding for Estabrook School Project in the
Amount of $2.6 M to Bring to Special Town Meeting (Stewart, Steigerwald) the
Motion was Approved (5-0).
Rod Cole Moderator for Article 5 – Estabrook School Access Improvement-- inquired of the
Committee if the funding for Article 6 will also fund Article 5.
The Committee members discussed whether they could vote on Article 5 since this Item was
not on the Agenda. After discussion it was decided that Article 5 would posted as an Agenda
Item for a School Committee Meeting on Monday, November 19, 2012.
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2. Vote to Approve Clarke Middle School Field Trip to Quebec City, Canada,
June 5 through June 7, 2013
Mrs. Monaco, Principal, Clarke Middle School presented the Clarke Middle School Field Trip
to Quebec City, Canada June 5 through June 7, 2013. Mrs. Monaco stated that any 8th grade
student taking French can go on the trip and the trip is being led by Mr. Michael Berjoan.
There were questions and comments from the Committee.
Motion to Approve Clarke Middle School Field Trip to Quebec City, Canada,
June 5 through June 7, 2013 (Brodner, Stewart). The Motion was Approved (5-0)
3. Vote to Approve Lexington High School Community Service Field Trip to
Golfito, Costa Rica, February 18-27, 2013
Haley Fradkin, Adam Dobbs, Russell Gens and Shatora Everett-Hannah presented the Service
Field Trip to Golfito, Costa Rica, February 18-27, 2013 to the Committee. The chaperones on
the field trip will be Martha Queenin and Charlie Mixer. Dominque Auban, owner and
education director of 02 For Life Reserve, Osa Peninsula Costa Rica, has hosted this field trip
in the past. There were questions and comments from the Committee.
Motion to Approve Lexington High School Community Service Field Trip to
Golfito, Costa Rica, February 18- 27, 2013 (Stewart, Alessandrini) The Motion
Approved (5-0).
4. Vote to Approve S.E.I.U., Local 888, Memorandum of Agreement
Alessandro Alessandrini presented the S.E.I.U, Local 888, Memorandum of Agreement along
with Robert Harris, Assistant Superintendent Human Resources. Margaret Coppe thanked
Mr. Harris, Mr. Alessandrini and all the others who worked so hard on this Agreement.
Motion to Vote to Approve S.E.I.U., Local 888, Memorandum of Agreement, as
presented (Stewart, Brodner) The Motion was Approved (5-0).
5. Discussion of the New Teacher and Administrator Evaluation Regulations
Dr. Ash presented a PowerPoint presentation of the New Teacher and Administrator
Evaluation Regulations approved on June 28, 2011 by the Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education which requires evaluation of all educators and is designed to promote
leaders and teacher’s growth and development and to support and inspire excellent practice.
The presentation included (i) Goal Setting Process, (ii) System Overview, (iii) Components of
System, (iv) Framework Which Establishes the Four Standards of Practice with Supporting
Rubrics Defining Four Levels of Effectiveness, (iv) Standards, Indicators and Rubrics, (v)
Model Rubrics: Structure, (vi) Rubric Alignment, (vii) Model Rubrics, (viii) Standard 1:
Curriculum, Planning and Assessment, (ix) Self-Assessment, (x) Five Step Evaluation Cycle,
(xi) Massachusetts SMART GOALs, (xii) Isaac Foster – Analysis of Student Learning Needs,
(xiii) Five Step Evaluation Cycle: Rubrics, (xiv) multiple sources of evidence, (xv) Four
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Different Educator Plans, (xvi) Phase-In Over the Next Few Years, (xvii) Next Steps for
Lexington, and (xviii) and What Plan Will I Be On Next Year.
There were questions and comments from the Committee regarding (i) MCAS and
Standardized Tests, (ii) will Lexington experience problems due to the fact that Lexington
Public Schools score very high now, (iii) assessment indicators, (iv) rubric alignment, (v) data
collection, (vi) teacher evaluation and who would perform this task, (vii) who receives the
evaluations, (viii) unannounced visits and who performs those, (ix) evaluation appeals, (x)
teacher pilot program and who is participating, (xi) teacher training, (xii) costs to implement,
(xiii) teacher moral, and (xiv) software and evaluators.
Thomas Plati, Director of Education Technology and Assessment addressed the Committee
regarding iPads, laptops and software to support the evaluators. He expressed his concerns
about the amount of time to implement and best practices.
6. Vote to Accept a Donation to Bridge School from Target Corporation’s
Take Charge of Education Fundraising Program in the Amount of $496.69
Motion to Accept with gratitude a Donation to Bridge School from Target
Corporation’s Take Charge of Education Fundraising Program in the Amount of
$496.69 (Steigerwald, Alessandrini) The Motion was Approved (5-0)
7. Vote to Approve School Committee Minutes of September 20, 2012
The Committee discussed changes to the Minutes.
Motion to Approve School Committee Minutes of September 20, 2012, as
amended (Stewart, Brodner) The Motion was Approved (5-0)
8. Vote to Approve School Committee Minutes of October 2, 2012
The Committee discussed changes to the Minutes.
Motion to Approve School Committee Minutes of October 2, 2012, as amended
(Brodner, Alessandrini) The Motion was Approved (5-0)
9. Vote to Release Approved Executive Session Minutes of February 25, 2009
Motion to Release Approved Executive Session Minutes of February 25, 2009
(Stewart, Steigerwald) The Motion was Approved (5-0)
10. Vote to Release Approved Executive Session Minutes of June 15, 2011
Motion to Release Approved Executive Session Minutes of June 15, 2011 (Stewart,
Steigerwald) The Motion was Approved (5-0)
SC 11/13/2012 Page 5
11. Vote to Release Approved Executive Session Minutes of December 6, 2011
Motion to Release Approved Executive Session Minutes of December 6, 2011
(Stewart, Steigerwald) The Motion was Approved (5-0)
12. Vote to Release Approved Executive Session Minutes of March 27, 2012
Motion to Release Approved Executive Session Minutes of March 27, 2012
(Stewart, Steigerwald) The Motion was Approved (5-0)
Motion to Adjourn (Steigerwald, Stewart) The Motion was approved (5-0)
Meeting Adjourned at 10:30 p.m.
Documents: Meeting Agenda; Estabrook School Project Budget Overview; Jonas Clarke Middle
School Field Trip Request Form Trip to Quebec City June 5th – June 7, 2013; Lexington High School
Field Trip Request Form Trip to Golfito Costa Rica February 18th – February 27, 2013; Educator
Evaluation System PowerPoint Presentation dated October 30, 2012; Evaluating the Superintendent
under the New Massachusetts Educator Evaluation System prepared by MASC dated September 2012;
Memorandum of Agreement by and between Service Employee International Union, Local 888 and the
Lexington School Committee (ERRATA included); Letter dated October 17, 2012 to Lexington School
Committee from Margaret Colella, Principal, Bridge Elementary School regarding donation in the
amount of $496.69; Draft Lexington School Committee Meeting Minutes dated September 20, 2012;
Draft Lexington School Committee Meeting Minutes dated October 2, 2012; Lexington School
Committee Executive Session Minutes dated February 25, 2009; Lexington School Committee
Executive Session Minutes dated June 15, 2011; Lexington School Committee Executive Session
Minutes dated December 6, 2011; Lexington School Committee Executive Session Minutes dated
March 27, 2012
Voted by the School Committee January 8, 2013