HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-01-07-SC-minSC Meeting 01.07.14 Page 1
LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Lexington Town Office Building
Selectmen’s Meeting Room
1625 Massachusetts Avenue
PRESENT: Dr. Paul Ash, Superintendent; Margaret Coppe, Chair; Bonnie Brodner, Vice-
Chair; Members: Alessandro Alessandrini, Jessie Steigerwald and Mary Ann Stewart; and Sam
Lehn, Student Representative
The Minutes were taken by Jean Curran, Recording Secretary
I. Call to Order:
Ms. Coppe moved, and Ms. Stewart seconded, that the School Committee go into Executive
Session under Exemption 2, to discuss contract negotiations with non-union personnel,
Superintendent Ash, and to return to open session. Further, the Chair declared that an open
meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the Town.
A roll call vote was taken:
Alessandro Alessandrini “Aye”
Mary Ann Stewart “Aye”
Bonnie Brodner “Aye”
Jessie Steigerwald “Aye”
Margaret Coppe “Aye”
II. Return to Public Session and Welcome:
The Chair reconvened the meeting at 7:35 p.m. and invited public comment.
There were no public comments.
IV. Superintendent’s Announcements:
Recognition of Lexington High School Students Arman Bilge and Noah Golowich for
Winning Second Place Awards in the National Siemens Competition in Math, Science,
and Technology.
Dr. Ash recognized Lexington High School Senior Arman Bilge for winning second
place individual award for his project entitled “Bayesian Reconstruction of Co-
evolutionary Histories.” Arman developed a computer algorithm to reconstruct the
linked evolutionary histories of symbiotic organisms which promises to improve
understanding of disease transmission and overall biodiversity.
Dr. Ash recognized Lexington High School Junior Noah Golowich for winning second
place team award with his teammate Kavish Gandhi from Newton North High School for
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their project entitled “Partition Regularity of Linear Homogeneous Equations and
Inequalities.” Their research could have implications in theoretical computer science and
game theory.
Laura Lasa, Principal, Lexington High School, praised the students for their
accomplishments. She thanked them both for representing Lexington well.
Arman Bilge thanked Dr. Offner for her involvements that led him to this field of study
and encouraged him along the way. Arman also thanked his mentors at MIT.
Noah Golowich thanked Ms. Lasa and Mr. Kelley, Mathematics Department Chair for
supporting all his studies.
Margaret Coppe introduced Senator Kenneth Donnelly, Senator Michael Barrett and
Representative Jay Kaufman.
Representative Jay Kaufmann, 15th Middlesex, congratulated each student for their stellar
accomplishments. He thanked the students’ families, staff, and school administration for
helping them reach their goals and that each student did not do this alone that it was with
the help of family, staff and administration.
Senator Kenneth Donnelly, 4th Middlesex, congratulated each student and thanked them
for all the work they have done.
Senator Michael Barrett, 5th Middlesex, also congratulated the students.
Dr. Ash thanked Dr. Jacalyn Crowe, Lexington High School Science Department Head,
all the other leaders, and Ms. Lasa.
Sam Lehn congratulated both Arman and Noah for receiving these awards.
Dr. Ash announced that last Friday night at the Jonas Clarke Middle School, there were
frozen water lines which resulted in three leaks. Dr. Ash thanked the facility and
maintenance staff in performing emergency work to restore the affected areas. The
school was able to be open on Monday. The approximate cost of the damage is
$140,000, the Town insurance policy has a $25,000 deductible and the insurance
company is going to process everything as one claim. The staff will begin purchasing
those items that will need to be replaced.
Bonnie Brodner thanked everyone involved.
V. School Committee Member Announcements
Mary Ann Stewart (i) All Suburban Coalition will meet on Wednesday, February 5 with
a panel discussion featuring Representative Jay Kaufman Senator Michael Barrett, and
Noah Berger of MassBudget on Massachusetts state and local taxes and the strain on
local services.
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Ms. Stewart announced that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
(DESE) is seeking feedback from stakeholders about changes to accountability system.
Margaret Coppe shared that on Martin Luther King Day there will be a walk to town hall
followed by day of service.
Ms. Coppe corrected an item on a PTA Bridge newsletter which recently commented on
the Traffic Safety and Mitigation Policy. Ms. Coppe shared that a draft was brought to
the Committee in November and the Committee has not yet had a first reading and there
was no vote taken. Mary Ellen Dunn shared that there is a traffic survey that is being
developed and should be completed by the end of January. Results will not come before
the Committee before mid-March or the beginning of April.
