NEWTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE
MINUTES
OF REGULAR MEETING - JUNE 10, 2002
EDUCATION
CENTER, FRAZIER ROOM, 7:30 P.M.
PRESENT: Chairperson Anne Larner, Vice-Chairperson Susan
Albright, Gail Glick, Patricia Kellogg, Marc Laredo, Nancy Levine, Leslie
Schneider, Dori Zaleznik, Zoe Schwab, student representative – Newton South High School
ABSENT: Mayor David Cohen, and student representative – Newton North High
School
CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Anne Larner
called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.
She noted that the Superintendent is ill this evening and he will be
represented by James Marini, Associate Superintendent for Secondary Education.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Richard Krushnic, 137
Waverly Ave., stated that while Education Reform and the Massachusetts
Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam have brought some needed resources
and attention to public education, he has concerns that the MCAS test as a
graduation requirement discriminates against the poor, minorities, children
with special needs, and non-English speaking students. Preliminary data already shows an increase
in drop-out rates. This program
punishes students who through no fault of their own are not being provided with
equal educational opportunities.
Standards must be raised and must be uniform but it should not be
accomplished at the expense of students.
Linda Leisinger, 1002
Beacon St., teaches in Boston and sees on a daily basis the impact of the MCAS
requirement on the school environment.
Many of her students come to school with very poor skills and a host of
other non-academic issues. These
students need remediation that they cannot provide because they are spending
time teaching to an exam. In their
fifth grade curriculum, they spent several months teaching particular topics
and concepts only to find out that the questions on the MCAS exam did not
pertain to anything that they had been studying While this was only a practice exam, the students did receive
progress reports. To be told that they
failed was an awful experience, particularly when the results did not reflect
their own success in school.
Joan Goldberg, 148 Summer
St., cochairperson of Newton Coalition for Authentic Reform in Education
(CARE), urged the Committee to sign on to Brookline's resolution for the
Massachusetts Association of School Superintendent's/Massachusetts Association
of School Committees (MASC/MASS) conference asserting the rights of local
school committees to retain control over granting diplomas. She hopes they will go even further and
agree to grant diplomas to deserving students regardless of test scores, such
as the Hampshire Regional and Cambridge school systems are doing. She is not opposed to testing, but believes
it should be used along with other tools for assessing students'
abilities. CARE is concerned about what
happens to children when high-stakes are attached to test outcomes that are
then misused in isolation from other information. They do not want the quality of an education undermined by the
use of this exam and the funds diverted from class size and programs. High stakes tests raise barriers rather than
raising standards. School systems
should be expanding rather than limiting opportunities for children. There is a lot of literature that indicates
that when scores on high-stakes tests rise, real learning declines. This is a discriminatory practice and hopes the Committee will takes
steps to address these concerns.
Eileen Freiberg-Dale, 68
Carl St., cochairperson of CARE, mentioned that her daughter failed the first
round of MCAS in the 10th
grade and just managed to pass in the January retest. While some may view this as a success, damage was done to her
self-esteem and no new learning occurred in that timeframe. Many of her daughter's friends continue to
retest unsuccessfully. They are not
stupid and have worked hard to fulfill the requirements in line with their
individual education plans (IEPs) and they deserve diplomas. She is not opposed to high standards; only
to high stakes. She is disturbed by the
amount of time spent in preparation for the test and the anxiety it creates. Local
school committees have retained the right to set graduation requirements since
the first public school was established in 1921. She urged the Committee to sign onto Brookline's resolution and
take the extra step to grant diplomas to all students who fulfill course
requirements.
Tom Crowder, 121
Bishopsgate Rd., believes that MCAS is destroying public schools. The graduation requirement blames the
victims. It is imperative that school
committees retain local control of graduation requirements, particularly in
light of the additional standardized tests that are about to appear under the
Federal Education law ironically entitled "Leave No Child
Behind."
