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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-11-01 School Committee Minutes ufk Town of Reading i Meeting Minutes i; Board - Committee - Commission - Council: WI DEC 12 PH 1: 11 School Committee Date: 2016-11-01 Time: 7:00 PM Building: School - Memorial High Location: School Library Address: 62 Oakland Road Session: Open Session Purpose: Open Session Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Chuck Robinson, Linda Snow Dockser, Elaine Webb, Nick Boivin, and Jeanne Borawski Members - Not Present: Sherri Vanden Akker, Sharon Stewart Others Present: Superintendent John Doherty, Chief Financial Officer Gail Dowd, Assistant Superintendent Christine Kelley, Food Service Director Kristin Morello, RPD - Lt. Richard Abate, SRO Brian Lewis & Matt Vatcher, Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Guidance Director Lynna Williams, RMHS principal Kate Boynton, Al Sylvia - Reading Chronicle Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Linda Engelson on behalf of the Chair Topics of Discussion: I. Call to Order Chair Webb reviewed the agenda and called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. and wished Superintendent Doherty a happy birthday. She went on to read a statement(attached) regarding the recent graffiti and hats messages. She asked the community to talk to their kids and went on to thank the Police,Town Manager and the Superintendent for their efforts. Dr. Doherty followed up by thanking high school principal Kate Boynton for doing an amazing job dealing with these issues. He also thanked the Police and Town Manager for the collaborative efforts addressing these messages. Dr. Doherty said that he is upset,angry, distraught and frustrated with what is going on. Although the events are troubling, they do not define us as a community. There are ongoing efforts by the administration and teachers in our schools to educate our students on tolerance and acceptance. Challenge Day was held this week at our middle schools. The acts of hate need to stop,they are real and need to be addressed by all of us. A. Public Inuut Page 1 1 Rebecca Liberman, Pratt St. for ideas on how to get the word out to reach the whole community. She followed up by asking about the progress made on the Teacher's Contract. B. Consent Agenda Mrs. Webb asked if the committee wanted any items removed from the consent agenda. Dr. Snow Dockser asked that the October 18,2018 minutes be removed from the consent agenda indicating that she would like the liaison reports to contain more detail. Accept a Donation from the Friends of Reading Cheering Accept a Donation to the Parker Instrument Fund Approval of Minutes(October 18, 2018) Mr. Boivin moved, seconded by Mr. Robinson,to approve the consent agenda without the October 18, 2018 minutes. The motion carried 5-0. C. Reports Assistant Superintendent Mrs. Kelley reported on the November 6" in-service day and the November 16" conference/in-service day. She next updated the Committee on the Late Start Committee. She has reconvened the committee and they are currently gathering data and information. She will report to the School Committee at the December a meeting. Chief Financial Officer Mrs. Dowd presented the revised FY2020 budget calendar. She also wanted to inform the Committee that the Fincom has requested an additional$200,000 to address the Turf II replacement. This discussion will be part of the FY2020 budget process. Mrs. Dowd was happy to report that she successfully submitted the End-of-Year Report on October 1". Liaisons - -_ Mr. Robinson reported that the Recreation Committee will be meeting next week. Dr. Snow Dockser reported on the recent RCASA meeting and said they are working on the by-laws. She wanted to thank the student that spoke at the R.E.D. rally on the Common. She did an outstanding job. Page 12 Dr. Snow Dockser also read a statement addressing the recent hate events. (attached). D. Old Business Second Reading and Approval of Policy EFDA Mrs. Dowd reported that minor edits have been made to the policy per feedback received from a Committee member. Dr. Snow Dockser moved, seconded by Mr.Boivin,to accept the second reading and approval of revised policy EFDA—Unpaid Meal Charges The School Committee asked clarifying questions. Mr. Boivin offered a friendly amendment to the Refund section of the policy, Mrs. Borawski seconded the motion. The vote to accept the second reading and approve the policy as amended carried 5-0. E. New Business Adopt Designer Selection Procedures Town Administrative Services Director Matt Kraunelis and Procurement Officer Allison Jenkins provided an overview of the designer selection process. Dr. Snow Dockser moved, seconded by Mr.Boivin,to adopt the Designer Selection Procedures. The motion carried 5-0. RMHS Guidance and NEASC Update Guidance Director Lynna Williams began by saying that all the early action/early acceptance transcripts had been sent to the colleges and universities by the November 1� deadline. Mrs. Williams reviewed the Class of 2018 information on acceptances, admission criteria, standardized test scores and AP participation. She also reviewed what the high school has been doing to make the application process as easy as possible for our students. RMHS principal Kate Boynton presented information on the NEASC Accreditation process that is happening at the high school. She thanked the Self- Study Committee Co-Chairs Danielle Thiessen and Jen Hagopian for a phenomenal job in coordinating the process. Mrs. Boynton reviewed the results of the high school self-study and the schedule for the upcoming site visit. 