School Committee

LOWELL SCHOOL COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Date: September 21, 2022 Time: 6:30PM Location: City Council Chamber, 375 Merrimack Street, 2nd Floor, Lowell, MA 01852 Members of the public may view the meeting via LTC and those wishing to speak regarding a specific agenda item shall register to speak in advance of the meeting by sending an email to the Superintendent indicating the agenda item, a phone number and email address so we can provide a zoom link to access the meeting. Email address is mpalazzo@lowell.k12.ma.us. If no access to email you may contact us at 978-674-4324. All requests must be submitted before 2:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. 1. SALUTE TO FLAG 2. ROLL CALL On a roll call at 6:45 p.m., members present were, namely: Ms. Thompson, Ms. Chhoun, Ms. Delrossi, Ms. Doherty, Mr. Lay and Ms. Martin. Mayor Chau were absent. 3. MINUTES 3.1. Approval of the Minutes of the Regularly Scheduled School Committee Meeting of Wednesday, September 7, 2022 Ms. Thompson made a motion to accept and place on file the minutes of the Regularly Scheduled School Committee Meeting that was held on Wednesday, September 7, 2022; seconded by Ms. Chhoun. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 4. PERMISSION TO ENTER 4.1. Permission to Enter: September 21, 2022 Ms. Delrossi made a motion to approve the Permission to Enter; seconded by Mr. Lay. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 5. MEMORIALS 5.1. James Pierce, A Retired Wang School Building Service Employee Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 2 of 8) 6. MOTIONS 6.1. [By Jackie Doherty]: Request the Family Resource Center return to previous hours of operation when they were open one evening a week until 6 p.m. or recommend new operation schedule for committee approval that enables hours beyond traditional work day/work week. Hours of operation must be accurately posted on the front door and the website, as well as include the schedule of when Bi-lingual Parent Liaisons are available to offer translation services/support to families in the respective languages. Mr. Lay asked the Superintendent for his recommendation. Superintendent Boyd stated that Ms. Doherty stated that it can be flexible and he has no objection, but does want to check on the cost and with the staff. Ms. Doherty made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Thompson. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 6.2. [By Jackie Doherty]: Request the Superintendent provide a rezoning plan by December 2022 that supports neighborhood schools, enables efficient transportation services, and does not negatively impact balanced diversity at each school. Ms. Choi spoke on this agenda item. Ms. Martin and Ms. Thompson expressed concerns and want economics and equity regarding neighborhood schools looked at. Mr. Lay agreed with Ms. Martin and Ms. Thompson. The Committee requested and approved that this also be sent to an Equity and Transportation Subcommittee to discuss outsourcing. Ms. Doherty made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Delrossi. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 6.3. [By Eileen DelRossi]: Request Superintendent to provide a report on the progress of the newly structured administrative positions at the high school. Ms. Delrossi made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Martin. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 6.4. [By Eileen DelRossi]: Request Superintendent to provide a report on any unpaid invoices. Ms. Delrossi made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Martin. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 3 of 8) 6.5. [By Eileen DelRossi]: Request Superintendent to specifically provide a status report on the progress of the ordering status of the compressor at the McAulliffe School. Ms. Delrossi made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Thompson. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 6.6. [By Eileen DelRossi]: Request Superintendent to provide a report on student search policy at all grade levels. It was requested and approved that looking at metal detectors be included in the report. Ms. Delrossi made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Thompson. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 6.7. [By Stacey Thompson]: Motion to consult the city/school legal departments regarding the legal contractual obligations and ramifications of selecting a different printer/printing provider, as there continue to be persistent printing issues that affect the ability of educators and staff to be properly prepared for class. Ms. Dumont registered and spoke on this agenda item. Ms. Thompson made a motion to approve; seconded by Mr. Lay. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 6.8. [By Stacey Thompson]: Motion to get information about students experiencing housing insecurity and the impact on graduation numbers over the past 3-5 years. With housing in a grave space, we need to look at the past to potentially consider additional supports to put in place. Mr. Tubiyele registered and spoke on this agenda item. It was requested and approved to send this to the Equity & Access Subcommittee for further discussion. Ms. Thompson made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Martin. