Minutes
Quincy, Massachusetts – October 14, 2015
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Regular Meeting
A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday,
October 14, 2015 at the Coddington Building. Present were Mr. Paul Bregoli,
Mr. Noel DiBona, Ms. Barbara Isola, Mrs. Anne Mahoney, Mr. David McCarthy,
and Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Vice Chair.
Vice-Chair
Presiding
§
The Superintendent called the roll and Mayor Koch was absent. Also present
were: Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk; Mr.
Robert Cavallo, Mr. Michael Draicchio, Mrs. Mary Fredrickson, Mr. James
Hennessy, Mrs. Mary McDonald, Mr. James Mullaney, Deputy Superintendent
Kevin Mulvey, Mrs. Maura Papile, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, Ms.
Judy Todd; former School Committee member Emily Lebo; Citywide Parent
Council Co-Presidents Scott Alessandro and Paula Reynolds; Quincy Parent
Advisory Council to Special Education President Debby Nabstedt; Quincy
Education Association President Allison Cox; and Student Representatives to
School Committee Caroline Bowes and Lucy Zheng (Quincy High School) and
Annie Shtino (North Quincy High School).
§
There was a moment of silence for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
§
Regular Meeting Minutes Approved
9/30/15
Ms. Isola made a motion, seconded by Mr. McCarthy, to approve the Regular
Meeting minutes for September 30, 2015. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.
§
Open Forum
Citywide Parent Council Co-President Paula Reynolds spoke about increasing
opportunities for Foreign Language instruction at all levels of the Quincy Public
Schools, particularly at the middle school level.
Citywide Parent Council Co-President Scott Alessandro announced a School
Committee Candidates Night on Monday, October 19 at 7:00 pm at Quincy High
School. Parents and community members are invited to submit questions to
[email protected] Mr. Alessandro also noted at the Monday, October 13
Citywide Parent Council meeting, three areas of focus were agreed upon for the
2015-2016 school year: Foreign Language instruction, Special Education equity,
and standardized testing.
§
Superintendent's
Report
Dr. DeCristofaro opened the Superintendent’s Report by reviewing that All-City
Band began this week, 75 Grades 4 and 5 students from all elementary schools,
including Grade 5 students at Point Webster and Sterling Middle Schools.
Tuesday’s Instrumental Music department Instrument drive brought in eleven
donated instruments which will be refurbished for Quincy Public Schools
students.
The High School Open House Nights for Grade 8 students and families will be held
on October 27 at Quincy High School and October 29 at North Quincy High School,
both from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Dr. DeCristofaro is appreciative of the principals,
assistant principals, deans, guidance staff, and department heads planning
presentations and tours to showcase the high schools.
Upcoming School~ Community Partnership events include the November 12 MiniGrants Reception at the North Quincy High School Atrium of Honor at 3:00 pm.
150 grant applications were submitted and $30,000 will be awarded. The 15th
Annual Fall Gathering will be held at the Tirrell Room on November 19 from 3:00
pm to 6:00 pm. ‘Tis the Season will be held on December 3 in the Lloyd Hill
Auditorium at Quincy High School. A new event for 2015-2016 will be the Health
Symposium scheduled for October 19 at 3:00 pm at the Tirrell Room, in
partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Thanks to Rita Bailey,
Joanne Morrissey, Maura Papile, Keith Segalla, and John Fagerlund for organizing
this event. Principals, Assistant Principals, School Nurses, Health Educators, and
Physical Education teachers will all attend and collaborate on creating Health &
Wellness Goals and Action Steps.
The Career and Technical Education Advisory Board Meeting will be held at
Quincy High School on October 22. Over 25 members of the local business
community will come together with our CTE staff members from both high
schools to collaborate on enhancements and opportunities for our CTE students.
Dr. DeCristofaro thanked the Quincy Lodge of Elks for once again donating over
700 dictionaries to Grade 3 students. The donations are scheduled for Monday,
October 19.
Dr. DeCristofaro updated on the Sterling Middle School project: Architects Scott
Dunlap and James Jordan from Ai3 presented conceptual layout to the Sterling
Middle School staff on October 13 and then, along with Tom Kerwin from OPM
Joslin Lesser Associates, facilitated discussions with staff groups divided into
functional areas. On October 19, Ai3 will make a presentation to the Quincy City
Council. On October 28, a presentation will be made to the MSBA Facilities
Assessment Subcommittee and in the evening at School Committee, followed by a
November 17 presentation at the full MSBA Board Meeting. At this MSBA Board
Meeting, there will be a vote to move the project into the Schematic Design phase.
