Sept. 10, 2014 Special Meeting

Agenda

Special Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Wednesday, September 10, 2014, 5:00 pm
Coddington Hall

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:

V. New Business:

A. Meeting Overview/Purpose - Mayor Koch, Mrs. Hubley

B. Review of Regular Meeting Agenda - Mrs. Hubley

C. District Improvement Plan 2014-2015 - Superintendent DeCristofaro

1. Overview

2. Superintendent’s Annual Plan

3. System Goal Setting

C. District Improvement Plan-School Committee Connections - Mrs. Hubley

1. Quincy School Committee Subcommittee Organizational Alignment & Goals (Attachment A)

2. Review of Current Subcommittee Agenda Items (see next page)

3. Subcommittee Chairs Goal Presentations

4. SIP/PIP Review Calendar (Attachment B/for reference)

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. Coddington Hall Referred to Subcommittee at the May 18, 2011 School Committee Meeting. The City of Quincy has appropriated funds to refurbish Coddington Hall to serve as the Quincy Public Schools administrative offices. Construction is underway with anticipated completion in July 2014.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. School Lobby Security Controls Referred to Subcommittee at the January 23, 2013 School Committee Meeting. Review of existing visitor protocols, with special consideration of current high school policies and discussion of enhancements moving forward for all schools.

  6. Solar Array Installation on School Roofs Referred to Subcommittee at the June 12, 2013 School Committee Meeting and reviewed at the March 4, 2014 Subcommittee Meeting.

  7. Heating Audit Referred at the November 13, 2013 Subcommittee meeting. Heating issues at all schools to be reviewed and prioritized with Public Buildings/Maintenance departments. Reviewed at the March 4, 2014 Subcommittee Meeting.

  8. 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.

  9. Atlantic Middle School Parking Lot and Traffic Improvements Referred at the January 22, 2014 School Committee Meeting. A presentation of 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. Parent concerns about East Squantum Street crosswalk/parking lot entrance.

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 2014-15, Grades 9-11 plus any seniors who did not complete their Grade 11 requirement will perform Community Service.

  4. Adding CPR as a Graduation Requirement Referred to Subcommittee at the March 21, 2012 School Committee Meeting. Review and discussion of existing policy requested.

  5. 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.

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

  7. 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.

  8. New Regulations Regarding Student Discipline Referred at the May 21, 2014 School Committee meeting for review and discussion and revision of existing policy.

  9. National Background Check for Volunteers Referred at the September 3, 2014 School Committee meeting for review.

  10. Open Enrollment Referred at the September 3, 2014 School Committee meeting for review and discussion of existing policy.

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.

  2. Media Specialists in Elementary and Middle Schools Referred at the January 23, 2012 School Committee Meeting. Three Middle School Library Teacher positions were added in the FY2014 budget, as well as thirteen Library Support Teachers for the Elementary Schools.

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.

Sterling Building Committee
DiBona/McCarthy

Music Programs
Hubley/DiBona/McCarthy

Created at the January 22, 2014 School Committee Meeting to evaluate the current music programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Minutes

Quincy, Massachusetts - September 10, 2014
Special Meeting of the Quincy School Committee

Special Meeting

A special meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at Coddington Hall at 5:00 pm. Present were: Mayor Thomas Koch, Chair, Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mr. Noel DiBona, Ms. Barbara Isola, Mrs. Anne Mahoney, and Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Vice Chair.

Vice-Chair Presiding

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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; Mrs. Maria Anastasi, Ms. Rita Bailey, Mr. Michael Draicchio, Mrs. Mary Fredrickson, Ms. Beth Hallett, Mr. James Mullaney, Deputy Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Mrs. Maura Papile, Mrs. Erin Perkins, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, Mr. Kevin Segalla; and Mrs. Debby Nabstedt, Quincy Parent Advisory Council to Special Education President.

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Open Forum

As no one requested to speak at Open Forum, the School Committee went on with the business at hand.

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New Business

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

Dr. DeCristofaro and Mayor Koch welcomed the School Committee to the annual Special Meeting focused on goal setting. Dr. DeCristofaro introduced the new Health Services Coordinator Rita Bailey and Transportation Administrative Assistant Maria Anastasi.

Review of Regular Meeting Agenda

The next item on the agenda was a Review of the Regular Meeting Agenda. Mrs. Hubley referred two items to the Policy Subcommittee: VIII. Reports of Subcommittees, which she is suggesting be procedurally aligned with Roberts Rules and VI. Additional Business. Deputy Superintendent Mulvey consulted with School Committee Attorney Ed Lennox who noted that in other districts, this has been a problematic agenda item as it can be in conflict with the Open Meeting Law. Since no notice is given to the public about specific items that will be discussed, it is best used for only emergency items. Attorney -2- September 10, 2014 Lennox suggested considering a checks and balance system. If a member brings up item under this provision, the School Committee Chair or Vice-Chair would first determine whether the item meets the qualification or should be on the next Regular Meeting agenda. The School Committee members present would then vote on whether an item meets the criteria; a majority of members present would carry the motion, while on a tie vote, the motion does not carry.

Mrs. Mahoney said that the wording on this meeting’s Agenda does not specify that these are the sections being discussed, so School Committee could be in violation now. Ms. Isola disagreed, the general wording of the Agenda items covers the two specific items and any other specific items on the Agenda format that any School Committee member wishes to discuss. Under the Open Meeting law, the detail of every item does not need to explicitly be stated.