Al Leisinger, 1002 Beacon
St., believes that there is a one-sided view being promoted by the Board of
Education, as they attempt to abrogate the
rights of school systems
to grant diplomas. Using a single
assessment tool violates the sprit of the Education Reform Act. In addition, it forces staff to teach to the
test, thereby abandoning better teaching practices. He encouraged the Committee to sign onto Brookline's resolution.
Representative Ruth Balser
talked about the importance of this issue statewide and the fact that she is
involved with the subject in the state legislature. She also encourages the Committee to sign onto Brookline's
resolution and to consider moving in the direction in which Cambridge and
Hampshire Regional have take. She has
filed legislation, as well as cosponsored other bills, that would eliminate the
high-stakes component of MCAS and replace it with a system of multiple
assessments, which was the original intent of Education Reform. What they have learned to date re: MCAS is
that students from wealthier communities perform better than those from cities
and towns on the lower economic scale; white students do better than
minorities; children in regular education programs achieve higher levels than
those in special education; students in academic programs perform better than
their peers in vocational programs; and native English speaking students do
better than bilingual students. The one
positive aspect of MCAS is that it has resulted in increased funding and
support for the more vulnerable populations and communities. Therefore, MCAS should be used as a
diagnostic tool, to highlight where extra efforts are needed, rather than as a
punitive measure that penalized the most vulnerable students. She would trust local school committees to
best determine who is competent to graduate.
Cheryl Turgel, 97 Walnut
Hill Rd., President-Elect of the Newton Teachers Association, read a statement
on behalf of Ken Hamilton, current president, in support of the resolution
favoring the rights of local school committees to grant diplomas and against
the state's use of MCAS as a graduation requirement. Tests are score-keeping devices rather than tools that can help
teachers in the classroom. The scores
alone do not indicate what a child has learned. The Education Reform Act has some benefits, such as the
development of standards, which school systems can use as a measuring
device. However, using MCAS a sole
measure of graduation is going too far.
Newton's standards are already rigorous and meaningful and these type of
decisions should remain under local control.
Howard Sholkin, 24
Brentwood Ave., hopes the School Committee will support Brookline's
resolution. Local rights are being
usurped and this is too important to ignore.
No one is closer to understanding the needs of students than teachers,
school staff and school committees.
Decisions this important should not be made by a board that changes
periodically and in many cases has members who do not have a background in
education.
Susan Markowitz, 137
Waverly Ave., expressed displeasure about the assignments her daughter receives
in the month preceding the MCAS exams, which are below the standard of
curriculum that has been taught during the year, but which obviously is meant
to prepare students for the test.
Resources would be better spent on support for programs and professional
development opportunities vs. MCAS preparation. The test itself is flawed and controversial. Proponents believe that the threat of MCAS
will somehow ensure that students with low skills will perform better because
of this exam. On the contrary, rather
than teaching meaningful curriculum, which is the best method for helpings
students acquire those skills, funds are spent on MCAS drill and preparation
work. For example, in the system in
which she teaches, $10,000 was spent on MCAS preparation books. This is funding that could have set up
libraries within the classroom.
Professional development was also curtailed in order to administer the
MCAS exam. She sees firsthand what
failure does to students and believes the end result will be more
dropouts. A lot of communities watch to
see how Newton addresses these issues and she urged them to take a leadership
role.
Geoff Sholkin, Newton
North High School student, told the Committee that while he passed the MCAS
exams, he does not believe they should be the sole criteria for graduating and
urged the Committee to support Brookline's resolution.
Karen Blatt and Donald
Branagan, 24 Brentwood Ave., Cabot Elementary School incoming kindergarten
parents, remain highly concerned about the projected large classes for next
year and continue to advocate for a third kindergarten class, with a teacher
and full-time aide. They requested that
the system explore creative solutions that will allow them to achieve the goal of
20 or fewer students per classroom, in the event that a traditional approach is
not possible. They suggested voluntary
redistricting as one option.
