March 21, 2012 School Committee Meeting

Agenda

Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Charles A. Bernazzani School
7:00 p.m.

I. Approval of Minutes: Regular Session Minutes for March 7, 2012 and Executive Session Minutes for March 7, 2012.

II. Open Forum: An opportunity for community input regarding the Quincy Public Schools. After giving his or her name and address, each speaker may make a presentation of no more than four minutes to the School Committee. An individual may not exchange their time or yield to others.

III. Superintendent’s Report:

A. Student Recognition: Art and Athletics

B. Credit Fair for Life (March 30, 2012)

C. Robotics Event

D. The Arts

E. Academic Decathalon

F. Newsletters
Safety First!
Instructional Technology
Montclair School

IV. Old Business:

A. Teaching and Learning Subcommittee: Mrs. Lebo to report on the February 13, 2012 Meeting.

V. New Business:

A. Presentation on new Massachusetts Standards for Competitive Foods and Beverages Sold or Provided to Students in Public Schools - Mrs. Joanne Morrissey, Director, Food Services

B. Acceptance of the Provisions of G.L.c 715 37M Mayor Koch

C. Out of State Travel: North Quincy High School AFJROTC to Washington, D.C. and George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia June 22 to June 26, 2012.

VI. Additional Business:

VII. Communications:

VIII. Reports of Subcommittees:

A. Teaching and Learning Subcommittee: Mrs. Lebo to report on the March 12, 2012 meeting.

B. Central Building Committee: Mrs. Mahoney to report on the March 5, 2012 meeting.

C. School Policy Subcommittee: Mr. Bregoli to report on the March 19, 2012 meeting.

IX. Executive Session: Collective Bargaining.

X. Adjournment:  

Subcommittees of the School Committee

Subcommittee Items


Budget & Finance
Isola/Bregoli/Hubley/Koch/Lebo/Mahoney/McCarthy

School Facilities & Security
McCarthy/Bregoli/Hubley

  1. Sterling Building Plans Referred to Subcommittee by the School Building Task Force in 1998.

  2. Coddington Hall $1.5 million Appropriation Referred to Subcommittee at the May 18, 2011 School Committee Meeting. The City of Quincy has appropriated $1.5 million to refurbish Coddington Hall to serve as the Quincy Public Schools administrative offices. Wessling Architects has been chosen to complete the design phase of the project and construction cost estimating is underway as of February 2012.

  3. Houses on Saville Avenue Referred to Subcommittee at the May 18, 2011 School Committee Meeting. Currently home to the School Maintenance and Public Building departments, the School Committee and Superintendent see no future educational uses for these properties.

  4. Outside Lighting Audit Referred to Subcommittee at the February 8, 2012 School Committee Meeting. To address safety concerns, an audit was requested to look for lights that need repair or replacement and locations that would benefit from additional lighting.

  5. Coddington Hall Parking Lot Rental to Quincy College Referred to Subcommittee at the February 8, 2012 School Committee Meeting. Assess feasibility of managing the building parking lot as rental property during the renovation process.

Health, Transportation & Safety
Hubley/Lebo/McCarthy

School Policy
Bregoli/Isola/Mahoney

  1. Substitute Teacher Interviews & Evaluations Referred to Subcommittee at the June 15, 2011 School Committee Meeting. Subcommittee to investigate establishing a policy relating to the hiring and evaluation of substitute teachers.

  2. Graduation Requirements Referred to Subcommittee at the September 7, 2011 School Committee Meeting and discussed at the October 11, 2011 School Policy Subcommittee. The discussion centered around adding a fourth year of Math as a graduation requirement and all agreed to table the issue until more is known about the impact of the new Common Core Standards on the Massachusetts frameworks.

  3. New Educator Evaluations Referred at the September 7, 2011 School Committee Meeting and shared with the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee. Two meetings have already been held to begin exploring the requirements of the new regulations (9/21/11 Ad Hoc Subcommittee meeting and February 13, 2012 Teaching and Learning Subcommittee meeting) and further discussion will be held in Executive Session as it pertains to collective bargaining.

  4. High School Community Service Pilot Referred to Subcommittee at the December 14, 2011 School Committee Meeting. A resolution was introduced proposing a phased-in Community Service requirement and further discussion is needed to create a pilot program for both high schools.

