Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-04-10-SC-minLEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING Tuesday, April 14, 2020 Conducted by Remote Participation CALL TO ORDER AND WELCOME: 6:28 p.m. Chair Eileen Jay welcomed and introduced committee members SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT Eileen Jay, Chairperson Kathleen Lenihan, Clerk Deepika Sawhney Scott Bokun Sara Cuthbertson SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PRESENT Dr. Julie Hackett, Superintendent Dr. Christine Lyons, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development Mr. David Coelho, Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations Student Representative Sara Mei The minutes were taken by Kristen Cronin, Executive Assistant to the School Committee and Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent. Ms. Jay reviewed some of the ground rules for how the meeting will be conducted. Ms. Jay read Governor Baker's Executive Order from March 12, 2020. LCM of Governor Baker's Executive Order. Ms. Jay covered additional ground rules for an effective and clear conduct of business and to assure accurate meeting minutes. School Committee Announcements/Liaison Reports Ms. Cuthbertson reported on the LexSEPTA Q&A Parent Forum which she participated in along with Mr. Bokun, Dr. Hackett, and other administrators. Ms. Cuthbertson encouraged people to continue with the feedback but to also continue working with their teams. She noted this is a new situation for everyone and the feedback is helpful. Mr. Bokun echoed Ms. Cuthbertson's comments on the LexSEPTA Q&A Parent Forum. Mr. Bokun reflected on Core Value # 4 "Care for Yourself and Others." LSC Meeting Minutes 4/14/2020 Approved 4/28/2020 Ms. Sawhney provided a brief update on conversations around the possibility of having electric buses in Lexington, headed by Sustainable Lexington co-chair, Mr. Tom Rhodes. Ms. Sawhney provided a brief update on the Appropriation Committee virtual meeting. She said that there was discussion around the Town Warrants, mostly on Warrant #19. Ms. Sawhney expressed some concerns about students who are not being contacted or have "gone dark" during this pandemic. Dr. Hackett pointed out that she was given data from a faculty survey, provided by LEA President, Dr. Avon Lewis. In particular, one of the questions asked on the survey is about student engagement and learning. Dr. Hackett reported that, out of 221 Unit A respondents, 62% of the respondents say that 90% or more of their students are engaged in the learning process. Dr. Hackett noted that counselors and others have been doing lots of outreach. Ms. Lenihan congratulated the 20/20 Vision Committee. The Committee held an event called, Futures Panel: Challenges and Opportunities for Lexington on April 2nd. Dr. Hackett was one of the presenters on the panel. A video of the presentation provided by Dr. Hackett has been uploaded to YouTube by the 20/20 Vision Committee for public viewing, or viewers can click here to watch. Congratulations and Celebrations: Dr. Hackett congratulated Clarke and Diamond Middle School students and coaches for participating in this year's MATHCOUNTS, the State middle school math championships that were held at the Wentworth Institute of Technology in March. Approximately 850 students in Massachusetts competed this year, and the top 150 advanced to the competition. Dr. Hackett reported that for the twelfth time in the last 14 years, Clarke Middle School brought home the championship, and Diamond Middle School placed second! Ten of the top fourteen students in Massachusetts were Lexington students, the top four of whom will comprise the team that competes at the Nationals in Orlando in May! Superintendent Report: Dr. Hackett reported on the following: Joy in Learning: Dr. Hackett shared a heartwarming video created by Nori, a Kindergarten student at Bridge. In the video, Nori explains mathematical concepts in her own words. Dr. Hackett thanked Nori for being such a great math student, and to Ms. McGibbon—and to so many other Lexington educators—who bring joy in (remote) learning to our students every day! LPS Remote Learning Clarifications and Updates Dr. Hackett reported on the newly -created , which curates all of the LPS remote learning materials in one location for easy access. On the webpage, families will 2 LSC Meeting Minutes 4/14/2020 Approved 4/28/2020 find superintendent updates, remote learning sample lesson plans and student artifacts for all grade levels, special education, community, and technology resources, activities and virtual events, meals for students, device repair, and WGBH resources for families. She noted this webpage and content will be updated regularly. LPS Remote Learning Plan and DESE Guidance—The LPS Remote Learningwas published on March 23, 2020. Massachusetts Commissioner of Education Jeff Riley released his remote learning_gUjdan.ge on March, 30, 2020. Our LPS Remote Learning Plan aligns well with Commissioner Riley's remote learning guidance and shares many similar features, including the following: (1) We do not expect remote learning to replicate the traditional school day; (2) Remote learning can encompass a wide variety of learning tools, including large -group video or audio conference calls, 1:1 phone or video calls, email, work packets, projects, reading lists, online learning platforms, and other resources; (3) Health, safety, and wellness are our top