Jessie Steigerwald shared that if anyone is interested in Martin Luther King Day they
should contact szales.gmail.com.
Ms. Steigerwald shared that she toured the Thompson School in Arlington and reported
they have already introduced a one to one iPad program.
Ms. Steigerwald also commended the Public Facilities for the sidewalk clearing during
the recent storm.
VI. Agenda
1. Superintendent’s FY15 Recommended Budget
Dr. Ash presented the Fiscal Year 2015 Superintendent‘s Level Service and
Recommended Budget to the Committee. The FY 15 Recommended Budget is
$86,953,350 which is a 6.82% increase from last year. His presentation included (i)
Budget Overview; (ii) FY 15 Available Funds; (iii) FY 15 Recommended Budget; (iv)
Net Available Funds; (v) FY15 Recommended Budget; (vi) FY 2014-2015 Budget by
Program; (vii) FY 15 Budget Highlights (a) Goal 1 – Advance Academic Excellence
through Supervision and Evaluation, Curriculum and Instruction, Special Education and
Technology Staffing; (b) Goal 2 – Promote Social and Emotional Wellness through
Special Education, General Education and Employees; and (c) Goal 3 – Ensure
Infrastructure to Meet District Needs; (viii) Major FY 15 Budget Drivers (a) Legal
Requirements, (b) Enrollment Increases, and (c) Program Improvements; (ix) 2014-2015
Budget Context; and (x) FY15 Budget Highlights.
Dr. Ash thanked all the members who work to produce this budget.
There were comments and questions from the Committee (i) clarification of technology
request (operating or capital); (ii) is the library included in the technology category; (iii)
glad to see 0.6 health nurse included at Clarke ; should it be 1.0; (Ms. Monaco. Principal
at Clark, supports this);(iv) question asked about communication specialists; what do
other towns have; (v) there are two ILP programs at the High School, will they be
completely separate or can they share resources; (vi) Elementary TLP learning, there is
now a .20 psychologist and will there be a 1.0 social worker; (vii) is replacement of social
worker a change and do psychologists primarily test; (viii) pleased to see Transition
Coordinator in the budget; (ix) are the three additional FTEs 10 or 12 month employees;
(x) Legal Services and Expenditures spreadsheet does not match the budget book ; (xi)
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last year Legal Expenditures were budgeted less than two years ago; (xii) will there be a
shortage this year in legal; (xiii) would like legal reconciled; (xiv) is bus fee to remain at
$300 with subsidies for signing up during sign-up; (xiv) concerned about ILP at Fiske
and how this will be addressed in budget; (xv) do municipal employees take part in the
employee wellness and is there synergy with the municipal side; (xvi) financial aid for
enrichment programs; (xvii) allocation for the science fair; (xviii) fund supplies for
schools currently supplied by PTA/O’s;(xviii) increase in landscaping; (xix) Ad hoc
Committee on Youth Stress recommendations (FY16 budget) (xx)pleased to see three
goals that the budget was built around; (xx) PALS and CARE therapeutic learning
programs being restructured; (xxi) what does K-12 Director of Planning and Assessment
position mean for instruction and learning; (xxii) will this be an effective tool to creating
assessments; (xxiii) need a sense of what this position will do; (xx iv) a technology
specialist in each school; (xxv) number of students taking school; (xxv) how was
recommendation of eliminating one LHS ILP teacher arrived at; and (xxvi) decline of
State reimbursement for SPED.
Andrei Radulescu-Banu, 86 Cedar Street had questions on FTEs.
Diane Biglow, 15 Bellflower Street asked if there was going to be a discussion on Dr.
Ash’s Contract tonight.
2. Vote to Approve Lexington High School Concert Tour and Cultural
Exchange Trip to China, April 16-26, 2015
Jason Iannuzzi, Performing Arts Teacher, LHS, and Jeffrey Leonard, Performing Arts
Coordinator, LHS presented a request for approval of the Lexington High Concert Tour
and Cultural Exchange Trip to China, April 16-26, 2015.
