The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2023-04-06 School Committee PacketOpen Session 7:00 p.m. RMHS Schettini Library Reading Public Schools School Committee Meeting Packet April 6, 2023 Town of Reading Meeting Posting with Agenda This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be dis cussed at the meeting. However the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting. Page | 1 2018-07-16 LAG Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Date: 2023-04-06 Time: 7:00 PM Building: School - Memorial High Location: School Library Address: 62 Oakland Road Agenda: Purpose: Open Session Meeting Called By: Shawn Brandt, Chair Notices and agendas are to be posted 48 hours in advance of the meetings excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Legal Holidays. Please keep in mind the Town Clerk’s hours of operation and make necessary arrangements to be sure your posting is made in an adequate amount of time. A listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be dis cussed at the meeting must be on the agenda. All Meeting Postings must be submitted in typed format; handwritten notices will not be accepted. Topics of Discussion: 7:00 p.m. A. Call to Order 7:05 p.m. B. Public Comment Consent Agenda 1. Minutes (03-16-2023) 2. Jae S. Lim Foundation Grant 3. MyCAP Development and Implementation Grant 4. Credit for Life Fair Grant Reports 1. Student 2. Assistant Superintendent of Student Services 3. Assistant Superintendent of Learning & Teaching 4. Director of Finance and Operations 5. Superintendent 6. Liaison/Sub-Committee 7:30 p.m. D. Old Business 1. SY23-24 Kindergarten Enrollment Update 2. RMHS Innovation Pathways Update 7:45 p.m. G. Executive Session 1. To conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel (Superintendent) 2. To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the public body and the chair so declares (all bargaining units) 3. Review and approve executive session minutes Town of Reading Meeting Posting with Agenda This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be dis cussed at the meeting. However the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting. Page | 2 8:45 p.m. E. New Business 1. Discuss and Approve Director of Finance Search Process (A) 2. Approve Last Day of School for SY22-23 (A) 3. Discuss and Vote on Granting Veteran Diploma (A) 4. Discuss and Vote to Approve 22-23 Student Activity Accounts (A) 5. Vote to Close Inactive 22-23 Student Activity Accounts (A) 6. Vote to Move Funds from Closed Inactive Accounts (A) 10:15 p.m. C. Personnel 1. Discuss and Potential Vote on Superintendent Contract Extension (A) F. Information / Correspondence 1. Re: No progress on restoring opportunities at RPS that were taken away? 10:30 p.m. Adjourn **Times are approximate Join Zoom Meeting https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/83657021146 Meeting ID: 836 5702 1146 One tap mobile +16469313860,,83657021146# US +13017158592,,83657021146# US (Washington DC) Reading Public Schools School Committee Meeting Packet April 6, 2023 Con sent Agenda Town of Reading Meeting Minutes School Committee Date: 03-16-2023 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Reading Memorial High School Location: Library Address: 62 Oakland Road, Reading, MA Members Present: - Shawn Brandt, Erin Gaffen, Carla Nazzaro, Sarah McLaughlin, and Tom Wise. Others Present: Superintendent Dr. Tom Milaschewski, Assistant Superintendent of Learning & Teaching Dr. Sarah Hardy, Finance Director Susan Bottan, and Human Resources Director Michelle Roach. Minutes Respectfully submitted by: Denise P. Santoro on behalf of the chairperson. A. Call to Order – Mr. Brandt called the meeting to order at 7pm and reviewed the agenda for the evening. B. Public Comment Tim Mathieu, 20 Briarwood Avenue- Concern over recent RMHS assembly in response to racial graffiti. Consent Agenda- Ms. Nazzaro motioned to approve the consent agenda, seconded by Mr. Wise, vote passed 5-0. Mr. Brandt asked to strike AP/Payroll Warrants which will be included in future agendas. Vote passed 5-0 on the remaining items on the consent agenda. 