priorities; (4) We recommend that schools support students to engage in meaningful and productive learning for approximately half the length of a regular school day; we expect this learning to take place via a combination of educator -directed learning and student self-directed learning; and (5) We recommend that remote learning focus on reinforcing skills already taught this school year and applying and deepening those skills. LPS Special Education and Remote Learning—On March 26, 2020, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released an updated frequently asked questions document to address special education in Massachusetts during this period of remote learning. DESE'sFA informed the ial educatgn_gWAg= that we issued on April 7, 2020. The LPS special education guidance mirrors the State's recommendations in the following ways: LPS IEP Team members are communicating with parents and caregivers frequently. "The frequency and type of communication varies depending on the child's individual needs, the availability of the team member, and the mode of communication utilized." 1. LPS is holding (and prioritizing) Virtual IEP Team meetings, and began doing so last week. 2. LPS is exploring the possibility of providing video -conferencing and related services in a small group setting. 3. LPS is collaborating creatively with families to continue to meet the needs of students with disabilities during this period of school closure. MCAS Officially Cancelled: Next, Dr. Hackett reported that on April 10, 2020, Governor Baker signed a bill into law suspending Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) testing requirements for the school year. As a result of these federal and state actions, this spring's MCAS tests for students in grades 3-10 have been canceled. The Department of Elementary and Secondary 3 LSC Meeting Minutes 4/14/2020 Approved 4/28/2020 Education will modify or waive graduation requirements for students set to complete high school this summer, and will push back due dates for district improvement plans. Last day for Seniors: Lastly, Dr. Hackett reported the last day of school for all students in Lexington Public Schools is June 18, 2020. The last official day of school for Seniors is May 26, 2020, which factors in the April vacation dates that will now be counted as school days. LHS Robotics Teams: Dr. Hackett reported that two LHS robotics teams, 2 Bits and a Byte and the Parity Bits, are organizing an online hackathon for Lexington students K-12. The hackathon will be focusing on solutions to the problems Covid-19 is posing to the Lexington community. The website for the Hackathon can be found here. LEA/ALA/LPS Memorandum of Agreement Dr. Hackett noted that high -functioning school systems have effective labor-management partnerships, and she stated that, "I am proud of our strong collaboration with the Lexington Education Association and the Association of Lexington Administrators." During the past two years, we have been partners in all aspects of the work from authentic problem -solving to strategic planning, and our Union leaders' willingness to partner with us is what makes our school system even better for the young people we serve. We live our core values through a genuine give-and-take, and "we seek out other points of view and work to understand the perspective of others" (LPS Core Value #2: "Use Your Mind"). I believe it is fair to say that our approach to the work during the last couple of years has resulted in a mutual respect that has served us well during this period of uncertainty. It has been gratifying to see that our collaboration has yielded a1PS Remote Learning-Elanand a Memorandum gf Agreement that is being used as a model by professional organizations like the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS)., as well as other diverse school districts throughout the state. Dr. Hackett went on to say, "I am proud of the work that we have been able to accomplish together, and I believe productive partnerships of this kind are something to celebrate." Ms. Sara Mei had a question regarding MCAS and asked when sophomore students would be taking MCAS at all? Dr. Hackett noted this question was asked to the Commissioner in an earlier conversation and said they were not prepared to answer that question and that more guidance would be coming soon. 4 LSC Meeting Minutes 4/14/2020 Approved 4/28/2020 Ms. Jay commented on the remote learning website, particularly the specific examples of resources, activities, and assignments outlined by teachers and teams at various grade levels. She feels it is very helpful for people to understand what some of the teachers are doing with their students, so she urged people to take a look at the website. Consent Agenda Ms. Cuthbertson moved to accept the following items on the Consent Agenda: • Accounts Payable dated April 10, 2020 in the amount of $1,008,044.15 • Payroll dated April 10, 2020 in the amount of $3,906,736.50 • School Committee minutes from March 31, 2020 Mr. Bokun seconded; Ms. Jay took a roll call vote (Approved 5-0) Presentation: How LPS is Delivering Remote Learning Experiences Dr. Chris Lyons, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Learning, along with Ms. Ellen Sugita, Director of Student Services, Ms. Elizabeth Lamore, Ms. Deirdre Schadler, Ms. Kathleen Abou-Rjaily, and Ms. Robyn Dowling -Grant presented on how Lexi is del iveri Dr. Lyons explained that, even though the district is not moving