Quincy Public Schools

Agenda

Special Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Monday, March 16, 2015, 6:00 pm
Coddington Building

I. Approval of Minutes: None.

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: None.

IV. Old Business: School Year Calendar 2014-2015 (Discussion/Vote)

V. New Business:

VI. Additional Business:

VII. Communications:

VIII. Reports of Subcommittees: None.

IX. Executive Session: None.

X. Adjournment:

Subcommittees of the School Committee

Budget & Finance
Hubley/Bregoli, DiBona, Isola, Koch, Mahoney, McCarthy

Facilities and Security
McCarthy/Bregoli/Hubley

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

2. Houses on Saville Avenue Referred to Subcommittee at the May 18, 2011 School Committee Meeting. Currently home to the City’s Public Building department, the School Committee and Superintendent see no future educational uses for these properties.

3. President’s City Inn Referred to Subcommittee at the October 10, 2012 School Committee Meeting. Safety concerns have been expressed about this property that abuts the new Central Middle School. Current construction plans were reviewed at the March 18, 2014 Subcommittee Meeting.

4. North Quincy High School Campus Expansion/Teel Field Project Referred at the January 22, 2014 School Committee Meeting. A presentation on the proposed enhancements will be scheduled.  

Health, Transportation & Safety
DiBona/Bregoli/McCarthy

1. School Meal Charges Referred to Subcommittee at the March 21, 2012 School Committee Meeting. New state and federal regulations require formalization of the school meal charges policy.

2. Science Lab Safety: Referred from the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee at the April 2, 2012 meeting. Monitoring of supplies will be handled by School Safety Teams.

3. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Referred to Subcommittee at the September 24, 2012 Special School Committee Meeting. Student Support Services working with Lincoln Hancock, Clifford Marshall, and Parker Elementary Schools on piloting this initiative.

4. Traffic Concerns at North Quincy High School Referred to Subcommittee at the March 5, 2014 School Committee Meeting. Concerns about East Squantum Street crosswalk/parking lot entrance.

5. Solar Array Installation on School Roofs Referred from the Facilities & Security Subcommittee on September 10, 2014. Monitoring of the ongoing projects and the educational opportunities.

6. Learn to Swim Referred at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee Meeting. Monitoring the ongoing partnership between QPS and the South Shore YMCA.

7. Farm to School Referred at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee Meeting. Monitoring the Planning Grant rollout, a collaboration of QPS and the Planning Department.

8. CPR Certification Referred from the Policy Subcommittee at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting. Grade 8 students will be certified through Health classes.

9. Before School Exercise Programs Referred at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting. Monitoring the implementation of these programs across QPS.

10. Food Services Technology Referred at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting. Exploring the options for further publicizing the advantages of these new systems.

Policy
Bregoli/Isola/Hubley

1. 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; the issue is tabled until more is known about the impact of the new Common Core Standards on the Massachusetts frameworks.

2. New Educator Evaluations Referred at the September 7, 2011 School Committee Meeting and shared with the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee. Further discussion will be held in joint Subcommittee Meetings and Executive Session as it pertains to collective bargaining.

3. High School Community Service Referred to Subcommittee at the December 14, 2011 School Committee Meeting. In the 2012-13 school year, Grades 10 and 11 completed requirement. In the 2013-14 school year, Grades 11 and 12 completed the requirement. In 2014-15, Grades 9-11 plus any seniors who did not complete their Grade 11 requirement will perform Community Service.

4. Advertising/Sponsorship Opportunities Referred at the June 13, 2012 School Committee Meeting. Review and discussion of amending the existing policy requested to explore the possibility of raising revenue by accepting advertising sponsorships.

5. Residency Referred at the September 18, 2013 Special School Committee Meeting. Review of existing policy and expansion to include additional information on verification process.

6. Review of High School Academic and Extracurricular Programs Referred at the November 13, 2013 School Committee Meeting. A comparison of the offerings at both schools to be analyzed to ensure equitable and parallel opportunities for all students at both facilities.      

7. Open Enrollment Referred at the October 8, 2014 School Committee meeting for review and discussion to focus on the timeline for placement decisions and communication to parents.

8. Middle School Grading System Referred at the December 10, 2014 School Committee meeting for review and discussion.

9. Emergency Procedures Policy Referred at the December 10, 2014 School Committee meeting for review and updating of the existing policy to reflect current standard protocols.

Special Education
Mahoney/DiBona/McCarthy

1. Student Information for Substitute Teachers Originally referred to Subcommittee at the January 17, 2007 School Committee Meeting. Aspen Student Information System Special Education module reports will be utilized to share information with substitute teachers beginning in September 2014.