1. Minutes (03-02-2023) 2. AP Warrant Report S2337A 3. AP Warrant Report S2316 4. Payroll Warrants 2309-2318 5. Food Services Grant Reports 1. Student-No student report 2. Assistant Superintendent of Student Services – no report 2. Assistant Superintendent of Learning & Teaching- Updates from Dr. Hardy a. “Seeing is Believing” Event to showcase ARC Core in action. A huge thank you to the Killam staff! b. Staff Inservice Day- professional learning at RPS. c. Program Reviews d. February Vacation Academy 3. Director of Finance and Operations- Update from Ms. Bottan a. Grants b. Killam School Building Project c. Special Education Reserve Fund 4. Superintendent- Updates from Dr. Milaschewski a. College Fair- Thank you to Lynna Williams and the entire RMHS Guidance Department as well as our Food Service Department. b. Strategic Planning Committee- Looking for two parent volunteers (hopefully one from Boston and one from Reading.) c. Thank you to Heather Leonard for her past ten years of working for RPS and best of luck in her new position. She will be finishing the school year at Reading before she leaves for her new position. 5. Liaison/Sub-Committee. a. Sarah McLaughlin- No report b. Erin Gaffen- • SEPAC virtual presentation March 21 • Thursday March 30th – Overcoming Hurdles to Disability Inclusion • May 4th, Lynn Lyons will be speaking about families dealing with mental health issues. • May 16th- Screening of the film- “Anxious Nation” • June 24th- Juneteenth- Town Common from 1pm – 7pm. C. Personnel 1. Q3 Human Resources Update-Ms. Roach & Dr. Milaschewski • Slide Presentation followed. o Geoffrey Coram, Ridge Rd. asked a question. E. New Business 1. Review and Approve FY23-24 School Calendar- Dr. Hardy & Dr. Milaschewski- updates discussed. Committee members shared requests and feedback as well. o Geoffrey Coram, Ridge Rd. asked a question. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to approve the Reading Public School 2022-2023 School calendar, seconded by Mr. Wise, vote passed 5-0. Dr. Milaschewski thanked Jess Bailey and all the union representatives for the input and feedback. 2. R.I.S.E Director Search Process • Thank you to Dr. King for stepping in and filling the interim RISE Director position for the 2022- 2023 school year and moving the program forward. • Dr. Milaschewski outlined the search process. 3. Discussion of School Committee Engagement in District Strategic Plan • Dr. Milaschewski shared updates and proposals. 4. FY23 Q2 Financial Report and Review / Vote on Budget Transfers • Ms. Bottan shared updates. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to approve the transfer of $427 from the Special Education Cost center to the General Education Cost center, seconded by Mr. Wise, vote passed 5-0. • Mr. Wise updated committee. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to waive the readings of the eight policies listed in the packet, seconded by Ms. Gaffen; vote passed 5-0. 5. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to adopt Policy GBA – Equal Opportunity Employment, seconded by Mr. Wise. Mr. Wise shared a document from Geoffrey Coram, Ridge Rd., regarding editing of the wording. Vote to adopt updates to GBA as amended. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to adopt amended Policy GBA, seconded by Ms. Gaffen. Vote 5-0. 6. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to adopt Policy DA – Fiscal Management Goals, seconded by Ms. Gaffen. Vote passed 5-0. 7. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to adopt Policy DB– Annual Budget, Seconded by Mr. Wise. Vote passed 5-0. 8. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to adopt Policy DBC - Budget Deadline and Schedules, seconded by Mr. Wise. Vote passed 5-0. Discussion followed. 9. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to adopt Policy DBD as amended as it appears on the screen, seconded by Mr. Wise. Vote passed 5-0. Discussion followed. 10. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to adopt Policy DBG – Budget Adoption Procedures as amended, seconded by Mr. Wise. Discussion followed. Vote passed 5-0. 11. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to adopt Policy DBJ – Budget Transfer Authority, seconded by Mr. Wise. Discussion followed. Vote passed 5-0. 12. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to adopt Policy DD as amended – Grants, Proposals and Special Reports, seconded by Mr. Wise. Discussion followed. Vote passed 5-0. Ms. Nazzaro made the motion to adjourn, and Ms. McLaughlin seconded. