NEWTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE
MINUTES
OF REGULAR MEETING – FEBRUARY 10, 2003
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,
Keith Agoada, student representative – Newton South High School
ABSENT: Mayor
David Cohen and student representative - Newton North High School
Chairperson
Anne Larner called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. She stated that Susan Albright would be late this evening, as
she is attending the Newton North High School Task Force public hearing. She then announced that members of the
Newton Police Dept. are present this evening to address issues regarding school
crossing guards. Chief of Police, Jose
Cordero, will provide a brief overview and then has to leave for a finance
committee meeting. Captain Paul
Anastasia and Safety Officer Gail Hough will answer specific questions.
Chief
Cordero talked about his decision to eliminate some crossing guards, in order
to ensure public safety. The Police
Department is budgeted for 58 guards and 11 parking control officers; the
latter who serve the dual role of disseminating tickets and crossing children,
for a total of 69 positions. However,
they were unable to hire the full contingent.
So, there are currently 50 crossing guards (two of whom are out on
long-term illness). The result is there
are a total of 59 officers covering 62 posts.
This means that every day they begin with a shortage in three areas,
which are being covered by regular police officers. Several times over the past few months, in order to cover people
who were out ill, they have had as many as nine police officers doing this
coverage. The problem is that these nine
officers are the City's regular patrols.
There were several recent situations involving car accidents in which
they were not able to respond because all of their police force was at the
schools. This puts the supervisors in
the difficult position of having to decide whether or not to pull an officer
from a school to dispatch to another call.
Whatever the decision, it is no-win.
He does not want to continue to gamble with the safety of children or
citizens. Therefore, in conjunction
with the school department, they have eliminated several crossing guards, which
will be explained in more detail by Captain Anastasia and Officer Hough.
Gail
Glick asked if he could address the obstacles in trying to hire and retain
people for these positions.
Chief
Cordero stated that the nature of the job itself makes it difficult to attract
people, because it does not pay highly nor offer benefits and requires people
to be available
three
different times during the day. It is
also an outdoor job, so inclement weather can be uncomfortable and winter is
often when people resign.
Marc
Laredo asked if the School Committee could work with the police to try to develop some creative solutions to
address this problem.
Chief
Cordero replied that they have had a number of discussions and explored various
alternatives, such as utilizing aides or hiring more parking control officers,
although the drawback to the latter is that they mostly come from the ranks of
crossing guards. Other suggestions that
were mentioned were to work this into some form of community service program
for high school students and the notion of clustering. While these may be viable options for the
future, none address the immediate problem.
Dori
Zaleznik asked about mechanical solutions, such as signs or traffic lights.
Chief
Cordero reiterated that these would be something to consider for the long-term,
as they would require formal review and approval from numerous committees. All these suggestions should be on the table
as they look toward the next school year.
Patty
Kellogg asked if there will be a mechanism in place to review the locations
where the guards will be removed and if he would reinstate the guards if it
were deemed that the new plan were unsafe.
Chief
Cordero stated that the positions will be eliminated upon the return from
school vacation. However, guards will
be posted on the day after vacation at these locations in case someone did not
get the message. They will also review
each of these locations to determine if their plan is working and would not
hesitate to reinstate any post that posed a safety problem.
Captain
Anastasia noted that this is not a new problem. In 1999, seven positions were eliminated for the same reason and
they were never able to refill those posts, even after recruiting at the Senior
Center and through the Newton Retired Employees Association. He then talked about the process that was
used to choose the ten posts that were eliminated. A review of traffic volume and accident/crash data was conducted,
as well as the age and number of students utilizing the stops both unattended
and with parents. They then worked
closely with the school system around altering bus routes wherever possible. They were careful to be sure that no one
will be crossing major intersections where they were not crossing before. In a few cases, where there were major
intersections, they will be directing people to other close locations on side
streets where there is a guard posted.
Marc
Laredo has concerns about Waverly Ave. and Lorna Rd., which has no traffic
light and is a heavily traveled area.
The alternative of having children walk down Waverly Ave. and Ward Rd.
is not a practical solution. He hopes
they can work together to come up with some creative solutions that will allow
them to add some crossing guards.
