Minutes
Quincy, MASSACHUSETTS – May 19, 2021
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Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Regular Meeting
Chairman Presiding
A meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. at the Coddington Building. Superintendent Kevin Mulvey called the roll and present were Mayor Thomas P. Koch, School Committee Chair, Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mr. Doug Gutro, Mrs. Emily Lebo, Mrs. Courtney Perdios, Mr. Frank Santoro, and Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Vice Chair.
Also present were: Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Assistant Superintendent Erin Perkins, Mr. Christopher Benson, Mr. Lucas Buckingham, Ms. Allison Cox, Mr. Michael Draicchio, Ms. Julie Graham, Ms. Maura Papile, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, Mr. Robert Shaw, Mr. Lawrence Taglieri; Quincy College Associate Vice President for Student Success & Partnerships Meghan Cassidy; and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.
School Committee observed a moment of silence for the men and women in the armed forces serving at home and overseas.
Superintendent Mulvey noted the following retired Quincy Public Schools employees who passed away recently: Robert “Bob” Dano, North Quincy High School Soccer coach; Arthur “Bud” Mosher, English Teacher and Coach at Quincy High School for 30 years; and Robert “Bob” Basiliere, Math Teacher, Dean, and Assistant Principal at Quincy High School, 30 years in Quincy Public Schools.
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Approval of Minutes
Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting for May 5, 2021. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Open Forum
Ms. Owens read a letter submitted by Jennifer Chen, Kate Campbell, Ashley Lynch-Mahoney, Liz Speakman, and Scott Alessandro in support of creating Family Liaison positions for the Quincy Public Schools. Ms. Owens also read a petition submitted by Joe Herosy and signed by fifty Quincy parents and residents calling on School Committee to cancel MCAS administration for 2021.
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Superintendent’s
Report
Mayor Koch deferred his remarks as he is on the agenda under New Business to present on the City of Quincy FY2022 Budget.
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Superintendent Mulvey reviewed that new guidance was received from the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) on May 17, 2021. Students and staff will continue to wear masks inside school buildings but are not required to wear them outdoors.
Mrs. Perdios asked what parents should do if the prefer that their student continue to wear a mask outdoors. Superintendent Mulvey said parents should reach out to their school principals who can share the information with the teacher.
Mr. Santoro asked to revisit the mask policy for the fall, he is concerned that for older student, the masks are a deterrent to identification. Superintendent Mulvey said revised guidance on mask wearing is anticipated to be released in June.
Mr. Bregoli disagrees with current mask guidance for schools.
Mrs. Lebo noted that the COVID-19 vaccine has just recently been approved for students age 12 and above.
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Superintendent Mulvey said that DESE is preparing guidance for full in-person learning for the fall and Quincy Public Schools is planning the same, including Full-Day Kindergarten. If the 3-foot distance requirement is retained, this will be a challenge to implement, but this may be eliminated. Updates on guidance will be shared at future School Committee meetings. In terms of remote learning, a virtual learning survey is being conducted for educators, parents, and students and data will be shared at the May 26, 2021 Teaching & Learning Subcommittee meeting. The QPS Summer Programs are an opportunity to transition to in-person learning for students who have remained remote for the school year.
Superintendent Mulvey said that earlier this spring, DESE solicited applications for districts who wished to establish a permanent remote school program. Quincy Public Schools did not apply for this as staffing a remote school would strain the budget and negatively impact the district’s ability to provide math, digital literacy, and literacy interventions. Of the 300+ districts in Massachusetts, only 13 have applied, including Boston, Lowell, and Worcester. Ms. Perkins reiterated that the DESE application to establish a separate virtual school, which would require an administrator, a nurse, Special Education, and English Learner staffing. The existing Massachusetts Virtual Schools have poor outcomes, currently are requiring interventions and assistance, low graduation rate and high dropout rate, and low performance on the MCAS.
Mrs. Hubley asked about retaining remote learning for snow days, but DESE has not yet released guidelines. Superintendent Mulvey said this would have to be impact bargained with the Quincy Education Association and other unions. Superintendent Mulvey said that School Committee would have to weigh the social-emotional benefits of a snow day versus the time on learning.
Mr. Bregoli asked about students remote learning from outside Quincy. Superintendent Mulvey said that during this school year, students have been discharged with a few exceptions, sometimes students are temporarily residing with extended family due to parent work situations
Mrs. Lebo is concerned that there will be a return to remote learning next winter and would like to Quincy Public Schools to have a plan just in case, including distribution of Chromebooks for all grades. Superintendent Mulvey agreed and a plan will be developed. A new IT Administrator was hired last week and he will oversee the return and updating of the Chromebooks this summer. Those Chromebooks will be available for distribution to students in the fall.