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE3Fn1hPxr4 Meeting Adjourned 9:22 pm. TO: Reading School Committee FROM: Susan Bottan, Director of Finance and Operations DATE: April 6, 2023 RE: Vote to Accept Grant Awarded by the Jae S. Lim Foundation Please vote to accept a grant of $3,000 from the Jae S. Lim Foundation to award two top performing RMHS Juniors in the subject areas of math and science in the 2023-2024 school year. Each award will be in the amount of $1,000 and the balance will be allocated to purchase certificates and plaques for the students. Principal Tracey and Director Callanan will develop criteria for the award. Please find attached the award letter from Mr. Tacho Lim, President and Director of the Foundation. Thank you. Reading Public Schools Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 Phone: 781-944-5800 Fax: 781-942-9149 TO: Reading School Committee FROM: Susan Bottan, Director of Finance and Operations DATE: April 6, 2023 RE: Vote to Accept MyCAP Development and Implementation Grant Please vote to accept the My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP) grant in the amount of $4,500 awarded to Reading Memorial High School. As stated on the DESE website, “The purpose of this targeted grant opportunity is to provide supplementary support to school districts currently engaged in or interested in beginning implementation of My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP). MyCAP is a student-driven process designed to ensure all students graduate from high school college and career ready. The MyCAP process requires schools to create a scope and sequence to implement MyCAP.” The award will be issued in the form of stipends to team members to attend professional development and team meetings outside-of- school hours. Thank you. Reading Public Schools Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 Phone: 781-944-5800 Fax: 781-942-9149 TO: Reading School Committee FROM: Susan Bottan, Director of Finance and Operations DATE: April 6, 2023 RE: Vote to Accept Credit for Life Fair Grant Please vote to accept the Credit for Life grant in the amount of $2,500 awarded to Reading Memorial High School. With this award, the RMHS leadership team along with Ms. Judith Langill, the Education Coordinator for the RMHS Branch Office of Reading Cooperative Bank, will host a Credit for life Fair for all RMHS grade 11 students on April 11, 2023. With the assistance of over 40 community and business volunteers, students will increase their financial literacy and learn how to manage their money, build and stay within a budget, and explore careers. As described on the Credit for Life website: For more than a decade, high school students across Massachusetts and beyond have participated in Credit for Life Fairs where students learn the real-life budgeting and money management skills they will use throughout their lifetime. Thanks to the efforts and support of a number of banks and non-profit organizations, Credit for Life is now available through this interactive website so that Massachusetts’ young adults can enjoy these important financial lessons without leaving their desks or classrooms. Participants choose their professions, are assigned monthly take-home salaries and then navigate 10 online checkpoints to make "purchases" utilizing imaginary cash, credit or savings. The experience also includes a library of “Money Modules” students can utilize before or after the Fair on topics that include budgeting, credit scores, investing for the future and more. The goal? To learn to live within their budget. The award will be expended on supplies, materials, signage, and materials for distribution to students. Thank you. Reading Public Schools Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 Phone: 781-944-5800 Fax: 781-942-9149 Reading Public Schools School Committee Meeting Packet April 6, 2023 Old Business 1 | P a g e F Y 2 2 S e c o n d Q u a r t e r F i n a n c i a l R e p o r t To: Reading School Committee From: Susan Bottan, Director of Finance and Operations Date: April 6, 2023 Re: FY24 Kindergarten Registration Update As of April 4, 2023, Reading Public Schools had received 283 kindergarten registrations for the 2023- 2024 school year. This represents an increase of seven students above the projected kindergarten enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year, which totaled 276 students. Kindergarten projections are calculated based on the number of live births in Reading from five years earlier, then multiplied by a three-year average ratio of birth-to-kindergarten enrollment by school. As a result, kindergarten projections are less reliable than other grade-level projections (because