Captain
Anastasia appreciates the comments and they are open to any solutions. Many have merit but some may not. For example, one suggestion was to utilize
volunteers. Given the difficulty in filling and managing the process for paid
employees, he cannot fathom how they would be able to do that with people who
are not formally employed. With respect to the Waverly and Lorna stop, they are
asking children to cross at Sherbrooke and continue 1/10 of a mile to an
intersection that has a set of lights and a crossing guard. They feel this is a safer place to cross.
Gail
Glick asked why there would be a traffic guard at a regulated intersection with
traffic lights and if that guard could be better utilized at an intersection
without crosswalks, signs or lights.
Captain
Anastasia stated that there are several locations where there is both a guard
and traffic lights. These are extremely
heavily traveled thoroughfares and most likely have a history of accidents.
Dori
Zaleznik suggested involving the School Councils in terms of reissuing
directives to parents about driving safely in the school zones.
Captain
Anastasia would greatly appreciate that help.
Officer Hough is on the school safety committee and works closely with the schools and parents to address
these issues.
Anne
Larner thanked them for coming to this meeting, at such short notice, to
explain the situation and answer their questions.
Jeff Rubin, 222 Parker
St., spoke on behalf of the Newton South High School Council, in requesting
that the School Committee keep its commitment to sustaining the program gains
of last year. This will be particularly
important at the high school level, where the student population will increase
next fall, and specifically at South because of redistricting. The new building will also mean increased
physical space, which will require greater supervision.
Gayle Ehrlich, 26 Brackett
Rd., Ward Elementary School parent, spoke of the Waverly and Lorna crossing. Drivers use this route to get to the Mass.
Pike and are generally in a hurry. They
cut through many of the side streets, which will not be used by students
walking to the new proposed route, which actually takes them in the wrong
direction before winding back toward the school. The new plan involves crossing an additional four to five
unattended side streets.
Margie Kern, 43 Philmore
Rd., Copresident President of the Ward Elementary School PTO, is particularly
concerned about the morning shift of the crossing guards, which coincides with
rush-hour traffic. She talked about the
possibility of installing
pedestrian signs and/or barrels at the impacted areas, as well as addressing
issues around the blue zone, which is the drop-off/pick-up area at the school.
Abby Rischin, 88 Brackett
Rd., Ward Elementary School parent, relayed an incident where a younger sibling
of a student wandered away from his family and was found by the crossing guard
who kept him safe until he could be retrieved.
These people are relied upon for me than just crossing children.
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES' DISCUSSION
None.
RECOGNITIONS
The following recognitions
were acknowledged:
Mindy Goodman, foreign
language teacher at Day Middle School, for becoming one of only two teachers in
the United States who ere selected to receive the American Philological
Association's Award for Excellence in Pre-Collegiate Teaching.
The following custodians
for their extraordinary efforts over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, when a
burst pipe caused significant water damage to several areas in Newton North
High School:
Tim
Keefe, supervisor Mike
Kelly
John
Carvelli Anthony Pellegrini
Ron
Fremault Al
Zellman
Mike
Frazier Dan Bianchi
Anthony
Marrazzo
APPROVAL OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
MOTION: It was
moved to approve the 1/13 and 1/27/03
School
Committee meeting minutes.
(Levine-
Kellogg)
7 - 0 - 2
Absent for vote: Albright
Absent for meeting: Mayor Cohen
REPORTS
SUPERINTENDENT'S PERSONNEL REPORT
There were no questions on
the report.
FY03 BUDGET UPDATE
Superintendent Jeffrey
Young stated that the projected year-end balance of $68,527 continues to remain
within a $2,000-$3,000 range of what they have been projecting since
September. Tonight's update will focus
on the budget freeze, which attempts to stay away from impacting the classroom
as much as
possible, while remaining
true to the Override campaign. However,
the freeze will result in a loss of flexibility and opportunities that are
outlined in the material.
Anne Larner noted that
much of the material was discussed in-depth at the last meeting and the
original plan was actually quite larger.
Marc Laredo noted the jump
from 9 to 25 individuals collecting unemployment.
Sandra Guryan, Assistant
Superintendent for Business, Finance & Planning, is reluctant to offer an
explanation because, while the information gathering aspect is complete, they
have not had the chance to assess the reasons.