Sharon Sholkin, 24
Brentwood Ave., talked about the anxiety her son faced in taking the MCAS exam
and the impact it had on the family.
Having one child who graduated, it was difficult to imagine that with
two children who worked equally as hard, one might not receive a diploma
because of learning disabilities. As a
special education teacher in another school system, she sees this same anxiety
level surface consistently. She urged
the Committee to assert their rights to grant diplomas to Newton students.
Anne Sullivan, 3 Bowdoin
St., talked about how it was her daughter who first educated her to the impact
that the MCAS exam was having on
education and the fact
that it is discriminatory against students with special needs and lower
socio-economic status. Because of these
beliefs, her daughter has boycotted the test for the past two years. Her other daughter, who is in an integrated
program at Brown Middle School, was forced to discontinue certain aspects of
her classroom instruction, as specified by law in her independent evaluation
program (IEP), in order to do MCAS test preparation. Her views on the exam were that much of it did not make sense and
she guessed on many questions. It is
time that Newton determine the merits of this exam and how it is impacting on
curriculum and whether it should be a requirement for receiving a high school
diploma.
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES' DISCUSSION
Zoe Schwab talked about
the negative effects of standardized testing.
For those who do not test well, it lowers their self-esteem. For those that do well, it provides bragging
rights. She believes there is too much emphasis
on their importance, when they should be focusing on the actual learning that
occurs in the classroom. In conclusion,
since this is her last meeting, she wanted to thank the School Committee for
the opportunity to serve as a student representative. This has been a very good experience and she has learned a great
deal.
Anne Larner complimented
Zoe on her willingness to speak up and share her concerns and opinions at
meetings. The input she and the other
representatives have provided has brought an important perspective to their
conversations.
RECOGNITIONS
The following high school
students won awards in the New England State Olympiada of Spoken Russian:
Newton North Newton South
Lorena Duran Michael
Abramson
Naomi Forman Inna
Baran
Anna Mazhbits Kevin
Bogdansky
Alex Potashinsky Felix
Borukhov
Anna Yukhanova Mike
Borukhov
Helen Drislane Victor
Chervinsky
Daniel Gersh Kristina
Drobkova
Newton North (cont.) Newton South (cont.)
James Stammers Alina
Gershman
Jeff
Gershman
Olga
Metelitsa
Glen
Molotnikov
Dan
Oxenkrug
Eric
Rabinovich
Alexander
Rabkin
Elizabeth
Rapoport
Max
Rosenberg
Alexander
Rozental
Olga
Shnayder
Faina
Shapiro
Eddie
Spivak
Ilon
Tuzman
Alexandra
Weinstein
Valentina
Yankovski
Boris
Kuritnick
Max
Voshcin
APPROVAL OF SCHOOLCOMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
MOTION: It was
moved to approve the School Committee
special meeting minutes of 2/13/02 and executive
session meeting minutes of 2/25/02.
(Levine-
Glick)
7 - 0 - 2
Absent: Mayor Cohen
Absent for vote: Zaleznik
COURTESY INTERVIEW FOR PAMELA APPLETON,
PRINCIPAL OF ANGIER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Introductions
Jim Marini introduced Ms.
Appleton, who comes from Wilton, Connecticut, where she was the principal of a
large elementary school. Prior to that
position she was the Director of Early Childhood Education in
Salem. She has a deep understanding of elementary
education, with strong leadership skills, and a collaborative approach to her
work.
Committee members
introduced themselves to Ms. Appleton.
Opening Statement by Candidate
Pamela Appleton is excited
and honored to be offered this position.
She has been welcomed by everyone she has met and has spent a few days
with Ruth Chapman, who will be a difficult act to follow. She talked about her work in the Salem Early
Childhood Program, which was an integrated program that grew from a small
initiative into one that involved 200 students, with a long waiting list. During this same timeframe, she founded a
magnet school, which was based on a dual immersion program, where native
Spanish speakers were immersed in English for two-and-a-half days, while
conversely native English speakers were immersed in Spanish. This too grew into a very popular program,
which also had a waiting list. Both
programs were interesting, innovative and exciting, as well as supported by the
Department of Education. In Wilton, she
initially oversaw a K-3 school and then moved to a 3-5, as they entered into a
four-year phase of construction, where the population doubled.