they are based on the number of births from five years earlier.) The School Department began its 2023-2024 kindergarten registration outreach to families within December 2022 for the 2023-2024 school year using the Town’s census data, which totaled 284 kindergarten-age children (children born between 9/1/2017 and 8/31/2018). Census data may also be somewhat unreliable by neighborhood school because some families may prefer not to report their children on the census, or they may not be living in Reading or may be living in a different school neighborhood in January 2022 when the census was taken. On the page to follow, please find projected kindergarten class sizes by school for the 283 registrations received to date. Please note that of the 44 students who registered for enrollment into Wood End Elementary School, 17 students were not reflected in the Town’s census data: Reading Public Schools Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 Phone: 781-944-5800 Fax: 781-942-9149 2 | P a g e F Y 2 2 S e c o n d Q u a r t e r F i n a n c i a l R e p o r t Comments Barrows Grade K Barrows Grade K Barrows Grade K FDK 17 FDK 19 FDK 18 FDK 18 FDK 19 FDK 19 FDK 18 FDK 20 FDK 19 # Sections 3 # Sections 3 # Sections 3 Total 53 Total 58 Total 56 Birch Meadow Grade K Birch Meadow Grade K Birch Meadow Grade K FDK 19 FDK 20 FDK 19 FDK 20 FDK 20 FDK 19 FDK 19 FDK 21 FDK 18 # Sections 3 # Sections 3 # Sections 3 Total 58 Total 61 Total 56 Joshua Eaton Grade K Joshua Eaton Grade K Joshua Eaton Grade K FDK 20 FDK 21 FDK 17 FDK 21 FDK 21 FDK 18 FDK 21 FDK 21 FDK 18 # Sections 3 # Sections 3 # Sections 3 Total 62 Total 63 Total 53 2 Requests for HDK Killam Grade K Killam Grade K Killam Grade K HDK 11 HDK 11 FDK 18 FDK 17 FDK 18 FDK 18 FDK 17 FDK 18 FDK 19 FDK 17 FDK 19 FDK 19 # Sections 4 # Sections 4 # Sections 4 Total 62 Total 66 Total 74 2 Requests for HDK Wood End Grade K Wood End Grade K Wood End Grade K FDK 17 FDK 14 FDK 22 FDK 17 FDK 14 FDK 22 # Sections 2 # Sections 2 # Sections 2 Total 34 Total 28 Total 44 TOTAL Grade K TOTAL Grade K TOTAL Grade K Total Sections 15 Total Sections 15 Total Sections 15 Total Students 269 Total Students 276 Total Students 283 Reading Public Schools Kindergarten Enrollment Registered Class Size, 2023-2024 as of April 4, 2023 Actual Class Size, 2022-2023 Projected Class Size, 2023-2024 Actual Class Sizes 2022-2023 Projected Class Sizes 2023-2024 Registered Class Sizes 2023-2024, as of April 4, 2023 TO: FROM: DATE: RE: Reading School Committee Thomas Milaschewski, Superintendent April 6, 2023 RMHS Innovation Pathways Update We are thrilled to share that we just received official notification of DESE’s decision to approve our recent Innovation Pathway submission. Please see the attached letter with formal notification. During the April 6th School Committee meeting, RMHS Director of Academic Achievement, Jessica Callanan, will speak briefly about the implications of DESE’s approval. Reading Public Schools Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 Phone: 781-944-5800 Fax: 781-942-9149 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, Massachusetts 02148-4906 Telephone: (781) 338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 1-800-439-2370 Jeffrey C. Riley Commissioner March 23, 2023 Thomas Milaschewski Superintendent Reading Public Schools 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 Dear Superintendent Milaschewski: I am pleased to inform you that, after careful review, the Innovation Career Pathway program submitted by your district has been granted designation. Congratulations on achieving this distinction. We are confident that your two new Innovation Career Pathways in Information, and Manufacturing will offer students a transformative experience, enabling them to develop essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post- secondary education in promising fields. This designation is issued as a five-year performance contract, with annual reporting requirements and a formal review after the first three years. Regular and ongoing professional development will be provided to support your work through the Innovation Career Pathways Community of Practice. Kindly share this good news with your partners. You may direct any questions to Jennifer Gwatkin, Innovation Career Pathways Lead at jennifer.a.gwatkin@mass.gov. Sincerely, Jeffrey C. Riley Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education cc: Elizabeth Bennett, Associate