Mr. McCarthy asked how future Agenda items will be communicated to the Superintendent. There has to be some way for School Committee to surface a subject for later discussion or follow up. Deputy Superintendent Mulvey said the key is to not engage in a discussion once the item is suggested.

Ms. Isola said that the School Committee Policy handbook outlines how items can be added to the Agenda. Mr. McCarthy said that suggested Agenda items don't always make it to the next agenda and is concerned that the change will make things more difficult.

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District Improvement

Dr. DeCristofaro then spoke about the District Improvement Plan that will be presented at the October 22 School Committee Meeting. All of the plan componentsare available to the public on the Quincy Public Schools website on the QPS Info page; an Overview links to each of the District Improvement Plan’s components and supporting documentation. The Superintendent’s Annual Plan end of year review will also be part of the October School Committee meeting presentation. Dr. DeCristofaro will meet with each School Committee member to preview the presentation before presented to the public and School Committee will go forward with the Superintendent evaluation. The Teaching & Learning Subcommittee will work with the Curriculum Team to develop the 2014-2015 System Goal.

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District Improvement Plan ~ School Committee Connections

The School Committee and Superintendent and Leadership Team members then split up into Subcommittee groups to discuss their goals and to review the items on the Agenda for each Subcommittee.

After meeting in Subcommittee groups, the School Committee reconvened at 5:40 to share their discussions.

When the group discussion resumed, each Subcommittee had the opportunity to propose additions and changes to their goals and to set meeting dates. For the Budget and Finance Subcommittee, their goal and purpose will remain as presented.

For the Facilities and Security Subcommittee, Mr. McCarthy noted that he is very confident working with Mr. Segalla and Mr. Draicchio and everyone in their departments. Mr. Segalla works with the City departments on purchasing common supplies, there may be an opportunity to extend this to equipment. The items in Facilities and Security were reviewed and Mr. McCarthy removed Coddington Hall, the Heating Audit, Atlantic Middle School, and moved Solar Projects to Health, Transportation, and Safety.

For the Health, Transportation and Safety, the items on the School Committee Agenda will be retained. Mr. DiBona added Solar Arrays, Learn to Swim (in partnership with YMCA), Farm to School, Before School Physical Education programs, and Food Services Technology. Mr. DiBona mentioned crosswalk repainting, this project is underway, student safety is always a major consideration. Updates for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation will continue this year. Mr. McCarthy mentioned that when he was chair of this Subcommittee, he would meet with Mr. Segalla and DPW staff to review snow removal procedures prior to the winter.

For the Policy Subcommittee, Mr. Bregoli met with Mr. Mulvey and Mr. Keith Segalla and reviewed the items currently in Subcommittee. Mr. Bregoli moved the CPR Certification issue to the Health, Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee. Health Services Coordinator Rita Bailey said that training Grade 8 students as a component of Health class will be investigated, along with options to fund the costs associated with certifying all students. Mr. Bregoli asked Mrs. Mahoney and Dr. DeCristofaro to discuss further the Advertising/Sponsorship item. For the Residency item, Mr. Bregoli requested the School Attendance Officers to present on their evolving responsibilities. Mr. Bregoli would also like to discuss making registration a central function and reregistering during transition years. The revised Student Discipline Policy will be voted on at the September 17 School Committee Meeting and the National Background Check will be discussed at September 16 Policy Subcommittee Meeting.

Mrs. Mahoney presented that the Special Education PIP goals, were successfully implemented during last school year and the MCAS-related Math goal will be continued this year. QPAC will continue their goals of increasing participation, partnering with the Milton PAC and the YMCA. QPAC is creating a parent to parent guide and would like to meet each summer prior to the opening of school to collaborate on goals. At the first Subcommittee meeting on October 29, the new Program Improvement Plan will be presented and parents would also like an update on the Carroll School’s change in admission policy.

Ms. Isola reported that the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee met and agreed to retain the first and third goals. Goal 2 will be expanded to include specific programs, including Gifted & Talented, Foreign Language, and Math Specialists for Middle Schools. The goal will be finalized with Ms. Roy shortly in order to set agenda for Winter Teaching and Learning Subcommittee Meetings. Ms. Isola removed the Elementary and Middle School Library item from the items in Subcommittee.

Mrs. Hubley removed the Channel 22 and Music Programs Ad Hoc Subcommittees.

Mr. McCarthy made a motion to form an AdHoc Subcommittee to review issues related to Grade 5 students at Point Webster and Sterling. These issues will include enrollment and building capacity at elementary and middle school levels. The motion was seconded by Ms. Isola and on a voice vote, the ayes have it. Mr. McCarthy will chair this Ad Hoc Subcommittee and all School Committee members are members of this Subcommittee.

Ms. Isola made a motion to form an AdHoc Subcommittee to review School Distict Maps. The motion was seconded by Mr. McCarthy and on a voice vote, the ayes have it. Ms. Isola will chair this Ad Hoc Subcommittee and all School Committee members are members of this Subcommittee.

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A calendar of proposed meeting dates for the October and November review of Program Improvement and School Improvement Plans was shared as a reference.

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

Adjournment

On a motion by Mayor Koch, seconded by Mr. DiBona, the Special School Committee Meeting was adjourned at 6:10 pm. The ayes have it.