Mrs. Perdios asked for information about the Virtual Learning Survey, Ms. Perkins said that asking staff and families to share their experiences will allow for us to plan for any future remote learning needs.
Mrs. Perdios asked whether there has been discussion about establishing regional Virtual Schools. Ms. Perkins said the regulations currently allow for single-district virtual schools only.
Mr. Santoro suggested that building on the remote learning experience would be an advantage, teachers have made innovations that can be retained.
Mrs. Lebo asked for clarification, the Virtual Learning survey is for staff, students in Grades 5-12, and parents,
Mr. Gutro made a motion for the topic of “COVID Keepers” be added to the next meeting agenda. Mrs. Perdios seconded the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it, 7-0.
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Superintendent Mulvey reviewed that of the 9,716 students currently enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12, 56% are attending school in-person and 44% are attending school remotely.
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Superintendent Mulvey reviewed the COVID-19 metrics for the two weeks May 5-18. There were 21 student cases: 20 in-person and 1 remote and one staff case. No evidence of in-school transmission during these two weeks. Quincy moved into Green status effective May 13, 2021.
Mr. Gutro asked about the new Health Commissioner. Mayor Koch confirmed that Marli Cassli, MPH, MS, has been appointed to the position. Mrs. Lebo noted that Commissioner Cassli is a Quincy Public Schools graduate.
For the QPS Pooled Testing Initiative, 750 students and staff are signed up to participate. Last week, the positivity rate was 0% with no positive cases. Pooled testing will continue for the summer programs.
In partnership with Manet Community Health Center, 150 students (with parent consent) and staff members at North Quincy and Quincy High Schools received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at clinics on May 5 and May 10. For students ages 12 to 18, referrals are being made to Manet Community Health Center for appointments.
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Superintendent Mulvey updated on planning for the High School Graduation ceremonies; new guidelines released today will allow for Graduation ceremonies to be held without distancing or capacity limits. Planning for the outdoor Senior Prom and Senior Night Out/Senior Stay Out events is ongoing as the guidelines evolve, further information will be shared when available.
Mr. Gutro asked whether the guidelines will allow for dancing, Superintendent Mulvey said this is still under discussion. Mr. Gutro asked about the Junior Prom, that would not be held this year.
Mr. Santoro asked if there is rain on the Graduation dates, will it be moved indoors. Superintendent Mulvey said this is still to be determined.
Superintendent Mulvey thanked the South Shore Plaza Macy’s department store, the Salvation Army, and Christine Koch and Leslie Bridson, thanks to their efforts Quincy Public Schools seniors were invited to Central Middle School on Saturday, May 15 to choose a free prom dress and well over 200 seniors did so.
Mrs. Hubley requested a thank you note be sent to the organizers of the dress distribution from School Committee.
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Superintendent Mulvey updated on upcoming virtual Parent & Community Events: the Early College High School Information Night will be held on June 1, 2021 at 6:00 pm and the Welcome to Kindergarten Parent Orientation will be held on May 27, 2021 at 6:00 pm.
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Thanks to Granite Telecommunications for their recent donation of Museum of Science “Try It! At-Home Engineering Kit” to every Grade 4 student in Quincy Public Schools. The QHS Culinary Arts program was supported by Stop & Shop for the recent “Chopped”-style Chef Competition and congratulations to Bella DelPrete - Best Overall; Hannah MacPhail-Palisi - Best Entrée; Renee Clermont - Best Dessert; Megan MacNeil - Honorable Mention; Joseph Healy - Honorable Mention.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Association (MEMA) recently donated 10 pallets of supplies to Quincy Public Schools, including masks, face shields, gloves, hand sanitizer, and other protective gear and cleaning supplies.