They will be writing a report on this in the near future.
Patty Kellogg noted that a
number of areas are running a deficit and she asked if those are being
considered in the overall plan.
Sandy Guryan replied that
they have taken the shortfalls into account and are managing those in the
plan. Her forecast is on the
conservative side and she hopes to end up with a larger ending balance than
projected.
SPECIAL EDUCATION UPDATE
Carol Daynard, Assistant
Superintendent for Pupil Services, talked about the addition to the report related
to preschool information, in which the referrals are increasing in
numbers. Ten unanticipated students
were placed this year and they are currently working on some creative solutions
for next year involving the Title 1 program and negotiating with Plowshares for
some slots to cover any shortfall. They will continue to carefully monitor this
area and report on a monthly basis.
Dori Zaleznik asked if
this year's numbers indicated a trend or an anomaly.
Carol Daynard responded
that the numbers have been increasingly larger each year.
Dori Zaleznik mentioned
that it might be helpful to see five year's worth of data on when referrals
arrive, as that might help with projections for subsequent years and in
determining trends vs. anomalies.
Carol Daynard stated that
the referrals that come in during the year from preschools and early
intervention programs are anticipated.
The area of uncertainty has to do with move-ins that cannot be
anticipated. There is definitely a
national trend in the increase of children diagnosed with pervasive
developmental disorders. When she began
in Newton, there were 5-6 children with
this diagnosis and now there are three times that number. Every community is experiencing similar
patterns but, because Newton is such a larger district, they have
proportionately larger numbers.
Gail Glick noted that of
the 121 students referred for an evaluation, 10 were placed in specific
classrooms and 29 received services from the preschool program. She asked about the remainder.
Carol Daynard replied that
33 only required consultations with their preschool. The rest are still in the pipeline for completion of their
evaluations, so they do not know the outcome on these.
Nancy Levine noted that
the number of out-of-district placements at the high schools is four times the
number at the middle schools.
Carol Daynard explained
that it has to do with specific diagnoses and at the high school level there
are often more psychiatric/social issues involved.
Patty Kellogg asked how
many of the 81 out-of-district placements in the high schools are past the
standard age when students leave the system.
Carol Daynard stated that
it is approximately 10.
REPORT ON PRIVATE SCHOOL ENROLLMENT
Jeff Young noted that the
private school enrollment figures remain status quo. The history portion is interesting, as it shows a marked increase
over the 10-year period between 1973 and 1983 and then a basically flat picture
from that point forward.
Anne Larner mentioned that
those were the years of caps on spending and Proposition 2 1/2.
Marc Laredo asked if they
anticipate any changes over the next
couple of years.
Sandy Guryan replied that
their enrollment has been reasonably stable and the patterns for private school
enrollment are deeply embedded in the community. She does not anticipate any major changes.
CURRICULUM UPDATE - HISTORY/SOCIAL SCIENCES
Carolyn Wyatt, Assistant
Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction, introduced the panel -- Janet
Buerklin, K-8 History/Social Sciences Coordinator, John Basssett, Department
Chair at Newton North High School, and Marshall Cohen, Department Chair at
Newton South High School. They will
provide a brief overview and be prepared to answer questions.
Janet Buerklin began the
discussion by talking about the Frameworks, which were passed in 1997 and
revised in 2003; although they have not yet seen a copy of the final
document. The vast majority of what
they have spent their time on in terms of revising and writing curriculum at
the elementary and middle school levels is going to remain in the Frameworks,
particularly in the lower grades. The
new Frameworks now have a two-year requirement -- one at the elementary level
and one at the middle schools -- for world geography. Teachers are very excited about this piece. She has already begun meeting with fourth
grade teachers to incorporate this into the unit on contemporary geography of
North America. The requirement at the
middle schools is for contemporary world geography, but they have yet to decide
if they will place this in the 6th or 7th grade. The goal is to design this as a technology vs. text based program
using the Geographic Information System (GIS) software. The downside of this is that the current
two-year ancient history sequence will have to be compressed into one.