On Thursday, October 15, the Professional Educator Status Reception will be held
for forty-four Quincy Public Schools staff members meeting the criteria to be
awarded this status; eighteen Academic Classroom Teachers, twenty Academic
Program Teachers, and six Academic Support Staff members.
Home-School Connections for the Atherton Hough and Montclair Elementary
School and Quincy High School were shared with the School Committee.
Dr. DeCristofaro reviewed the October 1 Enrollment data: there are 9,339
students in Quincy Public Schools, down 56 students from October 1 last year.
Looking at transitions, the majority of the last ten years show increases in
enrollment between K-1, 5-6, and 8-9. For Grades 4-5 moving from Lincoln
Hancock to Sterling and Clifford Marshall to Point Webster, enrollment is
consistent. At the elementary level, 4,056 students are enrolled in Grades K-5.
Elementary class sizes are excellent, an average of 20 students at Grades K, 4, 5
and 19 at Grades 1-3. Open Enrollment for Elementary grades, 194 requests were
made for the 2015-2016 school year and 54 were granted, including siblings and
requests to remain in school when moving outside of district. Middle School
Enrollment is 2,164, up 20 students from last year. Class sizes at the middle
school have 94% of students in classes of 24 or fewer students; 53% have 20 or
fewer students. For Middle School Open Enrollment, 74 requests were received,
23 were granted. At the high school level, 2,642 students are enrolled, with 87%
of class sections having 25 or fewer students. For Open Enrollment, 100% of the
102 requests were granted.
Mrs. Mahoney asked for additional Open Enrollment information that details the
home schools for elementary and middle school requests.
Mrs. Mahoney asked for information about Atlantic and Central’s classes with 26
and 27 students; also for high school, which classes have 27 and 28 students.
Ms. Isola asked about 29 students in the Spanish 1 class at Quincy High School, will
there be enough spots in the language labs for a class of this size. Would like to
see this class size be adjusted, if possible. (Additional computers can be added to
language lab or class can work as small groups to accommodate the larger class.)
Ms. Isola made a motion to move the October 1, 2015 Enrollment data into
Teaching & Learning for further discussion. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion
and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Mr. Bregoli asked at the high school level, whether there are regulations for
Science class sizes for labs and are we in compliance with those levels. (All
science class sections at both high schools are at 26 students or fewer; 74% have
22 or fewer.)
Mr. DiBona asked about Kindergarten at Squantum, there are two classrooms with
enrollments of 23 and 24 students and whether we would consider adding a third
classroom. Dr. DeCristofaro said that those classrooms will be monitored as the
year progresses, although they are on the higher end of the class size guidelines,
each Kindergarten class has a full-time paraprofessional.
§
New Business
Mentoring Program
Wollaston Elementary School Principal James Hennessy and Senior Director
Madeline Roy presented on the Mentoring Program. Each August, the new staff
members are welcomed at the New Professional Staff Orientation and introduced to
the Mentoring Program. Collaboration with Human Resources, the
Superintendent’s Leadership and Principal Team feeds into the Mentoring Team
mission to ensure that staff have a long and successful Quincy Public Schools career.
QPS Induction Programs are modeled on the Massachusetts Standards that require
an orientation, a trained mentor assigned to each new staff member, a support
team, and release time for the mentor and beginning teacher to engage in regular
classroom observations. A key component to moving from Initial to Professional
License, the QPS Mentoring Program helps new teachers to improve practice, learn
professional responsibility , and ultimately, positively affect student learning.
Following the Orientation, all new staff received a mentor within two weeks. The
mentoring team consists of educators, administrators, retired teachers and
administrators and meets four times each year. The role of the mentor is to serve as
a resource, assist with solving problems, and facilitate introductions and
collaboration. An effective mentor maintains a positive outlook no matter what,
accepts the new educator, shares experience, but also respects the proteges’
experiences from their backgrounds and learn from them as well.
Ms. Roy said that it is a pleasure to work with both the new hires and the veteran
teachers. At each mentor meeting, there may be guest speakers, opportunities to
connect with Principals and Program Directors, question and answer periods, small
group discussions, and mentor-protégé collaboration. The Mentoring Program is
supported by NAGE ($10,000 annually for stipends and materials) and Quincy
Credit Union ($500 for The First Year Matters books for all proteges and mentors
and the accompanying planning materials). Within the program text, there are
many topics that educators may use as a reference throughout their career. In an
effort to continue to refresh the program, educators fill out an exit ticket
highlighting parts of the program that are positive, requesting information or topics
to explore at later meetings.
