HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-04-07-SC-minLSC Meeting 040714 Page 1
LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
Monday, April 7, 2014
Cary Memorial Building, Estabrook Room
1605 Massachusetts Avenue
PRESENT: Dr. Paul B. Ash, Superintendent; Margaret Coppe, Chair; Alessandro Alessandrini,
Judy Crocker, Jessie Steigerwald and Mary Ann Stewart
The meeting convened at 6:30 p.m.
I. Call to Order and Welcome
The Chair called the meeting to order and invited public comment.
Les Perelman, 11 Plymouth Rd., Co-Chair of the Committee for Assessment on College
Conference is disturbed that Lexington will be participating in PARRC testing. He objects to the
method used by Pearson in grading writing essays. Mr. Perelman urged the Committee to halt the
participation in PARCC until Pearson agrees to keep the information secure.
II. School Committee Member Announcements
Judy Crocker announced (i) she and Jessie Steigerwald attended the German Fest last Friday
evening; (ii) today is first day of school bus registration and there were 150 registrations in the
first two hours; (iii) invitations from Town Celebration Committee for Patriot Days events; (iv)
“The Old Guard” from Washington DC will be holding a special concert on April 20 on the
Green; (v) Ad Hoc School Safety Committee held their final meeting on Thursday, April 1.
Jessie Steigerwald announced (i) Youth Service Council will be looking for more membership;
(ii) attended the German Fest; (iii) congratulated the Lexington students who participated in the
Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductions Association performance; and (iv) the
School Council Workshop will be held at the Central Office at Thursday, April 10, at 3:30 p.m.
for current members as well as those interested in running for School Council. Glenn Koocher,
Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees will be the presenter.
Mary Ann Stewart announced the School Committee visited the Fiske School on Friday with Dr.
Ash and Tom Martellone, Principal, Fiske Elementary School to look at capacity. She asked Dr.
Ash if all School Committee members could participate in attending classes when students are
there.
Margaret Coppe announced the School Committee will meet on Wednesday, March 9 from 6:00-
7:00 p.m. in Battin Hall. The agenda will be Fiske overcrowding.
III. Agenda
1. Emergency Response Update (ALICE)
Mary Ellen Dunn, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance presented the Emergency
Response update to the Committee. Ms. Dunn’s presentation included a video of the Wilmington
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Public Schools Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuate (ALICE) emergency response plan.
Lexington is reviewing how to thoughtfully plan how it would look like in Lexington. Faculty,
Staff, parents, community members and children will need training. Lexington Public Schools
will first roll out ALICE to the Middle Schools, then the High School and finally the elementary
schools.
There were questions and comments from the Committee (i) is glad Lexington will be instituting
ALICE; (ii) how will implementation begin to roll out; (iii) professional development training
could take place over the summer; (iv) what is the feedback from the crisis team at the High
School and have they discussed how best to roll this out to students; (v) having a hard time seeing
elementary school children doing ALICE; and (vi) existing policy gives the police department
access in our schools and will follow up with suggestions with the Chair and Superintendent.
2. Introduction from Congresswoman Clark’s Office
Natalie Kaufman, Constituent Service Representative for Congresswoman Katherine Clark and
Lexington liaison. Ms. Kaufman will be in Lexington twice a month on the first and third
Wednesdays at either 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m., depending on the rotation schedule, at town offices
and the senior center. If you have citizens who need assistance with issues including but not
limited to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, please have them telephone at 781-298-2900,
5 High Street, Medford, MA.
3. Recommended 2014-2015 District Improvement Plan
Dr. Ash presented the recommended 2014-2015 District Improvement Plan. The Principals will
come before the School Committee with their school improvement plans to continue to ensure
high academic achievement and pro- social skills.
Dr. Ash’s district presentation included Goal 1 - Improve Academic Performance for All
Students (a) Supervision and Evaluation; (b) Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, (c)
Professional Learning, and (d) Technology; (ii) Goal 2 – Improve Social and Emotional Program
Supports for All Students; (iii) Goal 3 – Improve Safety for All Students and Staff; and (iv) Goal
4 – Improve the District’s Capacity to Respond to Enrollment Increases.
There were questions and comments from the Committee (i) would like to see interdepartmental
communication; (ii) is there any discussion for best practices for teacher workload or per pupil
expenditure and World Language for the elementary school; (iii) do all employees have access to
the Wellness Program; (iv) building capacity and technology – provide a structure and schedule
exams based on a shared calendar; and (v) Goal 2 – would like to see first more detail on the goal
to decrease student unhealthy stress
Robert Harris, Assistant Superintendent Human Resources shared that all employees have access
to all wellness programs.
Phyllis Neufeld, President, Lexington Education Association (LEA) supports the point that talks
about a collaborative process and increasing efficiency. Ms. Neufeld saw this as a great first step
to examining what they do and how to stay in the forefront of education in Massachusetts. Ms.
Neufeld hopes the Committee will support this.
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The Committee decided to continue the discussion of this Agenda Item at the meeting to be held
on Wednesday, April 9. The Committee also postponed the vote on the Consent Agenda items.
7:25 p.m. Consent Agenda:
1. Vote to Approve School Committee Minutes of January 28, 2014
2. Vote to Approve School Committee Minutes of February 1, 2014
3. Vote to Approve School Committee Minutes of February 11, 2014
7:30 p.m. The School Committee recessed and will remain in session, relocating to Battin
Hall for the purpose of discussing Annual Town Meeting Articles.
The next meeting of the School Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, at 6:00 p.m. in
the Cary Memorial Building, Battin Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue.
Meeting Materials: Meeting Agenda; ALICE – Citizen Response to a Violent Intruder
PowerPoint Presentation; Recommended 2014-2015 District Improvement Plan; Lexington
School Committee Meeting Minutes dated January 28, 2014; Lexington School Committee
Meeting Minutes dated February 1, 2014; and Lexington School Committee Meeting Minutes
dated February 11, 2014
Voted by the School Committee June 10, 2014