  5. Conflict of Interest: Volunteering, Tutoring, Hiring Referred to Subcommittee at the January 11, 2012 School Committee Meeting. Review and discussion of existing policy requested.

Special Education
Mahoney/Bregoli/McCarthy

  1. Substitute Teachers for SPED Originally referred to Subcommittee at the January 17, 2007 School Committee Meeting. At the Special School Committee Meeting on January 28, 2012 and the Special Education Subcommittee meeting on February 1, 2012, it was agreed that some progress has been made in the way that substitute teachers are informed and educated about accommodations for special needs issues. A form has been developed for classroom teachers to share information and the goal for implementation is the 2012-2013 school year.

  2. Special Education Program Assessment Referred to Subcommittee at the January 28, 2012 Special School Committee Meeting. This will be an ongoing discussion of the curriculum initiatives for Special Education.

Rules, Post Audit & Oversight
Lebo/Bregoli/Hubley

Teaching and Learning 
Lebo/Hubley/Isola

New Educator Evaluations Referred at the September 7, 2011 School Committee Meeting and shared with the School Policy Subcommittee. Two meetings have already been held to begin exploring the requirements of the new regulations (9/21/11 Ad Hoc Subcommittee meeting and February 13, 2012 Teaching and Learning Subcommittee meeting) and further discussion will be held in Executive Session as it pertains to collective bargaining.

Ad Hoc Committees:

Channel 22
Mahoney/McCarthy

Created at the October 27, 2007 School Committee meeting to encourage the greater use of Channel 22 across Quincy Public Schools.

Central Building Committee
Mahoney

Minutes

Quincy, Massachusetts - March 21, 2012
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee

Regular Meeting

A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at the Charles A. Bernazzani Elementary School. Present were Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Mayor Thomas Koch, Mrs. Emily Lebo, Mrs. Anne Mahoney, Mr. Dave McCarthy, and Ms. Barbara Isola, Vice Chair.

Vice-Chair Presiding

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There was a moment of silence in memory of Rick Bragg, custodian at the Montclair School for many years and the husband of former School Committee member Jo-Ann Bragg.

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The Superintendent called the roll and all members were present. Also present were: Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk; Messrs. Diana, Dionne, Draicchio, Mullaney, Mulvey, Murphy, Rendle, Santoro, Keith Segalla; Dr. Metzler; Mrs. Morrissey, Mrs. Papile, Mrs. Roberts, Ms. Todd; Ms. Allison Cox, President, Quincy Education Association; and Ms. Jill Gichuhi, President, Quincy Parent Advisory Council to Special Education.

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Regular Meeting Minutes Approved 3/7/2012

Mr. McCarthy made a motion, seconded by Mayor Koch, to approve the regular session minutes for March 7, 2012. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.

Executive Session Minutes Approved 3/7/2012

Mr. McCarthy made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Hubley, to approve the Executive Session minutes for March 7, 2012. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.

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Open Forum

Mr. William Zamzow addressed Mayor Koch about reconciling funding that was cut for FY 2011 from the Quincy Public Schools budget as anticipated charges for unemployment compensation.

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Bernazzani School Principal Dionne

Ms. Isola introduced Mr. Dionne, Principal of the Bernazzani Elementary School, who welcomed the School Committee members, Superintendent, and Leadership Team. He spoke about the Bernazzani school community, the dedicated staff, and supportive Parent-Teacher Organization, and the school’s academic success. He also welcomed the school’s new Assistant Principal and Guidance Counselor, Mr. Diana, spoke of recent improvements to the school building, particularly in the technology area, initiatives supported both by Quincy Public School’s Instructional Technology Department and the school’s PTO. He concluded by thanking the Bernazzani staff for their dedication, care, and concern for each student every day.

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Superintendent’s Report

The Superintendent opened his remarks by introducing Athletic Director Mr. Rendle who spoke about the winter sports championship teams: the Quincy High School Boys’ Basketball (coached by Dave Parry) and Girls’ Basketball (coached by Jeff Bretsch) teams and the North Quincy High School Boys’ Basketball (coached by Kevin Barrett) and Boys’ Hockey (coach Matt Gibbons) teams. The captains from each team were introduced and highlights of their seasons reviewed. Mr. Rendle concluded his presentation by looking forward to the spring sports season, where Quincy Public Schools will be fielding 35 teams, including 22 varsity teams. Mr. McCarthy noted that the students’ parents play a large role in athletic successes and thanked them. Mr. Bregoli thanked Mr. Rendle for his work as Athletic Director and commended the coaches for their commitment to their players. Mayor Koch added his thanks to the coaching staffs and teachers. Ms. Isola spoke about the intangible value of participating in sports. Dr. DeCristofaro thanked the students for their representation of the best of the Quincy Public Schools and also their parents, for their support in and out of the classroom.