Mr. Bregoli asked about the meetings, 4 times per year, 90 minutes per meeting. Ms.
Isola asked if the mentors are volunteers. Mr. Hennessy said most are, sometimes
principals recruit and encourage. Ms. Isola asked if there were ever pairings that
don’t work out. Ms. Roy said that the building administrator would assist if
necessary. Dr. DeCristofaro thanked Mr. Hennessy, Ms. Roy, and all of the team
members for their planning, extensive work goes into welcoming the proteges,
giving each the opportunity to be extraordinary educators.
§
Aesop Substitute
Teacher Placement
System
Executive Director Keith Segalla, IT Systems Administrator Robert Cavallo, and
Human Resources Administrator Mary McDonald presented on the new Aesop
Substitute Placement System. Aesop supports site administrators in finding
substitute staff for daily and longer-term absences. To begin the process, three
software products were demonstrated for representative principals, administrators,
and IT staff and Aesop was selected based on multiple factors, including ease of use,
reporting ability, and local recommendations. Training of system administrators
and principals, assistant principals, and school secretaries took place in late
September. Substitute teachers submit applications and supporting documentation
to Human Resources, including CORI and National Background Check fingerprinting.
Once the screening process is completed, qualified substitute teachers are provided
with a login and PIN and supported by the IT department in setting up their profiles
and creating a calendar of their available dates. School administrators create lists of
preferred substitutes for grade levels or content areas. School administrators
create substitute requests which are made available to their preferred substitute list
first and then on to other substitutes after a pre-set length of time. Throughout
2015-2016, IT and Human Resources will continue to monitor the effectiveness.
Mr. Bregoli asked about the cost of the system, $15,000. Mr. Bregoli asked about
matching licensure to specific requests, Dr. DeCristofaro said that particularly at the
high school level, there is a shortage of licensed substitutes for Science and Math.
Mr. Bregoli asked about the substitute rate ($75 for daily, $85 for long-term
assignment). Mr. Bregoli requested a survey of rates for surrounding towns;
Business Director Mr. Mullaney will follow up.
Mrs. Mahoney asked if an analysis was created for cost savings. Mr. Mullaney said
that prior to budget cuts in FY2010, there was a substitute caller line item in the
budget for $20,000. Dr. DeCristofaro said cost savings are hard to quantify, there is
tremendous pressure on the administrators and secretaries to fill open positions, so
there will be a savings of time. Mr. Mullaney said that Aesop was paid out of the
FY2016 software budget; the annual fee will be around $10,000.
Mrs. Mahoney asked about the qualifications of substitute teachers, CORIs are
checked every three years and the NBC fingerprinting is lifetime. CORI expiration
dates are tracked in Aspen. Mrs. Mahoney asked if teachers are logging onto Aesop
system directly, but as part of this year’s implementation, teachers call into their
principal. Moving forward, Quincy Public Schools may transition to having teachers
log in directly and principals would approve their request before the assignment is
available for substitute teachers.
Ms. Isola said that we have a pool of highly qualified substitute teachers and does
not believe this has been impacted by Quincy Public Schools rate of substitute pay.
§
Educator Evaluation
Update
Deputy Superintendent Mulvey, Senior Director Maura Papile, and QEA President
Alison Cox presented the annual Educator Evaluation update. 900 educators are
evaluated through this process, mandated under Massachusetts 603 CMR 35.00. In
collaboration with the Quincy Education Association, DESE’s model language was
adapted successfully and Quincy Public Schools is beginning Year 3. The QEA/QPS
Educator Evaluation workgroup collaboration continues with bargaining the DDM
and Staff and Student Feedback language scheduled for this year.
The Educator Evaluation process is designed to promote growth and development
of leaders and teachers, placing student learning at the center, using multiple
measures of student learning, growth, and achievement. The process recognizes
excellence in teaching and leading, sets a high bar for professional teaching status,
and shortens timelines for improvement. At this time, summative ratings are the
culmination of the educator evaluation process. In October 2018, the student
impact rating is scheduled to be implemented.