forward with the curriculum as it was envisioned, remote learning going forward will provide opportunities to address new content in different ways. The same holds true for ELL and Special Education classes. Ms. Lamore provided information on how remote learning was rolled out for special education students. She noted that since the beginning of March, Special Education Administrators had been working together to think about how to care for themselves and others during unprecedented times. Once school was closed, staff reached out to families to ask about concerns they had and to discuss priorities for goal areas and needs for students. Ms. Lamore said staff had consultation meetings with all service providers for students and with general education teachers to talk about how to meet the needs of all those students. Ms. Lamore described how they worked together to create remote learning plans, formed consultation schedules with staff and families, and created schedules for checking in with the students (which varied based on student needs). These documents are dynamic documents that change regularly as needed, and they have been shared with families so that parents can see what is being recommended for every child. Ms. Abou-Rjaily provided further information on how she develops a plan and streamlines it for the students and the service providers. She showed examples of her weekly planning documents and how she uses hyperdocs in order to link weekly activities from general ed to 5 LSC Meeting Minutes 4/14/2020 Approved 4/28/2020 suggested differentiated activities by service providers, modified literacy activities, adapted read clouds and text. . Ms. Deirdre Schadler provided information on strategies being provided for ELL students and families. Ms. Schadler stated they are working not only with the ELL department to create templates and collaborate on materials, but also working with grade level PLC's to learn about the materials they are sharing in the classroom. ELL staff provide support and assistance in modifying any materials for students that can help them access vocabulary and content. Ms. Schadler said the ELL department has also reached out to the Mathematics Department, as well as social workers and guidance counselors, to be sure no one is falling through the cracks. They are also joining in on Google Classroom Hangouts with the classroom teachers in order to see the ELL students in the context of the larger class. Ms. Schadler noted that ELL teachers are also using Google Hangouts with kindergartners, grade 1 and grade 2 students. Click here for a sample of EL.Lclassroom activities Ms. Jay asked Dr. Lyons if the tools that groups have been creating can be shared among colleagues across the district. Ms. Sugita explained how the templates/tools are being shared amongst special ed. staff. She acknowledged that all the templates look a little different across the district. Planning for how the process would occur began in early March anticipating the possibility of having to close schools due to the pandemic. Mr. Bokun asked if the students are provided any guidance prior to getting onto the websites. He commented that there is a lot of information for them to digest, so he wondered what the process for helping them get started is like. Ms. Abou-Rjaily replied that at the beginning of the week, when the weekly activities with all the links become available to students, she schedules a virtual meeting with students and walks them through the documents. She pointed out that students can work through the documents at their own pace and decide what they want to work on. It can depend on what will work for families that particular week. Ms. Sara Mei commented that after hearing all the remote learning plans, it shows that Lexington is very prepared for every type of situation. Personally speaking, teachers are getting kids engaged in learning and are using many different techniques. Ms. Mei commented that she is learning something new every day from remote learning. Members had further discussion and expressed their appreciation for the hard work the teachers have been doing to keep students engaged. Dr. Lyons thanked all of tonight's presenters, including Ms. Sugita and Ms. Dowling -Grant, for their guidance in both of their departments. She also expressed appreciation for the principals and department heads who have done so much in so many ways to help make this workable and manageable for their staff. She thanked Mr. Martellone for all his help and making sure every single student in the district has a device to work on. Dr. Lyons remarked that the librarians have been amazing in the resources they have put together for teachers, students and 6 LSC Meeting Minutes 4/14/2020 Approved 4/28/2020 parents, and that the counselors have worked hard on outreach and making connections. She is especially grateful to Dr. Hackett for her clear leadership and making sure we are always coming back and pointing in the same direction together and to the School Committee for your support. Dr. Hackett asked Ms. Schadler to talk about how Lexington is approaching translation services needed by ELL parents, as well as how aides are getting the opportunity to contribute to the care of children in those settings. Ms. Schadler replied that the district has access to Language Line, which is an online translating service that they use in certain situations where the parents need some additional language support to