After a brief recess, the Superintendent continued with his report. He spoke about a Quincy High School student, Denissa Touma who recently received a Silver Key Art Award from the Boston Globe. He also spoke about upcoming plays being held at Quincy High School (Fiddler on the Roof, March 30 through April 1) and also at the Broad Meadows and Sterling Middle Schools, and the Squantum Elementary and Lincoln-Hancock Community Schools in late April and early May.

The topic of financial literacy will be explored with students from both high schools at the Credit for Life Fair on Friday, March 30, 2012 at the Tirrell Room. Over 80 business partners will be participating as well. The HYPER Robotics team will compete at the regional competition at Boston University on March 24 and 25 and special thanks are extended to our business partner, Bluefin Robotics, who sponsors this program. At the recent regional Academic Decathalon, coaches Mera Kriz and Evelyn Ryan led students from North Quincy High School and Quincy High School to 4th and 5th place finishes, respectively. Dr. DeCristofaro also shared newsletters from the Security department, the Information Technology department, and the Montclair and Snug Harbor Curriculum Newsletters.

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Old Business

Teaching and Learning Subcommittee

Mrs. Lebo reviewed the first meeting of the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee, held on February 13, 2012. At the meeting, the newly-formed subcommittee reviewed its purpose and goals, discussed a preliminary timeline for the development and review of School Improvement Plans and Academic Program Improvement Plans. Mrs. Roberts spoke about the transition to the Massachusetts Common Core State Standards and the timeline and plan for implementation at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Student testing under the new standards will begin in the 2012-2013 school year. There was also a discussion of the overlap with the implementation of the new educator evaluation regulations.

Mrs. Lebo made a motion to accept the minutes of the February 13, 2012 Teaching and Learning Subcommittee meeting. Mayor Koch seconded the motion, and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

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New Business

Food Services Presentation

The Superintendent introduced Mrs. Joanne Morrissey, Director of Food Services, who presented on the new federal regulations that will come into effect on July 1, 2012 for the National School Lunch program, the School Breakfast Program, and the Summer Food Service Program for Children. Key provisions of the federal legislation update meal patterns and nutrition standards for school lunch and school breakfast programs, set guidelines for establishing meal charges for paid student meals, require review of local policies on meal charges, and changes the review cycle from five years to every three years. In addition, the regulations require the USDA to establish national nutrition standards for competitive food sold and served in schools at any time during the school day and establish professional standards for food service directors. Five meal components are now required for a typical lunch: fruit, vegetables (including specific subcategories), grains (all whole-grain by 2014-2015), meat/meat alternates (eggs, cheese, yogurt, tofu), milk (fat-free or low-fat only). Fruits and vegetables can be fresh, frozen, or canned, but have imposed limits on sodium. Calorie levels for meals will have minimum and maximum levels, new limits for trans fats found especially in baked goods and solids such as margarines (QPS eliminated trans fats two years ago).

Competitive food standards were created by the state to supplement the federal standards. Provisions that overlap both the state and federal standards include free water must be available during meal service and changes to school wellness policies (not yet determined). Competitive foods are foods available to students free or with a charge but not part of the meal plans (a la carte items, school stores, snack bars, vending machines, concession stands, booster sales, fund-raising activities), available during the school day or thirty minutes before or after school. Calorie, sugar, fat, and sodium restrictions will eliminate almost everything currently sold as an a la carte item in school cafeterias. Whenever food is offered for sale, fresh fruits and vegetables must be offered as well and nutritional information for non-packaged foods must be provided (not for booster sales or fundraisers). The existing School Wellness Policy may need to be updated based on the new guidelines; information will be forthcoming from Mrs. Kisielius and Mrs. Morrissey after they attend an upcoming conference.