Educator Evaluation is based on a five-step cycle of Self-Assessment; Analysis, Goal
Setting & Plan Development; Implementation of the Plan; Formative
Assessment/Evaluation; and Summative Evaluation. Self-Assessment is done in
site-based team meetings, by content area or program, and grade level. Every
educator also uses rubrics to assess their own professional practices. In the Goal
Setting & Plan Development phase, each educator sets a Professional Practice and a
Student Learning Goal. The Plan also outlines the actions the educator must take to
attain the goals established in the Plan and benchmarks to assess progress.
Educator goals and action steps feed into school and program goals. During
Implementation, educators collect evidence and assess progress towards
Performance Standards and Goals: multiple measures of student learning,
judgements based on observations and artifacts of practice; evidence relevant to
one or more performance standards.
Quincy Public Schools uses Baseline Edge as the tool for educator evaluation, have
observed others available, confident in the usability of the tool. Mrs. Papile noted
that the ability to provide feedback on goals, plans, and evidence is crucial to
professional development. Staff are on one-year plans or on two-year plans.
Educators will receive a formative assessment at the mid-point of the cycle and a
summative assessment at the conclusion of their cycle. A Summative rating
(Exemplary, Proficient, Needs Improvement, and Unsatisfactory) is based on the
four standards of practice and the educator goals.
Ms. Cox said that the QEA appreciates the collaboration on the Educator Evaluation
implementation. For ratings, the summative rating is about professional practice,
while the student impact rating focuses theoretically on student learning. The
challenge is in how to determine the measures of student learning. Full
implementation of DDMs will be in 2016-2017, two DDMs per teacher, each given
twice per year – four data points per teacher. Scoring parameters for Low,
Moderate, and High impact are to be determined. DDMs are common assessments,
developed by teachers to show student growth from a pre-test to post-test.
There are four types of Educator Evaluation Plans: (1) Developing Educator Plan
for educators without professional status, administrators in the first three years in a
district, or at the discretion of an evaluator for an educator in a new assignment.
(One year) (2) Self-Directed Growth Plan for experienced educators rated
Proficient or Exemplary; these can be one or two years in length (will be ultimately
determined by Student Impact Rating) (3) Directed Growth Plan for educators
rated Needs Improvement, up to one year in length (4) Improvement Plan: for
educators rated Unsatisfactory, 30-day plan, educators can be terminated for non-improvement.
Mr. Mulvey noted that the over 900 evaluations are allocated as evenly as possible
over Primary Evaluators: Principals and Directors, plus Contributing Evaluators:
Assistant Principals, Coordinators, and Department Heads. Quincy Public Schools
provides resources including module trainings, the QPS Educator Evaluation
Handbook, the Baseline Edge website, the MA Educator Performance Standards at a
glance, and the QPS/QEA Work Group. Timelines have been adjusted by common
agreement between the QEA and QPS, for example Proficient and Exemplary rated
educator Formative Assessments were due in September rather than June, allowing
Primary Evaluators the summer to complete the work.
Ms. Isola thanked the presenters, noting that this daunting task is mandated by state
and federal laws. While professional staff want and need to be evaluated, the
complexity and demands must impact the educators greatly, taking time away from
the classroom. Ms. Isola said that the measure of student learning is still not
determined, with the decision on whether MCAS or PARCC will be the testing
system for Massachusetts still to come in November. Ms. Isola appreciates the effort
put into the implementation, feels frustrated at the demands of this system.
Mr. Bregoli said that the evaluation process is like being on a hamster wheel, going
around and around without end. The state has given us such a complicated means
of evaluation, Mr. Bregoli feels that local districts can take care of the evaluation
process, we have many talented administrators. Mr. Bregoli asked for details on
Improvement and Directed Growth Plans. Mr. Mulvey said that no teachers have
been placed on Improvement Plans. Mr. Mulvey said no more than 10 staff
members are on Directed Growth Plans.
Mr. Bregoli asked how the state could simplify this plan. Mrs. Papile said we are
trying to focus on teachers capturing the work they are already doing and framing
the process as supportive and collaborative. Evaluators can upload evidence to
assist in supporting educators and encourage staff to focus on their professional
practice.
Mr. Bregoli said that the Student Impact Rating seems subjective. The student
learning goal should be how student growth is evaluated. The Federal Department
of Education has linked compliance to grant funding, leaving school systems with no
choice.
Mr. Bregoli asked if staff object to the amount of time evidence collection takes. Ms.