Commissioner for College, Career, and Technical Education Cliff Chuang, Senior Associate Commissioner for Educational Options Reading Public Schools School Committee Meeting Packet April 6, 2023 New Business TO: Reading School Committee FROM: Thomas Milaschewski, Superintendent DATE: April 6, 2023 RE: Discuss and Approve Director of Finance Search Process As explained in the attached note, RPS Director of Finance and Operations Susan Bottan will be moving on from her position this July. Susan has demonstrated exemplary leadership over the past two years in both the financial and operational sides of our organization. Her leadership made a tremendous impact on the day-to-day experience for our students and in shaping the future of RPS. During the April 6th School Committee meeting, we will discuss Susan’s contributions to our organization in more detail and outline the upcoming “Director of Finance and Operations” search process. Reading Public Schools Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 Phone: 781-944-5800 Fax: 781-942-9149 Reading Public Schools Screening Committee Screening Process for Director of Finance and Operations Please note: All information and discussions by screening committee members are confidential and cannot be shared now or in the future. I. Approximate Position Start Date: July 10th, 2023 II. Screening Committee Members a. The Screening Committee will consist of representatives from the following groups: • Superintendent - Facilitator • School Committee Members (2) • Principal Representative • Reading Teachers Association Representative • Finance Director/Town Accountant • Director of School Nutrition or Designee • Business/Financial Analyst • Network Administrator or Designee • Director of Facilities or Designee • Finance Committee Member • Parent b. To the extent possible, the composition of the committee will represent the many constituencies that comprise the Reading Public School Community. c. Superintendent will attend all interviews and deliberations as part of the decision-making process. III. Schedule All dates, times, and locations are tentative. Date Time Event Location April 6 7:00 PM School Committee Review and Approval of Process RMHS Schettini Library April 7 Online Posting for Position on a Variety of Posting Sites Online April 27 11:59 PM Deadline for Applications Week of April 28 TBD Screening Committee Organizational Meeting & Meeting to Design Questions Virtual Week of May 1 All Day 1st Round Candidate Interviews and Recommend Finalists to Superintendent Superintendent Conference Room Week of May 8 • Finalist Vetting Process • Superintendent & Town Manager Interviews • Superintendent Recommendation to School Committee and School Committee Vote RMHS Schettini Library TO: Reading School Committee FROM: Thomas Milaschewski, Superintendent DATE: April 6, 2023 RE: Approve Last Day of School for SY22-23 During the April 6th School Committee meeting, we will request that School Committee approves June 16, 2023 as the last day of school for SY22-23. The original SY22-23 calendar listed June 15th, 2023 as the last day of school, but with one snow day, the last day should be pushed back one day until June 16th, 2023. Reading Public Schools Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 Phone: 781-944-5800 Fax: 781-942-9149 Administrative Offices 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 781 944-5800 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE Shawn Brandt Chair Carla Nazzaro Vice-Chair Erin Gaffen Sarah McLaughlin Charles Robinson Thomas Wise Thomas Milaschewski, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools TO: Reading School Committee FROM: Shawn Brandt, Reading School Committee Chair DATE: April 4, 2023 TOPIC: Liaison and Subcommittee Discussion In our meeting on Thursday, April 6th, we will take up a discussion and potential vote about granting a HS diploma to Mr. Richard Carlson, who left RMHS in 1951 in order to enlist in the Air Force, where he served overseas during the Korean War. Following this memo in the packet is the letter I received from the Veterans’ Services department in Wilmington on behalf of Mr. Carlson and his family, including the documentation of Mr. Carlson’s service and honorable discharge as required by MGL Chapter 71, Section 4. During our meeting, I will share the feedback I received from our counsel regarding this matter. The meeting will provide an opportunity to ask any additional