Mr. McCarthy inquired about the pricing impact on the budget; Mrs. Morrissey said that material prices will be rising, along with serving sizes. Mr. McCarthy asked about regulations covering what schools can sell and Mrs. Morrissey explained that competitive food provisions apply to food provided for students for a party, for example, but not a bake sale that is for the public on election day. One example of conflicting requirements between the federal and state regulations is that no fat chocolate milk will be available for students who buy lunch, but students who bring lunch and buy milk will not be able to buy that same chocolate milk. Mrs. Mahoney asked about the potential impact on equipment costs and the computerized POS systems (these will be implemented at all middle and secondary schools by the end of April). Mrs. Lebo asked for clarification that any pricing change for meals is being imposed by the federal regulations which require meal pricing at the level of reimbursement; parents should know that this is not city or School Committeeimposed price increase. Mayor Koch asked for data on free and reduced price lunch trends and comparative data for other South Shore towns. Mrs. Morrissey said that 47% of students system-wide are currently eligible for free and reduced meals.

Mr. Bregoli asked about the potential budget impact and Mrs. Morrissey said that we will hopefully qualify for the additional $.06 increase in federal reimbursement, but will need to do more research about the impact. Ms. Isola asked for information on food waste, concerned about students being forced to take food that they will then throw away. Mrs. Morrissey clarified that students with medical issues can have substitutes as prescribed by their doctors. Ms. Isola inquired about moving towards organic items or growth-hormone-free products. Mrs. Morrissey said QPS milk vendor does not use growth hormones. Ms. Isola complimented Mrs. Morrissey on her grasp of the complex regulations. Mrs. Hubley asked about how this will impact the Quincy High School restaurant and school stores at both High Schools. It impacts what is sold to students, so they will have to meet the state a la carte standards. Mrs. Morrissey clarified that the Wellness Policy is still a work in progress, state regulations are available, but the federal policy not yet established. We are in good stead because QPS already has school-based Wellness teams, which are now recommended by the state.

Dr. DeCristofaro thanked Mrs. Morrissey for her work in preparing the presentation and her day-to-day leadership. He suggested that the Wellness Policy update be added to the Health, Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee and then any attendant issues would be shared with the Policy and Budget and Finance Subcommittees as needed.

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Consolidation of Maintenance Department budget

The next item on the agenda was the Acceptance of Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 71, Section 37M. Mayor Koch spoke to the issue which involves consolidating the School Maintenance budget with the City’s Department of Public Works. Acceptance of this provision would require a majority vote of the School Committee and the City Council. Mayor Koch moved that this item be added to the School Facilities and Security Subcommittee. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

Mr. McCarthy noted that he had provided the School Committee members with a packet of meeting minutes from School Committee and Subcommittee meetings from 2004 and 2008 where this issue had been previously discussed. He will be scheduling a Facilities and Security Subcommittee meeting shortly. Mrs. Mahoney asked for cost projections, cost savings, and draft of the proposed organizational structure; Mr. McCarthy responded that he would be requesting these items from City Solicitor Timmins and asked the School Committee for any other items they would like to see. Mrs. Mahoney asked for data on the actual hours School Maintenance employees have worked on city projects after 4:00 pm (a provision of the existing Memorandum of Agreement).

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Out of State Travel

Mayor Koch made a motion to approve the Out of State Travel of North Quincy High School Air Force Junior ROTC to Washington, D.C. and George Mason University, Fairfax, VA from June 22 to June 26, 2012. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion, and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

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Additional Business

Mrs. Hubley announced that there will be a Health, Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at 4:30 pm in the 2nd floor conference room of the NAGE Building.

Mr. McCarthy spoke about the information provided to each School Committee member that details the security concerns for each building in the Quincy Public Schools and the progress towards resolving them. Mr. McCarthy thanked Mr. Murphy and Mr. Draicchio for their work on the recent outside lighting audit.

Ms. Isola announced that there will be a Budget and Finance Subcommittee meeting on Monday, March 26, 2012 at 4:30 pm in the 2nd floor conference room of the NAGE Building.

Mrs. Mahoney announced that there will be a Special Education Subcommittee meeting on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 7:00 pm in the 1st Floor Teacher’s Room at Quincy High School.

Mrs. Mahoney asked that at a future Facilities and Security Subcommittee meeting, an update for Coddington Hall be added to the agenda. She also requested information about the square footage at the NAGE building (12,903 sq. ft. of office space, not including conference rooms) and whether the City Clerk’s Office will be moving to Coddington Hall. Mayor Koch stated that the City Clerk’s Office will be moving back to City Hall when the renovations are complete. Another city department may move to the third floor of Coddington Hall, but this is still to be determined.