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
Hubley/Isola/Mahoney

Teaching and Learning
Isola/Hubley/Mahoney

1. New Educator Evaluations Referred at the September 7, 2011 School Committee Meeting and shared with the School Policy Subcommittee. The 2013-2014 school year is the first year of the new Educator Evaluation process and a collaboration will continue between the School Committee, Superintendent’s Leadership Team, and the Quincy Education Association around issues related to the implementation.

Ad Hoc Committees: Channel 22

Sterling Building Committee
DiBona/McCarthy

Sterling/Point Webster Grade 5
McCarthy/Bregoli/DiBona/Hubley/Isola/Koch/Mahoney

Created at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting to review issues related to Grade 5 being located in middle school buildings.

School District Maps
Isola/Bregoli/DiBona/Hubley/Koch/Mahoney/McCarthy

Created at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting to review issues related to school district maps.

Minutes

Quincy, Massachusetts - March 16, 2015
Special Meeting of the Quincy School Committee

A special meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Monday, March 16, 2015 at the Coddington Building at 6:00 pm. Present were: Mayor Thomas Koch, Chair, Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mr. Noel DiBona, Ms. Barbara Isola, Mrs. Anne Mahoney, Mr. David McCarthy, and Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Vice Chair.

Vice-Chair Presiding

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The Superintendent called the roll and all were present. Also present were: Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk; Mr. Michael Draicchio, Mrs. Mary Fredrickson, Ms. Beth Hallett, Deputy Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Mr. James Mullaney, Mrs. Maura Papile, Mrs. Erin Perkins, Mr. Keith Segalla,Ms. Judy Todd; Quincy Educators Association President Ms. Allison Cox; Citywide Parent Council Co-President Ms. Paula Reynolds; and Quincy Parent Advisory Council to Special Education President Ms. Debby Nabstedt.

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Open Forum

Ms. Paula Reynolds, Citywide Parents Council Co-President, spoke in favor of expanding the middle school foreign language program to Grade 7. The Citywide Parent Council fall survey showed strong parent support for this issue.

Mr. Paul Kodad spoke against scheduling school on Friday, April 3 as it is traditionally observed as Good Friday on the Quincy Public Schools calendar.

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Old Business

There was no Approval of Minutes or Superintendent’s Report, so the Vice Chair moved directly to Old Business.

2014-2015 School Year Calendar

Ms. Isola made a motion to remove the 2014-2015 School Year Calendar from the table, seconded by Mr. Bregoli. On a roll call vote, the ayes have it 7-0.

Superintendent DeCristofaro updated School Committee on the information released by the Commissioner of Education’s office on Friday, March 13. With eleven days of school cancelled, Quincy Public Schools must hold school on the five makeup days already indicated on the original school year calendar. In addition, Quincy Public Schools must schedule four days and then can schedule extended hours days to make up the remaining two days. Two calendar options were presented to achieve this schedule: one would schedule an early release day on Friday, April 3 (Good Friday) and with 24 extended school days, the last day of school would be Friday, June 26. The other option had Friday, April 3 remaining as a no school day and with 24 extended school days, the last day of school would be Monday, June 29. These options meet the annual school days and hours required by DESE. It was also noted that Tuesday, April 14 is now a full day of school for middle school students to ensure the hourly requirement is met.

Mr. McCarthy asked for and received confirmation that the last day for staff is one day beyond the last day for students.

Mr. Bregoli asked for and received confirmation that Friday, April 3 would be an early release day. Dr. DeCristofaro confirmed that all schools would be dismissed before noon. Elementary schools will be dismissed at 11:25 or 11:55 (based on their regular early release day schedule); middle and high schools will be dismissed at 11:45 am.

Mrs. Mahoney asked for and received confirmation that parents can request Friday, April 3 as an excused absence based on religious observation of Good Friday. Dr. DeCristofaro said a note to the school principal requesting the excused absence would be accepted.

Ms. Isola made a motion to approve the revised 2014-2015 School Year Calendar with an early release day scheduled for Good Friday on Friday, April 3 and provision for excused absences, plus extended days scheduled to make up two school days. Mrs. Mahoney seconded the motion. On a roll call vote, the ayes have it, 5-2. Mayor Koch and Mr. McCarthy voted NO.

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There was no New Business, Additional Business, Communications, Reports of Subcommittees or Executive Session.

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Adjournment

On a motion by Mayor Koch, seconded by Mr. Bregoli, the Special School Committee Meeting was adjourned at 6:15 pm. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.