John Bassett talked about
the US History MCAS exam, which districts have the option of giving in either
the 10th or 11th grade, and which will have implications
for the sequencing of
programs. The new Frameworks would not require any change of the current
system, but there may be good reasons why they might wish to shift the
sequence, in order to balance world and U.S. history. They are currently in discussions on this and will begin addressing
it in the fall during the formal curriculum revision process.
Gail Glick asked if there
would be any pedagogical preferences for a particular sequence if MCAS were
taken out of the equation.
Marshall Cohen believes
that sequencing is not as important as how the material is organized.
John Bassett stated that
they will not be compromising any principles in order to satisfy the MCAS
requirement.
Gail Glick asked if
teachers prefer the current sequence or if they are interested in change.
Janet Buerklin replied
that the 8th grade teachers, who see the most potential for change to their
program, probably prefer keeping it as is, but that may have as much to do with
the known being easier to deal with than the unknown. There is currently a heavy emphasis on the Constitution, which
is developmentally appropriate for that age group. The teachers have a concern that if world history were placed at
this level, students may not be able to grasp it well enough at this age.
Marshall Cohen noted that
teachers expressed similar concerns when the original Frameworks were developed
and world history was added at the 9th grade.
Changes can present opportunities for learning new things, but there can
be some trepidation and it does take time and effort.
Nancy Levine commented
that teaching American History to 8th-graders is developmentally and
conceptually different than teaching 11th- graders, as she knows from the
experience of her daughter, who is currently in an advanced placement
course. In terms of geography, she
questioned if the Frameworks demand that this be all in one year. It seems as if it would be more meaningful
to thread it into both 7th and 8th grade, and place it within the history and
culture involved rather than being divorced of subject matter.
Marshall Cohen stated that
currently there is little U.S. History in grades 9 and 10 and this is something
they will have to discuss in the fall in terms of tradeoffs. Advanced placement courses will always be
fast-paced, advanced, and more intense.
They are going to have to carefully review sequencing and what it
implies about all levels of courses.
Nancy Levine would be more
concerned about the disjointed sequence for Curriculum I and II, in terms of
loss of continuity.
Carolyn Wyatt stated that
most people have had a linear learning experience of history and social
sciences, which did not make it easy to understand the interconnectedness of
the world. The notion of teaching
history with a somewhat different thematic approach is very exciting.
Janet Buerklin agreed that
in the event that world history comes to 8th grade, it will look very different
from what is currently in place in 9th grade.
It would be less linear and chronological and more topical and thematic. In terms of geography, it is their hope that
this subject is infused in every year of social studies and there are specific
geography sections written into a variety of the elementary units. In practicality, history has consumed so
much time, that geography has often gotten lost. While the big components are dealt with, the place geography and
naming of locations, which is something the State is putting an emphasis on,
can fall through the cracks if specific time is not set aside. The State has also been clear in mandating
it be two separate years. Their plan is
to hold onto the immigration unit in grade 4, but add a geography component.
Patty Kellogg is pleased
to see the addition of contemporary world geography added to the 7th grade
curriculum. She asked if this means
more coverage of current events.
Janet Buerklin stated that
the current events are another example of things that can often get lost
without a specific timeframe within the curriculum. There are plans to incorporate that somewhere in the 6th or 7th
grade curriculum.
Marshall Cohen noted that
the difficulty with current events is that the topics are meaningless without
extensive background material and a sufficient time commitment. Simply cutting articles from newspapers and
talking about those is not a good example of current events. It requires a carefully structured program
that involves time for review of the background on a topic.
John Bassett stated that,
in their department, an attempt is made to fit current events in where there is
context, such as modern world history in 10th grade and in pieces of the U.S.
History course. Otherwise, it tends to
feel like an add-on.
Leslie Schneider asked if
the Frameworks continue to be a moving target.
Carolyn Wyatt believes
there is some finality to the Frameworks that has not been in place in the
past. They have begun to make a serious
commitment to the content in terms of both resources and professional
development, and are beginning to work toward the notion of a technology-driven
program.
Janet Buerklin added that
professional development is going to prove to be the most costly item,
particularly training for staff at the 8th grade level. Each participating classroom in the GIS
program will require approximately six computers and a color printer, which
would replace textbooks. They understand
that this is not going to occur all in one year and have begun exploring and
pursuing various alternatives for funding and phasing.