Nancy Levine mentioned
that Angier, with its integrated programs, should be a good fit given her
background. She mentioned how Newton is
struggling with developing a viable world language program at the elementary
level and wondered about her thoughts on this subject.
Pamela Appleton stated
that if budget were no object, a full foreign language program in the
elementary grades would be desirable.
She has fought hard for these programs in every system in which she has
worked. In Wilton, the 5th
grade program is finally expanding to the 4th grade, after a three year struggle, with the goal
to eventually move it down every grade.
World language should not be considered an afterthought to the
curriculum; particularly in today's global economy.
Gail Glick asked about
some of the best practices she would like to bring to Newton.
Pamela Appleton admitted
that Newton is already involved in many of the ideas she would want to bring to
the system, which was one of the reasons she felt accepting this position was
such a good match. She cited the
literacy initiative as one
example, and would like to see that program expanded. There is also a specific math program that she feels could be
very powerful that she would like to discuss with staff.
Dori Zaleznik noticed that
she was very involved in the web site development at her previous school and
wondered what she would like to see at Angier in terms of technology.
Pamela Appleton replied
that she has already had discussions about sharing of knowledge and expertise
and pieces of their web site that address student research and curriculum
links. The hits on the web site at
Wilton are 80% students because there is so much for them to explore on the
site. In terms of applying and using
technology as a tool in the classroom, she has heard clearly that this is an
important goal in Newton and she can bring her knowledge of ways they have been
doing that in Wilton, while simultaneously honoring the good work that is
already occurring here.
Susan Albright is
interested in hearing about how she made a large school feel like an intimate
setting.
Pamela Appleton stated
that this was done by placing all the emphasis on the students and being
certain that it was a child-centered building.
They were able to facilitate a four-house model of approximately 250
students each, with 12 classrooms grades 3-5.
There are four classes for each grade and they utilize a team
approach. Each house operates as a
small school and, as in any elementary school, students spend about 85% of
their time in the classrooms, so that teachers move around but students stay
stationary. The library, cafeteria, and
gym are located in what they call “downtown,”
where the “mayor” (principal) lives.
They also utilize multi-age programs, such as older students tutoring
the younger children.
Leslie Schneider asked
about her work in accelerated schools.
Pamela Appleton stated
that the accelerated school model begins with identifying both strengths and
challenges and then designs the curriculum with input from all the various
groups associated with a school community.
It is a restructuring process with a solid system base that requires a
lot of specific educational language that everyone must be familiar with
through professional development practices.
In order for it to be successful, it must be a true group effort.
Patty Kellogg asked if she
is able to frequent classrooms and how she feels about parental involvement in
the class.
Pamela Appleton tries to
get into classrooms whenever possible, but it is never as frequent as she would
like. She looks forward to more
opportunities to do this in a smaller school.
As for parental involvement,
they are partners in
education and education only works when they are involved. There are many ways of welcoming and
encouraging parents’ involvement, but in terms of direct work in the classroom,
that depends on the specific needs and work that is going on at various
times. Certainly teachers are open to
parents helping and enriching their work.
Marc Laredo asked what she
would like to accomplish in five years at Angier.
Pamela Appleton envisions
that staff and parents would have a high level of trust and that she would have
helped facilitate that process. She
would like the school to be on a continual path of improvement and always
moving forward.
Anne Larner asked what
three books she would want to have with her if marooned on a desert island.
Pamela Appleton replied
that she would want the complete works of Shakespeare and a couple of classic
pieces of literature.
Pamela Appleton had no
questions for the Committee.