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Superintendent Mulvey recognized students from the Class of 2021 who are National Honor Society members from North Quincy High School Brandon Chen, Benson Chen, Ruihua Chen, Chloe Chin, Jaelyn Egan, Liana Gao, Jaden Hallisey, Subear Hussein, Christy Li, Kenny Li, Michelle Li, Ying Loo, Kelly Ma, Brigid Norris, Victoria Talarico, Quangvinh Tran, Jessica (Jia) Wu, Queena (Qi) Wu, Jenny Yang,
Nancy Zheng, and Gina Zou and from Quincy High School Grace Akkara, Dea Avdulla, Brendan Cavin, Michelle Chen, Kasey Chow, Charles Codner, William Cook,
Joseph Dinh, James Doan, Nora Donovan, Collin Driscoll, Kelsy Duong, Michael Duong, Eileen Durgin, Juliana Gee, Marsha Germain, Ashley Grehan, Ilkim Gumus,
Brian Gutro, Isabella Hanley, Emilia Henry, Kyla Ho, Mia Hurley, Samuel Hurley, Thuy Huynh, Noela Janka, Jacquelyn Kane, Supriti Karki, Aisling Kelly, Matthew Kelly, Rachel Lafferty, Jose Maria Gabriel Las, Annie Liang, Tina Lin, Raymond Liu, Megan MacNeil, Julia McGillicuddy, Alessia Mochi, Hannah Murphy, Niamh Mwafulirwa, Jack Nelson, Huy Nguyen, Mark Nguyen, Wayne Nguyen, Joyce Ramos,
Alyssa Ruan, Alyssa Ryan, Joselle Samson, Ryleigh Smith, Cindy Su, Shirley Tang, Jefferson Tian, Abigail Toland, Kevin Toler, Andrew Tran, Eileen Trenholm, Hsiu Tsao, Lilian Uong, Kenny Vo, Anna Weng, Abby Yanovich, Dong Pei Zhang, Cecily Zhao, Marsha Zheng, Yuyang Zheng, Jessica Zisk, Alvia Zou
Superintendent Mulvey also noted that students from both high schools have been recognized by the Patriot League as Scholar-Athletes, All-Stars, and for Sportsmanship for the Fall, Winter, and Fall II seasons. All of these students merit special recognition for maintaining their academic and athletic performance during the last fifteen months.
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Old Business
There was no Old Business.
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New Business
Early College High
School Program
Presentation
Executive Director Keith Segalla reviewed the partnership between Quincy Public Schools and Quincy College. Currently, Dual Enrollment provides high school students the opportunity to earn three college credits from Quincy College for Honors-level classes at each high school (Accounting 1 & 2, Anatomy & Physiology, Chemistry, Public Speaking, French III, Italian III, Pre-Calculus, Physics, Psychology, and Marketing). The cost to families is $250 and 368 students are currently enrolled. 130 of these students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals and are accessing Dual Enrollment free of charge under a grant funded by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. In addition, Quincy Public Schools is partnering with Quincy College on a CVTE Pathways Initiative for Early Education & Care, Information Support & Networking Services, and Legal & Protective Services. In Fall 2021, Business Technology and Healthcare Technology will join the initiative.
Assistant Vice President Meghan Cassidy reviewed the Early College High School program, an established program with the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education already underway in twenty-seven districts in Massachusetts. Early College High School provides underrepresented students with the opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school at no cost to families. Early College High School is a sequence of courses that will prepare students for post-secondary success. Quincy Public Schools and Quincy College have collaborated to submit an application to receive the ECHS designation from DESE on an accelerated schedule. The project is being supported by a $500,000 grant from the State Street Foundation.
Students entering Grades 10, 11, and 12 in September 2021 are eligible for the ECHS program, with priority given to underrepresented student populations, including economically disadvantaged, Special Education, and English Learners. Cross-functional teams will support the initiative at the school, district, and college administrative levels. Each high school would have two additional positions (funded by Quincy College) for Guidance and College Advising.
North Quincy High School Principal Rob Shaw reviewed that ECHS Course offerings will be CCP level classes for Grade 10 (electives Introduction to Criminal Justice, Music Across Cultures), Grade 11 (core courses Introduction to Environmental Science, US History 2), and Grade 12 (core courses English Composition 1 & 2). These semester-long courses are intended to address core requirements for freshman students at most colleges. (Mathematics classes will be added in 2022.) Sample student schedules for each high school were shared, along with course descriptions. Students also have time with the other students in the cohort for an ECHS Support Block, allows for more interaction with the ECHS Guidance and College Counselors for intensive interventions. For staff, Professional Learning opportunities for collaboration with Quincy College faculty, content collaboration between the high schools, and development of common curriculum guides, syllabi, and pacing guides will be provided. NQHS Science Teacher Lucas Buckingham reviewed the course description and learning outcomes for the Introduction to Environmental Science, an adaptation of the Advanced Placement course and exposing students to a lab-based course. QHS Social Studies Teacher Christopher Benson reviewed the course description and learning outcomes for the Introduction to Criminal Justice course.