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 6.9. [By Stacey Thompson]: Motion to get understanding of language assistance provided for those applying to roles within LPS. Ms. Choi spoke on this agenda item. A friendly amendment was made to add “to streamline the application process for entry level positions”. Ms. Thompson made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Delrossi. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 4 of 8) 6.10. [By Stacey Thompson]: Motion to have presented before the Committee an overview of life skills curriculum components, to include: basics of financial management, survival skills-which may have been considered home economics in the distant past, etc. These skills in addition to standard educational coursework are imperative preparation tools for life beyond high school. Ms. Thompson made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Chhoun. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 7. REPORTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT 7.1. Update on Full-Service Community Schools Ms. Campion, Community Schools Manager gave the Committee an overview of the Full Service Community Schools. She stated that the Community Schools model is an educational strategy to raise student success via onsite connections to local partnership programs and services. She stated that the school is a hub of integrated student supports to ensure students are physically, emotionally, and socially supported to learn. Dr. Julie Le and Ms. Slaga from the Lowell Community Health Center (Lowell CHC) informed the Committee that they are expanding the current services offered at the Lowell CHC's School-Based Health Center at Lowell High School (Lowell HS). They stated that as the Chief of Specialty Services and an optometrist, Lowell CHC was awarded a grant to purchase equipment to provide comprehensive eye exams and optical services at the high school. The students will be able to receive quality eye care services starting October 2022 within their school and improve much needed access to care offered at the School-Based Health Center (SBHC). They stated that they can see all patients regardless of whether they are Lowell CHC patients currently. Ms. Martin stated that she believes bringing health services to the Robinson is great. Ms. Martin made a motion to accept the following Reports of the Superintendent 7.1 through 7.5 as reports of progress; seconded by Ms. Thompson. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 7.2. Response to Motion 16. COO of 07/13/22 by Connie Martin Regarding the Staff Turnover Rate Dr. Hall, Chief Operating Officer provided a report to the Committee with a listing of openings and positions filled for teachers, paraprofessionals, and social workers with “turnover rates” for teachers and paraprofessionals. He stated that rates were calculated using data provided by the Finance Office through the School Committee approved school budget. The report also included school-by-school data used to tabulate this one-page summary and all this data was provided because producing this “turnover rate” may not be valid for all potential purposes. For example, there are some new positions within the hires numbers for some schools. There are also a multitude of reasons for which a vacancy may have developed. Additionally, if a person worked as a long-term substitute in SY22 and they were hired back into that exact position, such a hire may not always be reflected as a “new hire.” However, the numbers within this response do clearly provide the reviewer with an idea of how many new paraprofessionals and new teachers are within each school this year. Ms. Martin stated that a turnover report should be based on the number of people leaving. Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 5 of 8) Ms. Thompson stated that there was a discrepancy with the Lincoln and McAuliffe with the percentage of change. Ms. Doherty asked if exit interviews are being done. Dr. Hall stated that they’re being offered, but most employees don’t do them. Ms. Martin made a motion to contract for a Human Resource Audit regarding policies, licensure and hiring procedures. Also, to have a Personnel Subcommittee meeting to clarify the scope of the audit; seconded by Ms. Thompson. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED Ms. Martin made a motion to accept the following Reports of the Superintendent 7.1 through 7.5 as reports of progress; seconded by Ms. Thompson. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 7.3. Response to Motion 08. CAO of 09/07/22 by Eileen DelRossi Regarding SEL Curriculum Ms. Desmond, Chief Academic Officer provided a report to the Committee that focused on scaling up the operation and impact of our school-based mental health screening and response systems to support our students’ social emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs. The report stated that over the past few years, the district has focused efforts on selecting and implementing a consistent Tier I social emotional learning supports. This investment of a social emotional learning curriculum is for grades K-9 (Second Step and Open Circle K-4, Second Step 5-8 and Oneder 9-12) and the DESSA tool to measure students’ social and emotional competencies. These steps provide Tier I support for all students. Quaver was a pilot program used by some schools last school year. If an individual school wanted to purchase this supplemental program, funds from the supplement was provided to each school. This year, with the support of a state mental health grant, the district has invested in infrastructure and staff coordination to increase