Cox said that since evaluators vary in their process, the quantity and variety of
evidence they are looking for can vary. Ms. Cox said that veteran staff with a
veteran principal should be required to submit less evidence than a newer staff
member. Mr. Mulvey said the regulations allow this to be at the discretion of the
evaluator. We want naturally occurring evidence, there is no set number of items
needed. Mr. Bregoli asked if the Massachusetts Teachers Association has contacted
state legislators about this unwieldy system. Ms. Cox said that since the MTA signed
on to Race to the Top, they have technically agreed with this evaluation system and
have not taken an official position on this issue, Ms. Cox has submitted a business
item to the MTA Board for this weekend’s meeting. Ms. Cox also suggested that
MASC can be important here, School Committees can collaborate to voice concerns.
Mr. McCarthy thanked the team of presenters, Ms. Isola and Mr. Bregoli covered his
concerns. The QEA/QPS collaboration is tremendous, much work has been done to
implement this evaluation system. Our educators are human and this constant
pressure must be difficult to manage and keep the focus on teaching as they always
have. Mr. McCarthy agreed that we are getting to the point where we have to ask if
this is going to hurt our students and staff more than it will assist them. Seems
possible on paper, but impossible in reality.
Dr. DeCristofaro thanked the presenters and agreed that the QEA/QPS Educator
Evaluation work group has put in a lot of time and effort. This Educator Evaluation
system is a complex task that takes away from other great things that could be
happening for students. The most positive piece is how the educator evaluation ties
to the District Improvement Plan and the School and Program Improvement Plans
with goals aligning vertically within schools and horizontally across grade levels.
§
Faxon Field
Equalization Pipe
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to refer the Faxon Field Equalization Pipe to Facilities
& Security Subcommittee. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the
ayes have it.
§
MASC Voting
Delegate
Appointment
Ms. Isola made a motion to appoint Mrs. Hubley as the Quincy School Committee
Voting Delegate for the Massachusetts Association of School Committees
Convention, November 4 through 8. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion and on a voice
vote, the ayes have it. Review resolutions at October 28 meeting.
§
School Nurse
Appointment
Mr. Bregoli made a motion to appoint Meredith Johnson as School Nurse for Atlantic
Middle School. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes
have it 6-0. Mayor Koch was absent.
§
Out of State Travel
Ms. Isola made a motion to approve the out of state travel of Atlantic Middle School
Grade 8 students to New York, New York on June 9-10, 2016. Mr. McCarthy
seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
§
Additional Business
Ms. Isola reported that at the Quincy Community Action Partnership “Best Chefs
Competition,” ten Quincy High School Culinary Arts students, under the direction of
teacher Patick Noe assisted the chefs from local restaurants, giving them a unique
opportunity to interact with local business owners and make professional
connections.
§
Mr. McCarthy requested the opportunity to discuss High School Athletics and MIAA
divisional placement with the Athletic Directors. Quincy Public Schools teams are
currently in either Division 1 or Division 2, based on participation rates. Our plan
for 2016-2017 must be submitted by December 31.
§
Communications
Upcoming meetings were announced: Regular Meetings on October 28, 2015;
Subcommittee Meetings for Teaching & Learning on Tuesday, October 27; Budget &
Finance on October 27; and Special Education on October 21.
§
Reports of
Subcommittees
Mrs. Hubley noted that all Subcommittee meeting minutes are posted online at
www.quincypublicschools.com.
Ms. Isola reviewed the Teaching & Learning Subcommittee Meeting held on
October 5, 2015. Mrs. Perkins presented the Early Childhood, Literacy, and Title I
Program Improvement Plans, reflecting on the 2014-2015 goals and reviewing the
goals, action steps, and supporting Professional Development for 2015-2016.
Mr. DiBona reviewed the Health, Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee Meeting
held on October 7, 2015. Program Improvement Plans for Food Services (Director
Joanne Morrissey), Transportation (Director Michael Draicchio), Student Support
Services (Senior Director Maura Papile), and Health Services (Coordinator Rita
Bailey) were presented, with each presenter reflecting on their 2014-2015 goals
and reviewing the goals, action steps, and supporting Professional Development for
2015-2016.
As there were no corrections to the meeting minutes for the October 5, 2015
Teaching & Learning Subcommittee Meeting and the October 7, 2015 Health,
Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee minutes, the minutes were approved as
presented.
§
Adjournment
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to adjourn for the evening at 9:10 p.m. The motion
was seconded by Mr. Bregoli and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.