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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-06-05 School Committee MinutesO'� Fq� -"�f Town of Reading KECEIVEI.0 Meeting Minutes rTOWN CLERK Board - Committee - Commission - Council: t':�S JI)I- If, AN 9: 19 School Committee Date: 2025-06-05 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: Tom Wise, Carla Nazzaro, Erin Gaffen, Shawn Brandt, Sarah McLaughlin and Lara Durgavich Members - Not Present: Others Present: HR Director Ms. Michelle Roach, Director of Finance and Operations Mr. Phil Littlehale (remote), Assistant Superintendent for Learning and Teaching Dr. Sarah Hardy and Superintendent Dr. Thomas Milaschewski Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Olivia Lejeune on behalf of the chairperson. Topics of Discussion: A. Call to Order —Mr. Wise called the meeting to order at 7:05pm and reviewed the agenda for the meeting. B. Public Comment —None Focus on Excellence Elementary Student Writing Published by ARC — Dr. Milaschewski introduced K-8 Humanities Coordinator Ms. Erin Burchill who introduced nine elementary students whose work was published by American Reading Company (ARC). The students received awards and checks for their published work from ARC. Consent Agenda 1. Minutes(05-29-2025) 2. Request to Surplus Property —Coolidge 3. Reading Lacrosse Donation 4. Acceptance of 2025 Summer Eats Grant Award Accounts Payable Warrant Reports 1. 05-27-2025 Payroll Warrant Reports 1. 04-11-2025 Page I 1 2. 04-25-2025 3. 05-09-2025 4. 05-23-2025 Mrs. Gaffen motioned to approve the consent agenda, seconded by Mrs. Durgavich. The vote passed 6-0. Reports 1. Student —The student representative report included the following items: Students celebrated graduation last Friday, several spring athletic teams remain in contention for titles, Future Freshman Night welcomed incoming students, an award ceremony is being held tonight in the PAC, Unified Sports Field Day is scheduled for tomorrow, and students are preparing for final exams next week ahead of the last day of school on June 16th. 2. Superintendent — Dr. Milaschewski welcomed the community's participation in tomorrow's Unified Sports Day. 3. Liaison/Sub-Committee a. Mrs. Nazzaro — At last Monday's Killam School Building meeting, the OPM contract was approved, and with 27 meetings scheduled in June with the designer, there is a significant amount of work ahead. b. Mr. Brandt —No report c. Mrs.Durgavich — No report d. Mrs. Gaffen — No report e. Ms. McLaughlin —No report f. Mr. Wise —As required by MGL, it was announced that executive session minutes have been reviewed and will be released; a memo is included at the back of the packet for any questions. Mrs. Gaffen motioned to take Item DI, Joshua Eaton Name Removal Deliberation and Potential Advisory Committee Formation, out of order. Seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro The vote passed 6-0. D. Old Business 1. Joshua Eaton Name Removal Deliberation and Potential Advisory Committee Formation Mr. Wise noted that a formal request was submitted by students and community members seeking the removal of the Joshua Eaton name. He stated that this is now the appropriate time for the committee to begin discussion on the request. During the meeting, committee members raised several questions and engaged in discussion on a variety of related topics, including whether there are any surviving members Page 1 2 of the Eaton family, which was confirmed. It was noted that there is no known documentation regarding the estate of Joshua Eaton Sr. Members acknowledged the strong advocacy from students and expressed appreciation for the thoughtful information presented. The committee discussed whether Cato deserves to be honored, with agreement that he does. In line with policy, there was consideration of whether Joshua Eaton Jr. —the individual for whom the school is believed to be named —is worthy of that recognition. Some members expressed concern that removing the name would be punishing the son for the actions of the father. There was also discussion about the lack of clarity in the community that the school is named after Joshua Eaton Jr., and a consensus on the importance of educating the public on the legacy of the Eaton family. Regardless of the outcome of the vote, members expressed a desire to find a meaningful way to honor the Cato family. Several members agreed that Cato is deserving of having something named after him and emphasized the need for more diversity in naming across the town. At the same time, others reflected on how deeply the Joshua Eaton name is tied to the school's identity and the community. Committee members noted that Joshua Eaton Jr. went to war and died at a young age, which was part of why the school was named in his honor. It was noted that some may not feel any connection to the name or understand its origin which led to expressed support for forming a subcommittee to review the request in greater depth. However, the committee also questioned whether there is sufficient documentation and justification to support the removal of the name. Despite differing perspectives, there was overall agreement on the importance of recognizing Cato in some capacity. Several community members also shared their feedback and perspectives regarding the potential removal and renaming of Joshua Eaton School. Mr. Wise motioned to accept the nomination to remove the name of Joshua Eaton, seconded by Mrs. Gallen. The motion does not pass with a vote of 5-1. B. Public Comment —After experiencing technical difficulties, student representative to the ACE Committee, London Stith -Nichols, joined the meeting to invite everyone to the town's annual Juneteenth event on Saturday, June 21st. E. New Business 1. FY25 End -of -Year Personnel Update Page 13 FIR Director Ms. Michelle Roach provided a high-level end -of -year personnel update, highlighting key areas including the HR workflow in connection with Strategic Goal 3.1, outcomes from the integration of Red Rover and ArxEd, employee satisfaction as it relates to Strategic Goal 3.3, recognition through teaching and staff awards, and efforts around recruitment and retention aligned with Strategic Goal 3.3. Ms. Roach concluded by thanking Kristyn Cohen and Andrew Goetschius for their daily dedication and hard work in the department. 