Quincy High School Principal Lawrence Taglieri reviewed the Academic Supports for the ECHS program, including the Student Support Block where students would have access to Tutoring Support, Study Skills & Organizational Strategies, opportunities for collaboration with English Learner and/or Special Education teams. The ECHS Guidance Counselor and College Advisors will assist with College and Career Planning (development of 6-year plan), Financial Aid assistance, and Social and Emotional Health Awareness. The ECHS application process will be online and should be submitted by June 11, 2021. In addition to student contact information, students will submit academic and employment history and responses to open response prompts. A virtual ECHS Information Night will be held on June 1, 2021 and targeted interviews scheduled to encourage participation. Accepted students will also participate in the ECHS program orientation and commit to fully participate in the program. Mr. Taglieri emphasized the opportunity for students to have a choice and the tools to continue their education after high school.
Mr. Bregoli asked how the teachers are being selected. Mr. Taglieri said that teachers were recruited based on interest and their experience teaching similar courses. Mr. Bregoli asked where the ECHS Advisors will be located. Ms. Cassidy said they will be funded through the State Street Foundation grant and work out of the high schools. Mr. Bregoli asked about the courses, all of the courses are available at both schools.
Mr. Santoro asked about the value of the Dual Enrollment and Early College High School credits, it is 3 credits per completed course.
Mrs. Lebo agreed that this is a great opportunity for our students. Mrs. Lebo asked about the articulation agreements for the Chapter 74 programs, these have expired. Mrs. Lebo is concerned about the pace of the classes, Dual Enrollment are full year classes and these are semester-length. Mrs. Lebo suggested that the courses should be considered Honors-level classes as an incentive, especially for the Grade 11 and 12 students. Mrs. Lebo asked if there are not enough students who meet the criteria enrolled, will this be opened up to additional students. Mr. Taglieri said criteria are being developed to evaluate applications in case there are more than the number increased. Mrs. Lebo asked when the Senior Team began meeting, first meetings were Fall 2020. Mrs. Lebo is disappointed that School Committee not informed earlier. Mrs. Lebo asked about the State Street Foundation grant, at $75,000 per counselor the money will not go that far. Within a few years, Quincy Public Schools will have to absorb the costs in the budget. Mrs. Lebo asked about class size, will be within high school class size guidelines.
Mrs. Perdios asked whether Dual Enrollment classes are Honors classes, Ms. Cassidy confirmed. The ECHS students are CCP courses, the courses are separate but similar to higher level courses. Teacher recommendations will be important to student acceptance into the program. Mrs. Perdios concerned about the readiness of Grade 10 students to take college-level courses. Mrs. Perdios also is concerned about the length of the funding, Superintendent Mulvey clarified that the grant is for three years at $500,000 per year.
Mrs. Perdios asked if the grant would go away if the program was not implemented in Fall 2021. Mayor Koch said that he believes that would happen, there is a lot of competition statewide. Mrs. Perdios is concerned about the timeline, may be aggressjve to ask parents and students to complete an application within ten days of the information session. Especially in this school year with the constant changes, many high school students have not been in their schools all year. Mrs. Perdios suggested focusing on Grade 10 for this year and moving into Grades 10 & 11 for 2022.
Mrs. Perdios asked if the ECHS Counselors will collaborate with the high school Guidance staff to align the supports. Mr. Shaw said these staff members will be part of the High School Guidance Staff with all the same professional development. Mrs. Perdios would like to see the same level of support for all students. Mrs. Perdios asked what will happen if a student does not complete all three years, Ms. Cassidy confirmed that they would receive credits for any courses completed even if they do not complete the whole program.
Mr. Gutro asked about the target population of eligible students, how many high needs students in each grade. Mr. Shaw said the program will appeal to different students for different reasons, students who are capable of doing work but may not have a pathway to AP coursework. Mr. Gutro said the Dual Enrollment has grown over time, but enrollment levels were initially low.
Mr. Gutro asked about Collective Bargaining, no impact. Mr. Gutro asked about teacher reception, Mr. Shaw said enthusiasm is high. Mr. Gutro asked for and received clarification that the ECHS positions are Quincy Public Schools positions. Mr. Gutro asked about how the program will continue after three years when the State Street Foundation grant expires. Ms. Cassidy said that through working with RTI, hoping for additional grant opportunities for future years. Ms. Cassidy said the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a supporter of this program nation-wide.
Mr. Gutro asked about the impact on required coursework that students need to take towards their diploma. Mr. Shaw said the half year model ensures flexibility so that students can take a variety of courses, still have the option of choice. Mr. Gutro asked what we are already doing to provide a bridge to college, Mr. Shaw said that this is to put going to college on the radar for students who may not consider this an option.