Marc Laredo believes in
the importance of geography, but is concerned about it becoming just rote
memorization and not being placed in context.
In terms of the
grade 3 program, the Frameworks recommend using
local history as part of the curriculum.
They are very fortunate in Newton to be surrounded by so much rich
history and he would encourage the emphasis on this aspect. He asked if there are any expectations for
change in the current K-2 curriculum, which appears to be somewhat different
from the Frameworks.
Janet Buerklin stated that
in actuality a fair amount of what is in the K-2 Frameworks is currently being
covered in the curriculum, but in a variety of formats. For example, citizenship might be covered in
Open Circle; the study of a national holiday might happen in the course of
morning exercises or through reading, music or art; the topic of national symbols
is addressed through the Pledge of Allegiance and discussion around the meaning
of the flag. In other words, these
standards become integrated and addressed within the confines of the whole
school day. It becomes a much more
discreet timeframe as you move up the grade levels.
Dori Zaleznik commented
that it appears that the expectation for the History Framework is going to be
much more fact and figure driven. She
would like to be kept apprised of this because it would be something worth
complaining to the State about if it remains headed in this direction.
Gail Glick asked to what
extent the sequencing might change in the future to respond to the nature and
level of sophistication of the MCAS questions.
Marshall Cohen replied
that they will carefully watch the development of the test although it seems to
have improved with every change, as originally it was very fact-oriented.
Anne Larner thanked the
group for a very informative discussion.
The Committee looks forward to being kept abreast of the work in this
area and hopes to have them back at a future date.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
DISCUSSION ON GRADE ONE ENTRANCE POLICY
Jeff Young outlined the
background on this topic. Five years
ago, the School Committee voted to establish a firm kindergarten entrance age,
but the piece on 1st grade was never formally voted. Therefore, the policy is before the School Committee this evening
for discussion.
Judith Malone Neville,
Assistant Superintendent of Schools, talked about a
concern that was raised about
people possibly skirting the policy by placing their children into private
kindergarten and then returning to public school for grade one. It was always the intent of the Early
Childhood Committee to have this
apply to 1st grade as
well. It seems that the recommendations
had not been completely implemented and they want the policy to be consistent.
Susan Albright has some
concerns about the policy being equitable.
If someone moves into Newton and their child has completed kindergarten
elsewhere, they are able to enter first grade.
However, this would not be the case for a resident who sends their child
to a private kindergarten.
Judy Malone Neville stated
that this would occur if the student came from a community that had a different
age entrance policy. They would like to
have some flexibility in this area because the communities are operating under
different rules.
Mark Springer, Principal
of Mason-Rice Elementary School, stated that they have worked hard in Newton to
develop a kindergarten and 1st grade program that matches where children are
developmentally, socially and academically at ages five and six. He was on the committee that reviewed early
entrance, as the program was phased in, and it was a very difficult process.
Many of their decisions were appealed to two private consultants, at some cost
to the City. Some of their decisions
were maintained and some were overruled.
In all their research and discussion, it was determined that a specific
cut-off date was the only fair way to institute the policy. Newton's kindergarten is designed for
children whether they have completed another program elsewhere or not and there
is already a wide range of academic and emotional skills in the classroom. Teachers feel strongly that the age factor
is a very important component to the program and is the best for the needs of
all students in the classroom.
Lisa Robinson, K-3 Early
Childhood Coordinator, does not want to intimate that they do not respect
private schools. However, the
kindergarten program in Newton is very unique and developmentally appropriate
for a five-year old child and this follows through into the 1st grade. For a student who has participated in
another kindergarten program, Newton's will still be a very rich experience and
would not be holding that child back in any respect.
Nancy Levine is puzzled by
the need for a policy for 1st grade, given that they already have one in place
for kindergarten that sets an expected sequence. That way, children who come from another district would simply
get evaluated. Voting a policy for
grade one seems redundant and the expectations appears to be implicit in the
kindergarten policy.