Pamela Appleton looks
forward to coming to Newton and bringing with her the expertise she has gained
as a principal in Connecticut. As a
member of the Tri-State Assessment Group, consisting of high-performing
suburban districts in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, she has learned a
great deal that she is anxious to share.
REPORTS
SUPERINTENDENT’S PERSONNEL REPORT
There were no questions on
the report.
Jim Marini announced that
the report remains consistent and spending is still within budget
guidelines. Reconciliation and closing
of all accounts
will occur through June
and July, and final financial report will be presented in the fall.
Jim Marini stated that
they are slightly under-budget in the tuition account, but slightly over in the
consultants and contracted services areas.
Transportation is right on target and they anticipate being within
allocation at year’s end.
Jim Marini stated that in
spite of this incredibly busy year and extraordinary demands on the school
system, a tremendous amount was accomplished on the goals. He then highlighted several areas. Under the goal related to strengthening and
aligning the curriculum with the State Frameworks and creating a challenging
standards-based environment, this year they worked on science and its alignment
between the two high schools, as well as the literacy initiative, which they
can fully fund now that the Keeping Pace
budget has passed. In addition,
remediation programs for students at risk of failing the MCAS exam were put in
place and a focus has been placed on technology, as a result of the high school
renovation project. Under the goal of a capital plan for the buildings, they
continue to work on the Tier 1 schools, of which the third is nearly
complete. They are in the first phase
of the building project at Newton South.
They have placed an emphasis on improving air quality in the buildings
and are working on getting a better handle on this matter. Some of the work occurring around the goal
of Respect for Human Differences includes the selection of a committee that has
been commissioned by the Superintendent to develop a procedure for how
curriculum materials are selected.
Another is the work of the Empowering Multicultural Initiatives (EMI),
of which 19 Newton faculty participated this year. Under the goal of improving
the transportation system, they have been hard at work on a policy around this
issue that will be presented later this evening. Finally, in the goal to improve the management of the system,
they have been presenting monthly budget and special education reports to
better track and monitor program expenditures.
Dori Zaleznik complimented
the staff for the amount of work they were able to accomplish this year, with a
very comprehensive report that outlines the specifics.
Susan Albright requested
the curriculum reviews continue as part of the School Committee agenda items. Given all the other items that required
addressing this year, they were not able to get to these important matters.
Anne Larner stated that
they would work that into their agenda when they meet over the summer for their
annual retreat.
Gail Glick appreciates
this report because it provides a sense of the larger picture of all that is
going on in the system. She asked about
the fine arts curriculum revision and the statement regarding equity.
Carolyn Wyatt, Assistant
Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction, mentioned that some of the
inequities in the elementary music and art program were discussed during budget
deliberations, when concerns were raised about staffing patterns and what was
being offered at different schools.
They are working toward some consistency in this area.
Anne Larner asked about
the remedial support programs for MCAS and if they are not only helping
students pass the exam, but if they have some long-term learning value as well.
Carolyn Wyatt replied that
while there certainly are flaws in the exam, it helps systems to diagnose the
curriculum and align what is taught to the Frameworks, which are rigorous and
true to the content that is taught in each subject. The writing program was one area that was identified through this
test as a place that needed additional support. The remedial programs attempt to create an environment in the
regular education classroom that supports students who have gaps in their
skills. Small groups working with
familiar teachers are productive teaching and learning environments. Even the brightest students benefit from
these type of situations and they have been able to offer that now to all 10th-graders.
In the first retest the number of students failing was lowered and this
is a good preliminary step. They would
not have been able to create this type of support without grant funding, as it
is expensive.
If the high-stakes aspect
of the test were eliminated, she fears they would relegate some students back
into a mode that could spell failure.
It is important to have curriculum alignment, accountability and
professional development focused in a consistent manner.
Nancy Levine suggested
this document be posted on the web site.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
PRESENTATION OF METCO PLANS
Jim Marini announced that
this is the Newton Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunities (METCO)
Program's 36th year in
Newton. They are proud to host this
program, which has enriched the community.