Mr. Bregoli asked if there is an impact on staffing from offering these courses, Mr. Shaw said there is no effect because we are still educating the same number of students, just in different sections. Mr. Bregoli noted that the ECHS Guidance staff would have a caseload of 150 students, most high school guidance counselors will have 300 students. Superintendent Mulvey said the other Guidance staff will have now have fewer students with these additional positions.
Mrs. Perdios asked about the impact on the Homework Policy, we may have to adapt to allow for exceptions. Mrs. Perdios asked for information on High Needs students who don’t typically go to college after high school. Mrs. Perdios asked about the effect on scheduling, Mr. Shaw said it is a net effect on the schedule, there is no change in the total number of students.
Mrs. Lebo agreed that it needs to be clear that Dual Enrollment is different from ECHS. Mrs. Lebo asked for clarification, students can earn 5 points for half year vs. 5 points for a full year Advanced class on the same topic. Mrs. Lebo would like to see the full budget for the grant expenditures. Mrs. Lebo asked about academic support for students struggling with content, Mr. Shaw said the ECHS Support Block will allow for students to access the teachers for these courses. Mrs. Lebo noted that Boston Public Schools has received grant funding for planning for a year before implementation. Mrs. Lebo is concerned about students’ ability to access this higher level content on this reduced time frame.
Mayor Koch thanked the efforts of the ECHS team for planning this in the midst of this challenging year. This is a three-year commitment and the money can be found within the City budget to continue it if it is successful. This is an opportunity to address social justice issues, level the playing field for many of our students. There are unanswered questions, we won’t answer those questions until we get the program started. Thanks to Chris Gabrielli and the State Street Corporation, we have strong educators and leaders
Mrs. Perdios made a motion to delay the Early College High School program rollout until the 2022-23 school year if the grant funding will still be available.
Mayor Koch said the grant cannot be delayed a year, Quincy College and Quincy Public Schools will lose out on the funding.
Mrs. Lebo said she will not support the motion, we are too far down the road in the planning and application process.
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New Business
FY2022 City of
Quincy Budget
After a brief recess, Mayor Koch reviewed that the City of Quincy FY2022 Budget was increased by $3 million due to increased Chapter 70 funding which goes directly to the Quincy Public Schools. There is a separate appropriation for contract negotiations for all city unions in the city budget. In addition to the direct funding for Quincy Public Schools, many city departments support the Quincy Public Schools, such as Public Buildings, the Quincy Police and Fire Departments, and TPAL.
Mrs. Perdios thanked Mayor Koch for the City’s generosity towards Quincy Public Schools and maintaining that year over year.
Mrs. Lebo asked about the Budget Public Hearing, this is scheduled for June 2, 2021 at 5:30 pm.
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New Business
MCAS Petition
Superintendent Mulvey reviewed that the MCAS administration is underway, with almost two weeks completed. Some schools are completely finished, high schools will be administering MCAS in late May and early June and the graduation requirement for the Class of 2023 stands.
Mrs. Perdios noted that she had asked for the item to be on the agenda so as to be able to respond to the petition.
Mrs. Lebo said the first part of the resolution is already approved and the Class of 2022 had the MCAS requirement waived. Mrs. Lebo said the current Grade 10 students need to test this year to ensure that anyone needing supports and retesting will have several opportunities. Mrs. Lebo noted that school districts will be held harmless by DESE based on MCAS outcomes.
Mr. Bregoli is not in favor of MCAS in general and not supportive of testing this year due to the impact on time on learning
Mayor Koch is curious to see the results from this years MCAS and the effect of the pandemic on our students.
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Additional Business
There was no Additional Business.
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Communications
Mayor Koch noted that the last Regular School Committee meeting of the school year is scheduled for June 9, 2021 at 6:30 pm at the Coddington Building. Subcommittee meetings are scheduled for May 26, 2021 (Budget & Finance and Teaching & Learning) and June 2, 2021 (Public Hearing, Budget & Finance; Joint Equity, Diversity & Inclusion & Facilities, Security & Transportation).
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Reports of
Subcommittees
There were no Reports of Subcommittees.
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Executive Session
Mrs. Lebo made a motion to go into Executive Session at 9:30 pm for the purpose of Collective Bargaining. Mr. Santoro seconded the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it, 7-0. School Committee will not return to regular session.
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Adjournment
The Regular School Committee meeting was adjourned at 9:30 pm.
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