ensure clarification and accurate information. Mr. Bokun asked Ms. Sugita if parents could get more assistance in helping their child to access the remote learning program anytime soon. Ms. Sugita replied that they are seeing more connections with the parents and parents reaching out a little more to ask for help with finding a better way to do something in the activities with students. She noted the remote learning had to get up and running pretty fast, but it is evolving and improving. Community Speak: Ms. Mona Roy, Burtwell Rd.: Ms. Roy congratulated the staff on the presentation. Ms. Roy commented that it is very difficult to access some of these things (referring to remote learning). As well as thought out as the program is, it cannot be done without adult support. Given the current stance on direct instruction, would it be possible at some point for LPS to clarify to what extent teachers can more directly interact with students? Ms. Roy continued by saying how wonderful all the work that is being done is, and that LPS is moving forward with the learning. However, it is important to keep in mind that for some students, if they don't have the supports, they simply can't access the enrichment learning moving forward, or in diving deep (whatever it's called). They just won't be able to access this without adequate support. Parents are expressing significant concerns about the access that their children have to special education supports, which really prevents them from accessing whatever is being offered by LPS. Continued clarification and continued refinement on what the teachers are allowed to do would be great. Ms. Jyoti, North St.: Ms. Jyoti asked if schools remained closed till June, would the plan be to continue enrichment learning or would it go to curriculum -based learning at some point? Ms. Bronte Abraham, Hudson Rd.: Ms. Abraham expressed concerns regarding the out -of -district tuition memo provided by Mr. David Coehlo. This seems to put a lot of administrative process on out -of -district programs that are doing everything that Lexington educators are doing today. Ms. Abraham asked for "the communication in the letter to be adjusted to the out -of -district partners, and that families be told that tuitions are not going to 7 LSC Meeting Minutes 4/14/2020 Approved 4/28/2020 be pro -rated because they are getting a distance learning program, and that tuitions will be preserved per the documents and the guidance in the intent of us maintaining learning in a different style than parents are used to." Ms. Justine Neely, BellFlower St.: Ms. Neely echoed the same concerns as Ms. Abraham. Ms. Neely asked for the communications to be gentle and thoughtful. She commented that if teachers and staff at LPS are being paid their normal salaries for their work and their planning time over the past two weeks then there shouldn't be an issue with paying out -of -district schools in the same way. They've been working tirelessly to meet some really difficult situations with students with significant needs. Dr. Hackett wanted people to understand that Mr. Coehlo has put together a memo to insure that LPS is attending to the statutory obligations and it is not the intent to limit payment or to try to do something different with out -of -district placements than we would do with our in district staff. Dr. Hackett read aloud portions of an email communication she sent to Ms. Barbara Fortier, LPS Out of District Coordinator, addressing parents' concerns and assuring them that it is not the approach of Lexington to withhold out -of -district payments. She noted that Mr. Coehlo's memo is to ensure that Lexington is in compliance with State laws. Dr. Hackett addressed questions regarding the potential for school closure until June and about changing the approach to go beyond enrichment learning. She commented that the enrichment/deeper learning approach is what Lexington will continue to use, nothing has changed in that regard and there is still very much curriculum that is being covered. Dr. Hackett addressed the question about how faculty and staff are able to reach out and connect with students. Dr. Hackett stated that the answers to this question have been covered in the remote learning plan, as well as in her Superintendent's Report. She noted that what is written is what should be happening and that there are choices on how those communications are done, whether it's by phone, email or hangout. Parents with students on IEPs should contact their special education liaison. If you do not receive an answer from your special education liaison, reach out to your principal or the Director of Special Education. If you are still not receiving an answer, then reach out to the Superintendent's office. Update on Contractor Payments during Closure of Schools 2020 Mr. David Coehlo, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, provided a brief update on his memo regarding Out -of -District school programs. Mr. Coehlo acknowledged that he is aware of the out -of -district portion of the memo, but noted there is a whole host of contractors that are trying to maneuver through this crisis around the concept of continuity of services for when the schools reopen. He reported that under the guise of the Department of Ed., and what has come out for guidance from the Federal Government, Commissioner Riley, and the School Business office at the Department of Ed. under Mass General Law, Lexington has to produce back up and documentation for services rendered in order to pay for bills. 