Currently the State has level-funded the program, but there is talk that
it could be reduced. Therefore, the material in tonight’s packet includes two
budgets.
Dori Zaleznik asked what a
10% reduction will mean in terms of staffing and services.
Lisa Reed, Newton METCO
Director, will have to take a 1.0 reduction in staff and she will be forced to
find a creative way to reorganize, in order to retain the current level of
support in the program.
Dori Zaleznik asked about
the current length of the bus ride for students and what that would look like
if routes needed to be consolidated.
Lisa Reed replied that the
current average bus trip takes 45-60 minutes and the change would add an
additional 15 minutes to the route. Two
buses would be cut at the middle and high school levels and they would combine
ridership.
Nancy Levine wanted to be
reassured that they are not reducing the number of students in the program.
Lisa Reed replied that the
student population would remain within the 415 range, but some additional
programs such as math camp, which helps students transition from Boston to
Newton, would most likely be eliminated.
If that were the case, she would hope to dovetail onto the elementary
summer success program, which is being offered this year for the first time.
Anne Larner commented that
level-funding itself is a reduction in services. She asked if there are ways the Committee could help mitigate
some of the loss.
Lisa Reed agreed that
level-funding does not take into account inflation, increased salaries, bus
contracts and other non-negotiable items.
She will lose some of the flexibility she current has even with a
level-funded budget and that is where they will have to rely on their
creativity within existing staffing levels.
One thought would be more collaborative efforts between the schools and
sharing of resources. She would be very
grateful for any support the Committee could offer.
Gail Glick asked about
other support programs that could be in jeopardy with a reduction in the
program.
Lisa Reed mentioned the
incoming parent workshop, baseline entry assessments, and student orientation
day.
Marc Laredo asked what she
hopes to accomplish in the program this year.
Lisa Reed stated that her
goal is to be as creative as possible so that they do not lose any
services. She believes they can
accomplish the same things but in different ways even with limited
resources. While this may seem
idealistic, she remains optimistic.
Anne Larner stated that
tonight’s discussion will focus on whether or not the Committee wishes to sign
onto Brookline’s resolution re: MCAS, which, given a sufficient number of
signatures, would then be debated at the Massachusetts Association of School
Committee/Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASC/MASS)
conference this fall. Unlike
Cambridge’s resolution, this does not direct Superintendents to award diplomas
regardless of MCAS scores, but simply puts the resolution for local communities
to retain control over the awarding of diplomas on the floor for discussion.
Dori Zaleznik feels it is
important to have this discussion in tandem with their own graduation
requirements in the fall. However, she
does not believe signing onto Brookline’s resolution would bind them to anything
that would make that discussion problematic.
She likened this to signing nomination papers for a candidate and
allowing the larger body to come to a decision.
Nancy Levine favors
co-signing the resolution. Newton is
looked to as a leader in education. It
is her belief that they should be vocal about
retaining local control
and not take lightly the notion of losing diploma granting authority.
Susan Albright talked
about the impetus for Education Reform and the need to put some strength behind
the program so that students are not graduating unprepared for the
workforce. Part of the Education Reform
movement grew out of the failure of local control to provide students these
necessary skills. She supports the
notion of a full discussion of the
subject, but is conflicted about signing onto something that indicates support
for the resolution.
Marc Laredo remains
troubled by one high-stakes test determining whether or not a student receives
a diploma. On the other hand, it is a
valuable diagnostic tool and has helped identify areas requiring improvement.
He feels that the resolution should be presented at the conference regardless
of whether or not they take a position on its content.
Patty Kellogg believes
that Carolyn Wyatt made some important statements earlier this evening
regarding the positive aspect of the MCAS exam. The test not only provides a diagnostic tool, but also the state
funding for remediation where there are gaps in student learning. However, local decision-making is important
and she understands the damage it could cause if there are no other options for
graduating. She would support signing
onto the resolution to bring it to the floor of the convention.
