HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-10-27 School Council - Parker Middle Minutesr
Town of Reading RECEIVED
Meeting Minutes TOWN CLERK
�a ADI^1G, MA.
ioard - committee - commission - council: 2021 NOV 15 AMB 48
School Council -Walter S Parker Middle
Date: 2021-10-27 Time: 5:30 PM
Building: School - Parker Location:
Address: 45 Temple Street Session:
Purpose: Monthly Meeting Version: Final
Attendees: Members - Present:
Richele Shankland, Tim Rogers, Erin Gaffen, Christine Lusk, Amy Koehler,
Audra Cashin, Tiffany Williams, Grace Therriault, Kim Moreau, Kimberly
Bernazzani, Andrea Hall, Bryan Fernandez
Members - Not Present:
Michelle Kane, Ann Ozanian, Miguel Borrero
Others Present:
Ui....tnc ResnectfullV Submitted By: Richele Shankland
Topics of Discussion:
1. Introductions/ Establish Co -Chair
1. Tim Rogers — Co -Chair
2. Purpose of the School Council
1. Reviewed the MA General Law Part 1, Title Xll, Chapter 71, Section 59C
3. Review and vote on minutes from the May 12 2021. meetin¢.
1. Grace Therriault motioned to accept the May minutes and Erin Gaffen seconded
the motion.
4. School Improvement Plan Draft for 2021-2022 school year
1. Build the capacity of staff through Professional Development; the Goals process; staff
meetings; resources; reflection; observations & feedback, self-evaluation rubrics (biases,
attitudes, assumptions, access).
a. Observations & feedback in classrooms/ reflection?
2. staff participate in the Challenging Assumptions Reflection Tool to reflect on one's own biases,
attitudes and assumptions about students and families and adjusting practice accordingly.
a. Will the self -reflection be shared with others or kept to self
b. Will this be used to help differentiate where staff are at?
c. Will this be done during PD time or on their own?
d. Once using the tool, how/ will they be guided to unpack the results of the tool?
e. Adjust practice accordingly should be rephrased to reflect on areas of blas.
3. Provide opportunities for staff to collaborate & to share goals work related to equity so as
to build collective capacity.
a. Number of times? Very vague.
b. Share strategies for working with students.
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(Building terminology - building capacity — provide tramings and opportunities to grow their knowledge
base)
4. Build capacity for staff to learn and use restorative practices for addressing discipline issues with
students. Office referrals currently result In restorative discipline. Provide opportunities for
feedback from participants.
a. Where are restorative practices happening now?
b. Background about where we are at and using it to build community
c. Above and beyond discipline issues. Clarify.
5. Considering and responding to the ways issues of equity and access have affected and
continue to influence students' learning experiences and environments as a result of the
pandemic, particularly in relation to academic and support systems. This should be part
of discussions regarding interventions and noted in the intervention tracker.
a. Too much for one bullet. Pull apart to focus on separate issues.
b. More action oriented if this is about interventions.
c. As a result of the pandemic? There's always been equity issues, the pandemic
just magnified them.
6. Embed culturally relevant instructional materials across curricular areas.
a. Clarify if system -wide or building based/ consistency across schools
7. Build communities of listening and expression in which students feel valued and heard,
and where students build empathy and understanding for each other.
a. Can this be across classes? Not just in advisory.
b. Statement reflecting that we will make this a focus of advisory, so it's understood
where its happening (explicit instruction in advisory)
c. Add the word STAFF with students.
d. Should we add identifying staff that students feel comfortable going to as
needed.
e. It's important for staff to feel supported and heard — applying skills of
understanding and empathy to their own relationships with colleagues
8. Challenge students to think about and consistently question why things are the way they
are; encourage students to see themselves as agents of social change and
transformation.
a. Things —do we want to be more specific or use words other than things?
1. Encourage intellectual curiosity
2. Challenge students to think about past practices both local and global
and encourage them to be social change agents
9. Provide opportunities for student voice in school -wide decisions/ input: school council,
We The Change, Parker Service, Affinity Group, Advisory
a. Add surveys
b. Teachers more open to feedback/ easier for students to give feedback
10. Continue Equity Audit (year 2) of the school handbook.
a. Be more specific about the handbook work still needing to be done
11. Use data quarterly (ie attendance, assessment, student feedback, discipline) to identify
and disrupt inequities in access, treatment, and achievement.
a. At team data meetings — what other data would they like included?
5. Other
• Meeting Time — Change to 5:00 pm
• School handbook — we will be discussing
• Honor Roll — will be a part of the handbook discussion and council will create
process for examining honor roll
Next Meeting: November 10, 2021 at 5:00 pm (note time change)
Meeting adjourned at 7:10 pm.
Respectfully Submitted by Richele Shankland.
This meeting was held in Microsoft Teams
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