8 LSC Meeting Minutes 4/14/2020 Approved 4/28/2020 Mr. Coehlo stated that Lexington produced this memo specifically to make sure vendors provide the back up that the district needs in order to present to the Town side when it comes time to present for warrant payments. Mr. Coehlo said he is looking for permission from the School Committee for authorization to work with all of Lexington's vendors and make sure we are complying with the law but also work to make sure that everything works to everyone's benefit. Mr. Bokun commented that he understands the situation Mr. Coehlo is speaking about, but would hate to see anything jeopardize the services for an out -of -district student that is receiving services now or for the future. Mr. Coehlo agreed the first obligation is to the students. Ms. Cuthbertson asked if Mr. Coehlo is expecting to receive further guidance from the State at any point in the near future? Mr. Coehlo commented that there are multiple phone calls weekly with the Department of Ed. In addition, we are reaching out to other like districts to see how they are handling certain situations. Vote to Amend 2019-2020 School Academic Calendar Dr. Lyons reported that all Lexington Public School staff will continue to provide remote learning opportunities to students the week of April 21-24, 2020 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday). Lexington Public Schools will be closed on Monday, April 20th for Patriots' Day. She noted that with these changes the last day of school is June 18, 2020 Ms. lay made a motion to approve the revised FY 2019-2020 Academic Calendar dated 4/14/2020; motion was seconded by Mr. Bokun. Ms. Jay took a roll call vote (Approved 5-0) Vote on EDCO Collaborative Partnership Dr. Hackett gave a brief background overview of the partnership with EDCO Collaborative and Lexington Public Schools. She indicated that the primary concern is that the EDCO Collaborative has been experiencing some financial setbacks and challenges the last couple of years. Dr. Hackett said that on the advice of the legal council, it was suggested that Lexington Public Schools terminate their relationship with EDCO. Ms. lay made the motion: After School Committee discussion relative to Lexington's membership under the EDCO Articles of Agreement, 1 move that the Lexington Public Schools withdraw from the EDCO Collaborative as of July 1, 2020 and to grant authority to the Superintendent and legal counsel to negotiate a withdrawal from the EDCO Collaborative; motion was seconded by Ms. Cuthbertson. Ms. Jay took a roll call vote (Approved 5-0) Community Speak: 9 LSC Meeting Minutes 4/14/2020 Approved 4/28/2020 Ms. Jennifer Yar, Wilson Rd.: Ms. Yar had a few comments regarding the memo and payments for the out -of -district schools. She asked what is defined as fully operational and "if my daughter's school has or any school has a remote learning plan, is that going to be considered fully operational? Or are we saying that if students are not on site and receiving all the services that would have been provided had there been no school closing, then we are considering that program to be somewhat less than fully operational in which case we are going to not be fully paying the tuition for those students. And ... the obvious question is that if we are not going to be paying the full tuition for student placements in out -of -district schools or private schools, what can we expect as parents from those schools for our students' placements? Because it seems to me we are telling those schools that we are not going to fully pay their tuition; that would have an impact on their ability to keep our students in their placements." Ms. Casey Lan, Normandy Rd.: Ms. Lan had a few comments on tonight's presentation. She said it would be great if the curriculum department made sure each and every individual teacher understands this is the way forward, in terms of making sure they teach the new skills that are related to what would be the key parts of the curriculum that would have been taught if the schools were not closed. Ms. Jennifer Yar, Wilson Rd.: Ms. Yar requested a meeting for out -of -district families to discuss these issues and answer questions and help provide some guidance on how to plan going forward if possible. Ms. Yar also requested going forward, if there are any major changes made to educational services, to have more notice. Parents were taken by surprise with this information. Dr. Hackett addressed the concerns with the out -of -district memo. Dr. Hackett said that if there was a concern with something to be changed in the educational services, she would definitely provide a heads up. She pointed out that this memo is a record-keeping exercise and nothing is changing. With regard to a meeting, families need to reach out to the Director of Special Education. Dr. Hackett commented that all of the curricular issues have been addressed. She reiterated that the answers are in the documents. They may not be what some people prefer, but those are the answers. Dr. Hackett said this is a stressful time for everyone and Lexington will keep doing its best. Ms. Sawhney suggested linking the School Committee meetings from Lexmedia to the school website. Ms. Jay made a motion to adjourn at 10:00 p.m. Motion passed by roll call (5-0) 10 LSC Meeting Minutes 4/14/2020 Approved 4/28/2020 11 LSC Meeting Minutes 4/14/2020 Approved 4/28/2020