Judy Malone Neville agreed
that it may seem redundant but a formal policy is a helpful tool for teachers
and principals. The original
expectation was that they would follow the recommendations of the Early
Childhood Committee for both a kindergarten and grade one entrance age
policy. There is so much that happens
in those two years that suggests that this is the appropriate procedure. While
they do not want to be in
the business of making decisions case-by-case, they wanted to allow some slight
flexibility for the very few cases that might arise.
Marc Laredo believes that
they are addressing a small group of children, whether they have attended
private school or come from another district.
He does not see why they cannot address the issue on a case-by-case
basis. He is reluctant to set a policy
that would force a child to automatically repeat kindergarten.
Marc Springer commented
that he is not as certain that the numbers would be that small. If it is known in Newton that there is no
firm cutoff date for first grade or that there is an appeal process, he could
envision a number of families enrolling their children in private kindergartens
or keeping them in a preschool that has a kindergarten component, with the
expectation that they would enter 1st grade the following year. This would be unfair because only certain
families could afford to take that route.
The policy, as written, would not allow this to happen, but would still
provide some flexibility for unusual circumstances.
Dori Zaleznik does not see
how this policy will change anything that has already been in place. Adding some flexibility for someone coming
from another system when they would not accommodate someone in their own
community seems unfair. She would
prefer to either set a firm cutoff date for first grade or leave the policy
alone, as it currently provides some flexibility.
Marc Laredo wondered if a
slight rephrasing of the policy might be helpful, to indicate that it would be
the preference of the system that children be six by August 31st.
Marc Springer noted that
over 85% of the school systems in Massachusetts have an August 31st cutoff
date. The problems arise with systems
that have not moved in that direction as of yet.
Nancy Levine suggested
they revise the policy to indicate that the cutoff date is an expectation for
first grade.
Gail Glick stated that it
appears that they are attempting to do two things at once. On one hand, there are a number of students
who move into the system from other communities and they need to be properly
placed. At the same time, they are
trying to set a firm entrance age date and this is where there seems to be some
dissidence within the policy, which is what Committee members are struggling
with at this point.
Patty Kellogg would have
an easier time with the cutoff date if the appeal process were available to
all.
Anne Larner stated that
there appears to be support for the concept, but perhaps they should spend some
time fine-tuning the policy itself and return to it at the
next meeting. She suggested a few Committee members work
with the administration on this document.
DISCUSSION OF EMPLOYEE CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY
Jeff Young talked about
migration from the MAC School system to
the Open District data base system for administrative tasks. A previous report outlined these changes, as
a more advanced method for tracking attendance, grades, and student
record-keeping. Because these records
are stored electronically, at the advice of the City's legal department and
labor counsel, they are proposing this confidentiality policy. All union president reviewed the document
and no issues were raised.
Roberta "Bobbie"
Dollase, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, noted that many school
systems have this policy in place. The
purpose is to make explicit to all employees that the system expects all
information to be kept confidential.
Marc Laredo asked what
measures will be in place to ensure confidentiality aside from simply signing
the form, such as a tracking system on who is accessing student records.
Bobbie Dollase responded
that certain access is only open to particular individuals that have a need for
the information. There is a process in
place for divulging information that is available, by law, to the public.
Fran Zilonis added that
there are different security levels within the system, as well.
Nancy Levine comes from a
profession where this is commonplace.
The medical field has much stricter requirements. She suggested some type of continual
reminders to staff so that it is not a one-time effort.
Dori Zaleznik suggested
that the document be resigned on a yearly basis, perhaps even electronically.
VOTE TO ACCEPT GRANTS
MOTION: It was
moved to accept the new grants
totaling
$27,240,
as outlined in Attachment H.
(Levine
- Glick)
8 - 0 - 1
Absent: Mayor Cohen
NEWTON NORTH HIGH SCHOOL TASK FORCE UPDATE
Susan Albright provided a
brief update. At the last meeting,
Nicholas Parnell, Building Commissioner, presented the basic infrastructure,
deficiencies in the school, and how they were being addressed by the plan. Tonight the architect presented the program
aspects and the reasoning for their suggestion for the need to vacate the
building. The public was then invited
to speak. Of the approximately 30
people in attendance, about half addressed the group and the sentiment was for
the construction of a new building.
COMMUNICATIONS
None.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There were no members of
the public who wished to address the Committee at this time.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned
at 10:15 p.m.