2. Review of Reading Paraeducators Association Memorandum of Understanding Ms. Roach provided an overview of the Paraeducators Association MOU, which was presented for discussion and a vote this evening. Mr. Brandt motioned to proceed with a memorandum of agreement with the Paraeducators Association to implement the proposed hourly rate increase of $20 per hour for this specific provision, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro. The vote passed 6-0. 3. End -of -Year Learning & Teaching Curriculum Update Dr. Sarah Hardy, along with K-8 Humanities Coordinator Ms. Erin Burchill and K-8 STEM Curriculum Coordinator Ms. Mary Anne Lynn, provided the end -of -year Teaching and Learning curriculum update. They began by expressing gratitude for the dedication of the entire RPS community —including educators, school leaders, families, and the School Committee. The update was organized into four key areas: Early Literacy Screening and Intervention, Curriculum Reviews, High -Quality Curriculum Implementation, and Updates to ESL Programming. 4. Special Education Reserve Fund Report w/ Vote on Reserve Fund Allocation (A) Mr. Littlehale reviewed the request to transfer funds from the Special Education Reserve Fund. While year-end numbers are still being finalized, the memo includes a not -to -exceed amount of $225,000 to ensure the district remains within the 1%threshold. Mr. Wise motioned to accept the recommendation of the Director of Finance to approve a transfer of the special education reserve fund at the end of the fiscal year not to exceed $225,000, seconded by Mrs. Gaffen. The vote passed 6-0. 2. Policy Updates — Review, edit, and Vote to Adopt (A) Amended Policies: a. GCBB — Employment of Principals (formerly known as Employment of Administrators and Directors) An update was provided from Ms. Roach, but the current version has not yet been reviewed or voted on by the Policy Subcommittee. Ms. Roach addressed previous committee concerns by clarifying the principal employment and evaluation process, and noted that the policy has been reviewed by legal counsel. Page 14 Mrs. Gaffen motioned to adopt Policy GCBB — Employment of Principals, seconded by Mr. Brandt. The vote passed 6-0. 3. Second Reading, edit (if necessary), and Vote to Adopt (A) Policies: a. GBEBD — Online Fundraising and Solicitations — Crowdfunding Ms. Roach reviewed the feedback received regarding the mention of the ethics policy and felt it was important to keep it included. The policy has been updated to define the rules for crowdfunding and online fundraising. Mrs. Gaffen motioned to approve Policy GBEBD —Online Fundraising and Solicitations —Crowdfunding, seconded by Mrs. Durgavich. The vote passed 6-0. b. GCBC — Professional Staff Supplementary Pay Plans Mr. Wise noted that at the last meeting, a sentence was added stating that if a principal is appointed to an extra assignment resulting in additional compensation, School Committee approval shall be required. He suggested removing the sentence, as it was only included to mirror the language in Policy GCBB, and since no changes are being made to that policy, its inclusion is no longer necessary. Mrs. Gaffen motioned to approve Policy GCBC— Professional Staff Supplementary Pay Plans, seconded by Mr. Brandt. The vote passed 6-0. 4. Post Summative Review— Discussions and Vote (A) Mr. Wise acknowledged the voluminous amount of evidence provided by Dr. Milaschewski, noting that ChatGPT was used to summarize committee feedback. Overall, Dr. Milaschewski was rated as exemplary across all standards, with recognition for his visionary leadership, academic innovation, staff empowerment, commitment to equity and inclusion, and data - driven improvement. The committee also appreciated his awareness of areas for continued growth and improvement. Mrs. Gaffen motioned to accept the summative review, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro Dr. Milaschewski expressed gratitude for the district's success and took a moment to celebrate the dedicated team in Reading. He shared his excitement about the progress made, while acknowledging that there is still more work to do to ensure all students continue to achieve at a high level. The vote passed 6-0 Page 1 5 E. New Business S. Annual Reorganization of School Committee Mr. Wise turned the meeting over to Dr. Milaschewski for the annual reorganization of the School Committee who then opened it up for nominations for chair. Mr. Brandt was nominated as chair seconded by Mr. Wise. Mr. Brandt accepted the nomination. Roll Call Vote — Roll Call Vote for Mr. Brandt as Chair of the School Committee, Mrs. Nazzaro —yes, Mr. Brandt — yes, Mrs. Durgavich — yes, Mr. Wise — yes, Mrs. Gaffen — yes, Ms. McLaughlin —yes The vote passed 6-0. Mr. Brandt assumed the role of Chair and asked for nominations for Vice Chair. Mrs. Nazzaro was nominated for Vice Chair, with the nomination seconded by Mrs. Gaffen. Roll Call Vote for Mrs. Nazzaro as Vice Chair of the School Committee, Mrs. Nazzaro — yes, Mr. Brandt — yes, Mrs. Durgavich — yes, Mr. Wise —yes, Mrs. Gaffen — yes, Ms. McLaughlin — yes The vote passed 6-0. Motion to adjourn, seconded by Mrs. Durgavich. The vote passed 6-0. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_tkvKtcebbk Meeting Adjourned from regular session at approximately 9:51 pm. Page 1 6