questions, and should the committee be ready to proceed, we will take a vote to direct the district to grant a diploma to Mr. Carlson. Reading Public Schools School Committee Meeting Packet April 6, 2023 Information / Correspondence 1 RE: No progress on restoring opportunities at RPS that were taken away? From:Milaschewski, Thomas Sent:Tuesday, April 4, 2023 12:30 PM To:Rebecca Liberman Cc:DG School Committee; Hardy, Sarah Subject:RE: No progress on restoring opportunities at RPS that were taken away? Follow Up Flag:Follow up Flag Status:Flagged Hi Rebecca, Thanks for your follow up note. We will keep you informed as we move this work forward this spring and beyond. Our communication will include concrete action steps of what we are doing to provide more accessible pathways for all students to higher level math. As we continue to move this work forward we want to make sure that we are also organized to execute and sustain any changes we make. I look forward to staying connected with you on this. As always, I appreciate your ideas and feedback. Best, Tom From: Rebecca Liberman <rfliberman@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2023 8:07 AM To: Milaschewski, Thomas <Thomas.Milaschewski@reading.k12.ma.us> Cc: DG School Committee <SchoolCommittee@reading.k12.ma.us>; Hardy, Sarah <Sarah.Hardy@reading.k12.ma.us> Subject: Re: No progress on restoring opportunities at RPS that were taken away? Thank you for this update, but it sounds like yet another cohort of students will be denied a straight path to access higher level math while this problem is studied more. I believe we need more immediate action. Many of us have experience seeing pathways and courses offered to our older children that were taken away for our younger ones, and I have district and school test scores from before and after the Common Core math pathway changes, and it is pretty clear that those not in Math 7/8 pathway are not doing well. Please take concrete action to getting Reading back to being a top rated school system that provides an excellent education and advanced math opportunities to all students, not just those who test into the top math track in 6th grade. Thank you. Rebecca On Wed, Mar 29, 2023, 2:50 PM Milaschewski, Thomas <Thomas.Milaschewski@reading.k12.ma.us> wrote: Hi Rebecca, I hope you are well! Thanks for reaching out with your concerns, feedback, and questions. This year, we have continued the deep study of RPS math and have taken some critical steps forward. We believe these steps are important in laying the groundwork to ensure that all RPS students can access and enjoy advanced math courses. Steps we have taken already include: begun the process of innovation pathways, integrating rich STEM learning for interested students, continued to enhance dual enrollment options at RMHS, 2  implemented consistent, standards‐aligned, rigorous core curriculum materials in math grades K‐12 and provided professional learning for all teachers of math,  adoption of common assessment data collection in Math (and ELA) at the middle schools through the use of i‐ Ready to monitor and track student progress,  and begun deep data analysis of current experiences of students in RPS schools including middle school pathways, HS course enrollment, and post‐graduate experiences. This work has been done collaboratively between a large group of our middle school and high school leaders and we are set to engage our middle and high school staff more deeply this spring. Additionally, we are ready to expand our efforts this spring and summer to the larger Reading community. We are in the process of organizing an RPS community group to engage in examination of RPS math experiences in order to make recommendations for next steps. Thus far, we have fine‐tuned our statement of purpose to include broadening the advanced course options for students, providing a pathway to advanced math that does not require summer work or doubling up, and ensuring all students have access to available options. We are collaborating with DESE’s Math Content lead, reviewing current research about these issues from professional organizations, such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), collaborating with members of our professional networks of math educators, and examining our data. While there is still work to be done, we are continuing the thoughtful and intentional efforts to build rich, rigorous math learning experiences while focusing