2019-20 School Year Calendar Page 1 3 Dr. Doherty reviewed the proposed calendar. He said the calendar has been vetted by the RTA. Dr. Snow Dockser moved, seconded by Mr. Robinson,to approve the 2019— 20 School Calendar. Committee members asked clarifying questions. The motion carried 5-0. Kindergarten Dr. Doherty updated the committee on the kindergarten registration process referring to the information shared at the June 4"meeting. The Incoming Kindergarten Parent meeting was held earlier this week. The meeting was well attended. Superintendent Doherty and the elementary principals fielded questions from the parents. Parents were encouraged to choose the program that best fits their child's needs. The committee reviewed Dr. Doherty's Kindergarten Assignments Letter of 10/29/2018 and affirmed the assignment approach and priorities as outlined. Mr. Boivin would like to review Policy JC—Attendance Areas. It was suggested that this discussion be added to a meeting in the spring. II. Routine Matters a. Bills and Payroll (A) Warrant S1916 10.18.18 $415,068.50 WarantS1917 10.25.18 $228,954.33 WarantS1918 11.01.18 $334,550.51 WaramP1908 10.19.18 $1583,284.54 WarantP1909 11.02.18 $1,669,447.88 b. Calendar III. Information/Corespondence IV.Future Business V. Adioumment Adioum Dr. Snow Dockser stated to protect the bargaining position of the board and moved, seconded by Mrs. Borawski,to enter executive session to discuss strategies with respect to collective bareainine and not to return to open Page 14 session. The roll call vote carried 5-0. Mrs. Borawski, Dr. Snow Dockser, Mr. Robinson.Mr. Boivin, and Mrs. Webb. The meeting adjourned at 9:41 p.m. NOTE: The minutes reflect the order as stated in the posted meeting agenda not the order they occurred during the meeting. Link to meeting video: httt)s://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=4bXjzbr WzNg&t=0s&list=PLkibnMpzKYx vocbDTJaWz9KvfPZJUvtea&index=2 Jfj F. Doherty,Ed.D Page 1 5 Opening of School Committee Meeting November 1, 2018 Elaine L. Webb, Chairperson, Reading School Committee Fellow Board members, Dr. Doherty, staff,teachers,guests, community members,this evening the School Committee and Administration has a considerable agenda to accomplish to lead and manage our district in our mission to inspire the innovative leaders of tomorrow. As I was preparing for this evening's meeting, I was filled with angst as we release another letter related to caustic and hateful graffiti. I am frustrated, at times angry, but mostly my heart is heavy and somber. These acts of vandalism, anti-Semitic, racist,and bigoted hateful speech,these continued actions are deeply impactful and hurtful to the targeted groups. Theses hateful acts impact all of our students and all of us. Our community starts to question if our schools will be welcoming and safe for their children. Earlier this week, I heard a long-time Reading resident and graduate of RMHS who is now a parent of an elementary student tearfully question if this town,that she loves, is truly a safe place for her child. It is my most firm belief that these words and acts are truly not who we are. We must now show ourselves and our community that we are not defined this hate. Dr. Martin Luther King Junior said, 'Ve will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." I found this quote earlier this week and find it so powerful, "We will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." What I say now to our parents, students,teacher,staff and the greater Reading community—Friends it is our responsibility, each and every one of us,to take action to stop this. Help us identify the individuals who continue these acts of hate. We must bring this to an end and refocus on our mission. I ask that you talk to your children and young adults and with our schools teach them and help them learn to embrace the subtle and vast differences between each of us. When these differences,this diversity, is respected and valued we become a stronger, more creative, and more vibrant community. We must not be divided by this hate,we must be unified in respect, empathy, kindness, and love for each other. Please join us on Saturday, November 3rd from 6-7pm outside the front entrance of RMHS for an evening candlelight vigil "in support of human rights, in celebration of diversity and in opposition to hate, racism and bigotry". "Eyes at the Window:"—read by Linda Snow Dockser at School Committee Meeting on Nov.1, 2018 The anti-Semitic and hate symbols and words that have been written in the public spaces in our town and in our schools me very disturbing. Although the intent is unknown, the impact is clear —the hate they represent has no place in a loving community such as Reading. People have asked and suggested that this hate is'just"some kids scribbling on the walls or looking for attention and therefore we should just ignore it. Dr. Ornstein has talked to us about what happens when you ignore these hateful signs. They are portents of what is to come. As she quotes Timothy Snyder: "If you ignore these symbols today,then they become the reality of tomorrow." And we are already seeing the impact of this. The killing at Pittsburgh,the attack on the predominantly African American First Baptist Church of Jeffersontown, KY—they all follow the Anti-Defamation League's Pyramid of Hate—first there is the 'talk', the `jokes,' the stereotyping,then that escalates to outward symbols, graffiti and public displays; it grows on social media, and then comes the violence. Reading is obviously not immune to this trajectory and I am extremely proud of our schools and recently our local government leadership for what they me doing to educate and empower our students, families and residents to face and respond to this hate. Many thanks to our Superintendent, School Staff, and so many others for your leadership. Ellie Wiesel used to write about"the eyes at the window." When he and 6 million other Jews, actually more than 9 million people including those marginalized by society, were led off to the Concentration Camps, most of their neighbors and friends parted their curtains and watched. They did nothing. They felt powerless or had come to believe the lies told about the targets of the hate. We need to ensure in our community, in our nation,that there are no more "eyes at the window." That there are Upstanders everywhere who will not allow people to be targeted and marginalized, doubted or hurt. Pittsburgh is no different than Reading or Winchester or Marblehead. I arrived at my temple's Hebrew School on Sunday to a police car and a police man with a gun. This is not the way it should be and it is up to us to stop it. Thank you to everyone who came to the Rally Against Hate and Anti-Semitism on Oct. 2l"at Reading Common. There are many opportunities this weekend to add your voice to this rejection of hate and violence,including and most importantly the Candlelight Vigil at RMHS on Saturday night at 6. Please open your eyes and move your feet, don't be the 'eyes at the window.'