Dori Zaleznik favors
assessments as a practical tool to test knowledge. However, the test does not accomplish what it set out to do;
namely to ascertain if students have a basic level of knowledge, but in fact is
more of an elitist exam. She would
prefer a basic test and then a separate high-stakes component for higher
distinction. She still does not feel
that anything they decide in the fall would be put in jeopardy by signing onto
the resolution.
Nancy Levine agrees that
rather than a basic exam, MCAS is targeted well above basic competency. Education Reform initially addressed a
comprehensive means of alternative methods for demonstrating competency and not
a single exam. Newton has been
fortunate in its ability to provide well for its students, but this is not the
case in all communities. It is not fair
to the students in cities and towns that have not been able to provide similar
support.
Gail Glick is comfortable
supporting the resolution because she does not feel it binds Newton to anything
at this time.
Anne Larner would not want
her support of the resolution to be viewed as a total opposition to the MCAS
exam as a graduation requirement because it has brought attention to the need
for a diagnostic tool to identify and address needs that might have otherwise
been overlooked. If pressure is taken
off this subject, she fears certain populations of students will recede.
Leslie Schneider wondered
if agreeing to co-sign the resolution would send a message that they object to
MCAS as a graduation requirement.
Anne Larner commented that
the issue of local control is an important subject to debate.
Leslie Schneider asked if
there are alternative assessments in place.
Carolyn Wyatt replied in
the affirmative. The Department of
Education has developed a variety of alternate options for special needs
students and they are currently working on a range of opportunities to address
the needs of certain populations. She
mentioned the student who recently appeared before the School Committee who
successfully passed one of these alternative assessments facilitated by her
computer and her tutor. It is important
that the standard be constant for everyone, while the difference is in the ways
in which they deliver that constant to a diverse population.
Marc Laredo believes they
are discussing two separate issues. One
is the notion of local control and the right to determine what the graduation
requirements should be for the awarding of a diploma from Newton. The other is whether MCAS should be a
mandated requirement for graduation.
Perhaps they should not be linking the two.
Susan Albright noted that
in previous School Committee discussions the notion arose around developing a
Newton comprehensive assessment system exam, which would be their way of
determining whether a student receives a diploma.
Gail Glick wondered if
there was any possibility in asking Brookline if they would be willing to
rewrite the resolution in a way that would make the Committee more comfortable
in cosigning.
The Committee had further
discussion around the possibility of amending the resolution, attempting to
produce their own, and comfort level with
regard to the implication
of the vote. There was also discussion
about holding the vote until the next meeting, but it was noted that two
Committee members will not be present.
Anne Larner stated that
the Mayor, who could not be present for tonight’s meeting, indicated to her
that he would support cosigning because of the issue of local control and the
fact that he does not support the exam being the sole criteria for graduation.
MOTION: It was moved to support Brookline in its
Resolution for the MASC/MASS
delegate
Assembly.
(Levine
– Zaleznik)
4
– 4 - 1
In
favor: Glick, Kellogg, Levine, Zaleznik
Opposed: Albright, Laredo, Larner, Schneider
Absent:
Mayor Cohen
MOTION FAILS
Marc Laredo requested that
the issue be re-addressed at the next meeting, as he does not feel they had
substantial time to consider a very complex matter.
Susan Albright asked that
in the interim they check with Brookline about possibly rewording the resolution.
ACTION ITEMS
VOTE ON OUT-OF-STATE FIELD TRIP POLICY
Jim Marini explained that
this is the final draft of the policy that they have been discussing over the
past few meetings.
MOTION: It was moved to approve the out-of-state
field
trip policy.
(Zaleznik
– Laredo)
8
– 0 – 1
Absent: Mayor Cohen
None.
Deena David, 60 Rokeby Rd., Waban, thanked the School Committee,
Superintendent, and staff for keeping focused on the important matters during
an extremely difficult year.
The meeting was adjourned
at 10:25 p.m.