on opening access to advanced math courses. Later this spring, our entire Reading community (including families) can expect to receive a more detailed update around the progress of this work and an invitation to join a working group to bring some of these ideas into action, including several items that you mention in your email. We believe that this collaborative approach, which can take some time, is important to effectively address some of the current structural issues within our 6‐12 math pathways. I believe that you will be encouraged by plans to make needed changes as we communicate more information this spring. As we move forward, I will keep you informed on our progress on math pathways and also any potential shifts in ELA offerings at RMHS. Best, Tom From: Rebecca Liberman <rfliberman@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, March 24, 2023 10:47 AM To: DG School Committee <SchoolCommittee@reading.k12.ma.us> Cc: Tom Milaschewski <tom.milaschewski@gmail.com>; Hardy, Sarah <Sarah.Hardy@reading.k12.ma.us> Subject: No progress on restoring opportunities at RPS that were taken away? CAUTION: This email originated from outside of Reading Public Schools. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender email address and know the content is safe. Hi, I am disappointed at the apparent lack of progress in restoring opportunities that have been taken away from RPS middle and high school students over the last 12 years. 3 I urge you to bring back the following opportunities that used to exist: 1. Restore the middle track straight path to middle school algebra and high school calculus that does not require doubling up or outside private programs, perhaps by adding a slower paced Math 7/8 course, followed by a slower‐ paced Algebra 1 course, followed by a geometry course that covers any remaining Algebra 1 topics not covered in earlier courses. 2. Restore free Virtual High School or equivalent online high school courses, which allowed students to take classes not offered at RMHS or that didn't fit into their schedules. 3. Restore the option for the fastest‐paced math students to take Algebra I in 7th grade together with the 8th graders and then Virtual High School Algebra II in 8th grade. These students could then take regular pathway courses ending in AP Calculus in 11th grade, often followed by AP Statistics, which used to be a great option for very fast‐paced students. 4. Rename the Intro to Calculus class to be more accurate (pre‐Calculus/trignometry), and consider offering a non‐AP calculus course option. 5. Restore the all Honors‐level English 12th grade course, which was a good option for students who still want rigorous English and writing instruction but not AP level. 6. Ensure that there are adequate standards for English electives, and consider restoring at least 2 separate levels for these: Honors and SCP. While it is fine to offer students elective options, these classes currently combine 3 levels of students (the former CP, SCP and Honors), and we must ensure that all students are adequately challenged to learn critical thinking and writing skills and that those who struggle receive adequate support. I sincerely hope that you will restore these opportunities, especially in math. But until this happens, the current RMHS Program of Studies to more accurately reflect what is in these courses and pathways, and you should remove the math pathway that includes an approved outside math program unless every student, including METCO students, those who require transportation, and those who have financial need would be able to access this pathway. Please let me know what you are doing to bring back these opportunities and once again provide a rigorous education to all RPS students that would allow more students to have access to higher level courses, especially in math and English. Thank you. Rebecca Liberman 50 Pratt St. Reading Public Schools School Committee Meeting Packet April 6, 2023 Calendar Reading School Committee – Remaining SY22-23 Meetings Note: All Regular SC Meetings will be held at the RMHS Library at 7 PM unless otherwise noted April April 6th – Regular SC Meeting April 24th – Town Meeting Night 1 April 27th – Town Meeting Night 2 May May 1st – Town Meeting Night 3 May 4th – Town Meeting Night 4 May 8th – Regular SC Meeting (Monday night) May 25th – Regular SC Meeting June June 2nd – RMHS Graduation June 8th – Regular SC Meeting June 22nd – Regular SC Meeting