There were questions and comments from the Committee (i) purpose of trip; (ii) will a
student be considered who is eligible and went on the newly authorized Middle School
China trip ; (iii) what fundraising has been done; (iv) report said 20% of the students
were favorably impacted by the fundraising; (v) itinerary is to visit a local family home,
four cities and four concerts; (vi) transportation to New York from Boston; (vii) do parent
chaperones pay for themselves; (viii) perspective on having parents along on the trip; and
(ix) explanation of a tour and culture exchange trip.
Motion to Approve the Lexington High School Concert Tour and Cultural
Exchange Trip to China, April 16-26, 2015 (Stewart, Brodner)
Motion to Approve the Lexington High School Concert Tour and Cultural
Exchange Trip to China, April 16-26, 2015 (Stewart, Brodner) The Motion
was Approved (4-1) Steigerwald opposed.
The Chair called for a brief recess at 10:07 p.m. Sam Lehn left the meeting.
The Meeting reconvened at 10:11 p.m.
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3. Update on New Educator Evaluation System
Carol Pilarski, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Professional
Development and Phyllis Neufeld, President, Lexington Education Association presented the
Update Educator Evaluation System.
Carol Pilarski began the presentation (i) Goal and Purpose (a) race to the top; (ii) Lexington’s
Implementation: Planning and Process; (iii) Significant “Technical” Components (a) Self-
Assessment, (b) Professional Practice Goals & Student and Learning Goal with Identified
Action Steps, (c) Educator Plan, (d) Submission of Evidence/Artifacts (iv) Teacher Rubric
At-A- Glance and the four standards; (v) Background Information (a) Piloteer Program –
2013 was completely voluntary from January through June FY12-FY13for 27 teachers;, (b)
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which was ratified by the teachers which guaranteed
time during the day (7.5 hours) for related professional development; (vi) Division of Staff
into two Cohorts (1 and 2) using the DESE Model; (vii) Implementation Plan – Thomas Plati,
Director of Education Technology and Assessment reviewed the many web based products
to determine which would be best for Lexington; (viii) Implementation Plan – Year 1 –
Cohort 1; (ix) Academic Year 2013-2014 on-going training and support (expansion of Ad
hoc Committee); (x) Collaborative Efforts (a) Ad hoc Committee, (b) feedback requested by
superintendent and LEA president from various constituents on ‘roll-out’ plan, (c)
collaborative agreements on procedures and processes for shared walkthroughs, and (d) joint
communiques from the Superintendent and the LEA President; (xi) positive feedback and
challenges to consider (a) collaborative dialogue, professional learning, and sharing of ideas,
(b) full implementation of both Cohorts in 2014-2015, (c) time management related to
volume of observations, responses/feedback, conversations/dialogue, and (d) management of
details and collection of required information.
There were comments and questions from the Committee about sharing the experiences of
the Piloteer Program, selection of Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 and composition of the of the Ad
hoc Committee.
Andrei Radulescu-Banu, 86 Cedar Street questioned how this evaluation differs from the
process with the DESE.
Judy Crocker, 5 Currier Court, had questions regarding about the FTE at the elementary
level.
VII. Consent Agenda
1. Vote to Accept a $100 Donation from Lueders Environmental, Inc.
Motion to Accept a $100.00 Donation from Lueders Environmental, Inc. with
gratitude (Brodner, Alessendrini) The Motion was Approved (5-0)
Motion to Adjourn (Alessandrini, Stewart) The Motion was Approved (5-0)
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The Meeting Adjourned at 10:47 p.m.
The next meeting of the School Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, January 21, 2014, at 7:30
p.m. in the Town Offices Building, Selectmen’s Meeting Room, 1625 Massachusetts Avenue.
Meeting Materials: Meeting Agenda; Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology
news report on Arman Bilge and Noah Golowich; FY 2015 Superintendent of Schools Level
Service and Recommended Budget; PowerPoint presentation dated January 7, 2014
Superintendent’s Recommended 2014-2015 Budget, Academic Excellence & Student Well
Being; Memorandum to Dr. Ash from Carol Pilarski dated December 17, 2013 re Update:
Educator Evaluation System; PowerPoint presentation dated January 7, 2014 entitled Update:
Educator Evaluation System presented by Carol Pilarski and Phyllis Neufeld; Lexington Public
Schools Field Trip Request Form from Jason Iannuzzi for Honors Chorus Trip to China April 16
through 26, 2015; Letter dated December 13, 2013 from Michael Lueders, President of Leuders
Co. to Dr. Ash regarding a donation to the Lexington School Department.
Voted by the School Committee March 11, 2014