Sept. 23, 2020 Special Meeting

Agenda

Quincy School Committee
Special Meeting

Coddington Building, School Committee Room
Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.

Per Governor Baker’s order suspending certain provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A sec. 20, the public will not be allowed to physically access this School Committee meeting. Members of the Public can access the meeting audio live on QATV Channel 22 or at www.qatv.org. The meeting will also be recorded for rebroadcast and posted on the QPS website on Friday, September 25, 2020.

I. Chairman’s Update - Mayor Thomas Koch

II. Superintendent’s Report - Superintendent Mulvey

  • QPS Administrative Appointments

  • Re-Opening Metrics (with Health Commissioner Ruth Jones)

  • Enrollment & Attendance Update

  • Chromebook Update

  • Grades 4-12 Instructional Choice Survey

  • Board of Education Meeting, September 29

III. Open Forum - Vice Chair Andronico
Open Forum items may be submitted to School Committee via email to: [email protected]. Please include your full name and mailing address as part of the email.

IV. High School Hybrid Learning Model Update - Mr. Shaw, Mr. Taglieri

V. Executive Session: Contract Negotiations

VI. Adjournment

Minutes

Quincy, MASSACHUSETTS – September 23, 2020
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Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee

Special Meeting

Vice-Chair Presiding

A meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 6:10 p.m at the Coddington Building. Superintendent Kevin Mulvey called the roll and present were Mayor Thomas Koch, Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mr. Doug Gutro, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Mrs. Emily Lebo, Mr. Frank Santoro, and Mr. Anthony Andronico, Vice Chair.

Also present were: Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Assistant Superintendent Erin Perkins, Ms. Allison Cox, Mr. Michael Draicchio, Mr. James Mullaney, Ms. Maura Papile, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, Mr. Robert Shaw, Mr. Lawrence Taglieri; Health Department Commissioner Ruth Jones; and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.

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Chairman’s Report

Mayor Koch remembered former Mayor Joseph Laraia who passed away recently.

Mayor Koch thanked the City Council members who voted to support the Dr. Richard DeCristofaro Special Education Learning Center. The program for these high needs students is so specialized, including bathrooms for every classroom, it will be state of the art and serve our families well.

Mayor Koch thanked Commissioner Hines and the Public Buildings department for their work this summer, maintaining our important assets, safer learning environments.

Mayor Koch said that the COVID-19 numbers have stabilized after bumps up at the end of last week and this past Monday.

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Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Mulvey reviewed the Administrative appointments made in the last few months, Director of Human Resources & Educator Development Allison Cox; Payroll Coordinator Angela Fasoli; Data & Assessment Coordinator Christopher Tierney; IT Support & Implementation Specialist Jason Casimiro; IT Data Support Specialist Ethan Vidyarthy; and Principal Payroll Clerk Kathy Myers. The Special Education Director and Payroll Clerk are posted internally and on SchoolSpring. Two new teaching Elementary Assistant Principals were appointed over the summer: Kathleen Divaio at Atherton Hough and Marisa Forrester at Beechwood Knoll.

Mrs. Lebo asked whether these were new positions or filling open positions, only the IT Support & Implementation Specialist is a new position.

Health Commissioner Ruth Jones presented this week’s data, the information is now posted on the Quincy Public Schools website. Mrs. Lebo asked for two week analysis and Commissioner Jones will provide going forward.

Mr. Bregoli asked how many weeks Quincy has been green, Commissioner Jones said the last four or five weeks.

Mr. Gutro asked about the ten cases last Friday, unrelated to each other, most are from residents in their 20s and 30s.

Superintendent Mulvey reviewed the preliminary Quincy Public Schools enrollment, 9,695 students with 120 registrations pending at Central Registration and school sites. 1,339 Kindergarten through Grade 3 students are enrolled in the Virtual School, 51% of the general education students at these grade levels.

Mr. Gutro asked about the reasons that families are choosing to stay remote. Superintendent Mulvey said that many of our families are multi-generational and families are concerned about students bringing the illness home.

Mr. Andronico said these numbers reflect the initial parent choice survey that was done in the summer.

Mr. Gutro asked about students changing teachers if/when they change instructional models. Mr. Mulvey said this is possible at all levels. Ms. Perkins said that other towns sourced their virtual learning to outside companies, but Quincy Public Schools is using our own staff and so students are likely to change teachers if they change learning models from remote to hybrid, especially at the elementary levels.

Mr. Gutro asked if virtual teachers have students from different schools and Ms. Perkins confirmed that is the case, we are keeping peers together whenever possible. Mr. Gutro asked if students return to in-person learning, could they have a third teacher. Ms. Perkins said that hybrid students would retain their teachers if we return to full remote learning. Ms. Perkins said some families are keeping younger students remote until older students can begin hybrid classes in October, so families are aware that teachers will change. Mr. Gutro is concerned about continuity and Ms. Perkins said that the pre-work teaming teachers will hopefully address this.

Superintendent Mulvey updated School Committee that 1,320 Chromebooks have been distributed to date; 1600 requests pending, evenly split between Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 3 and Grades 4-12. The next delivery of Chromebooks is due September 29 and after programming, will be distributed as soon as possible.

Mrs. Lebo asked about student engagement, only 75 elementary students have not been engaged online. At the middle and high school levels, guidance counselors are working with families where students have not yet logged on, about 50 students total for Grades 6-12.

Mayor Koch asked for reasons for lack of engagement, Mr. Mulvey said in a normal year there are students who are not engaged for the beginning of the school year. In some cases, families have moved and not notified Quincy Public Schools. Mr. Mulvey said as of this week, 65 students are engaged in the middle and high school computer labs.

Mrs. Hubley said there were issues at the North Quincy High School computer lab, Mr. Mulvey said the City IT department has finished a number of elementary school upgrades and will now add 150 access points at NQHS starting on Monday and then moving onto Quincy High School which needs another 45.

Superintendent Mulvey concluded the Superintendent’s Report update by noting that over 400 parents participated in the IT Training Opportunities and that he and Assistant Superintendent Perkins will be presenting at the state Board of Education meeting on September 29

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High School Hybrid Learning Model Revised Proposal

Quincy High School Principal Lawrence Taglieri and North Quincy High School Principal Robert Shaw presented a proposed revision to the high school hybrid learning model. After discussion on the presentation, School Committee did not come to a consensus about pursuing this model so the high school principals will continue to work on revising the plan.

Mayor Koch left the meeting at 8:00 pm.

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Executive Session

Mrs. Lebo made a motion to move to Executive Session meeting at 8:05 pm. Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it, 6-0. Mayor Koch was not present.

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Adjournment

As School Committee did not return from Executive Session, the Special Meeting was adjourned at 8:00 pm.

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