Mrs. Mahoney also asked that at a future School Facilities and Security Subcommittee meeting there be an update on the status and costs of the school roofing projects. Mayor Koch clarified that the terms of the bond appropriation was for building improvements across the city and it is possible to spend additional funds on school roofing projects if necessary.

Mr. Bregoli announced that the next Policy Subcommittee meeting will be on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 4:30 pm in the 2nd floor conference room of the NAGE Building.

Mr. McCarthy explained that he would be scheduling two Facilities and Security Subcommittee meetings, one for the Maintenance consolidation discussion and one for Coddington Hall. He has an updated status chart of the school roof repair and restoration projects that will be shared with all School Committee members.

Mrs. Lebo reminded her colleagues of her request about annual safety checks for the school Science labs and asked that it be addressed in one of the upcoming Subcommittee meetings, possibly Health, Transportation, and Safety or Facilities and Security. Mrs. Lebo also requested a complete list of all the Subcommittee meetings that were announced at this evening’s School Committee Meeting.

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Reports of Special Committees

Teaching and Learning Subcommittee

Mrs. Lebo presented a report of the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee meeting of March 12, 2012. At that meeting, Mrs. Roberts gave a review of the Professional Development activities for the quarter, discussed plans for a Math night in Fall 2012, shared information about the MCAS Reporting timelines for 2012, and the recently granted waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind regulations. For Common Core and Curriculum updates, Mrs. Roberts shared planned purchases of both core and supplemental materials, particularly for Mathematics instruction. For Reading instruction, a pilot of a new Common Core-aligned Reading program is planned at several elementary schools. Cost estimates for these initiatives will be shared at the Budget and Finance Subcommittee meeting on March 26, 2012. For timeline considerations, the Subcommittee discussed agenda items for the April, May, and June meetings.

Mrs. Lebo made a motion to amend the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee Meeting minutes for March 12, 2012 to add “Review of the System Profile and Progress Report” to the agenda items for the May 14 meeting (page 4) and then accept the minutes as amended. Mayor Koch seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

Mrs. Lebo then made a motion to accept the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee Executive Session minutes from March 12, 2012. Mayor Koch seconded the motion, and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

Central Building Committee

Mrs. Mahoney then reported on the Central Building Committee meeting that was held on Monday, March 1, 2012. Subcontractor RFPs were sent out on February 13, 2012 and were due back on March 8, 2012; for the general contractor, bids will be released on March 22, 2012 and are due back on March 28, 2012. Mayor Koch clarified that there has been a legal challenge to the city’s Responsible Employee Ordinance by several companies. The federal judge hearing the case has requested that bids remaining sealed until she has reviewed the briefs. It is anticipated that this may delay the general contractor award by a week.

Policy Subcommittee

Mr. Bregoli reviewed the Policy Subcommittee meeting from March 19, 2012. At this meeting, there was a discussion of the Community Service Pilot and the pros and cons of this idea. Information on other communities’ programs and guidelines was shared with all of the School Committee members. At the end of the discussion, it was suggested that working with the two high school principals, a draft proposal would be created for review at a subsequent meeting in late April. The second item on the agenda was a review of the Substitute Teacher Hiring and Evaluation practices. Mr. Mulvey reported on the requirements and Mrs. Roberts spoke of the process of informally evaluating substitutes and the process for hiring long-term substitutes. All agreed that an area of concern is substitutes with Special Education certification. At the conclusion of the discussion, it was agreed that this item could be removed from the Policy Subcommittee. Two North Quincy High School students asked to be recognized and requested consideration of adding CPR/ADE certification as a graduation requirement.

Mr. Bregoli made a motion to accept the Policy Subcommittee Meeting minutes from the March 19, 2012 meeting. Mayor Koch seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

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Resignation

The School Committee noted the following teacher resignation:

Teacher Katie Kunevich

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Leave of Absence

The School Committee noted the following leave of absence:

Nurse Andrea Huwar

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Adjournment

On a motion by Mrs. Lebo, seconded by Mrs. Hubley, the School Committee went into Executive Session at 9:20 p.m. for Collective Bargaining. On a roll call vote, the ayes have it 7-0. The School Committee did not return to Open Session.