our support through implementation of an evidence-based universal mental health screener, beginning to operationalize Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) developing Tier II and III support across schools and the build out of a Mental Health and Wellness and Social Emotional Learning Department. The Director of Mental Health/Behavior/SEL is developing a plan for a comprehensive system for district-wide mental health services to be implemented in every school. Working with department and school-based staff, the Director is analyzing existing initiatives in SEL curriculum and screening to inform the MTSS coordination framework, engage the SEL task force of district, school-based, and community partnership to collaboratively define and refine systems and procedures. Ms. Delrossi asked what the Wonder program was and asked for a report on the professional development around Wonder. She also asked how many social workers. Ms. Desmond stated that Wonder started last year at the Career Academy and it’s at Lowell High School this year. She stated she would provide the number of social workers. Ms. Martin made a motion to accept the following Reports of the Superintendent 7.1 through 7.5 as reports of progress; seconded by Ms. Thompson. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 6 of 8) 7.4. Response to Motion 03. CAO of 05/04/22 by Stacey Thompson Regarding Financial Wellness Curriculum Ms. Desmond, Chief Academic Officer provided a report to the Committee that stated that on January 20, 2019, Governor Baker signed into law Chapter 438 of the Acts of 20181, an act relative to Financial Literacy in Schools. The law requires the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) to assist schools in the selection of materials and curriculum on personal financial literacy, and resources for professional development activities. Based on DESE guidance, Lowell Public Schools selects standards aligned curriculum and Lowell High School Department Chairs and District Curriculum Coordinators regularly review DESE’s grade level curricular standards to ensure staff have access to teaching materials aligned to the required standards. Building-level leaders oversee the coverage of the standards at the building level. Ms. Martin made a motion to accept the following Reports of the Superintendent 7.1 through 7.5 as reports of progress; seconded by Ms. Thompson. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 7.5. Transportation Report Mr. Descoteaux, Transportation Director provided a report to the Committee that reported the student ridership population. The report stated that currently the district is transporting over 8,000 students on a daily basis and 1,009 Lowell High students took advantage of the LRTA paid program for the month of September, which is roughly 30% of the entire high student population. Ms. Thompson asked if parents are being pushed toward the LRTA paid program. Dr. Hall stated that he has inquired and is still awaiting a response. Ms. Martin made a motion to accept the following Reports of the Superintendent 7.1 through 7.5 as reports of progress; seconded by Ms. Thompson. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 8. NEW BUSINESS 8.1. Approval of a Doctoral Research Proposal for Lauren Campion Mr. Skinner, Chief Schools Officer informed the Committee that Lauren Campion is enrolled in a doctoral program at University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Educational Leadership program. A requirement of the program is to complete a dissertation-in practice research case study. Ms. Campion’s objective of her research, is aimed at identifying strategies to close outcome gaps between Latinx/Hispanic students and their peers. She will evaluate whether and to what extent an institutional agent (structured mentoring) program effects eighth grade students’ school connectedness. The goal of the study is to evaluate whether an intervention of institutional agent (structured mentoring) effects students’ sense of connection to school, which is an evidence-based predictor of academic outcomes such as attendance and graduation. Ms. Thompson made a motion to approve the doctoral research proposal of Lauren Campion; seconded by Ms. Delrossi. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 7 of 8) 9. CONVENTION/CONFERENCE REQUESTS 9.1. Out of State & Overnight Travel Request: Assistant Superintendent Desmond - San Juan Puerto Rico Ms. Thompson made a motion to approve convention/conference requests 9.1 through 9.3; seconded by Ms. Chhoun. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 9.2. Out of State & Overnight Travel Request: For LHS Athletic Director, Dave Lezenski - Nashville TN Ms. Thompson made a motion to approve convention/conference requests 9.1 through 9.3; seconded by Ms. Chhoun. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 9.3. Out of State & Overnight Travel Request: Travel Request for Recruitment and Support of Recruitment Ms. Thompson made a motion to approve convention/conference requests 9.1 through 9.3; seconded by Ms. Chhoun. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 10. COMMUNICATIONS 10.1. Communication from the Office of the Superintendent Regarding Proactive Interagency Coordination to Support School Safety Superintendent Boyd provided a communication to the Committee that provided a brief summary of an event that happened on Friday, September 16, were interagency partnerships were activated in response to a police incident that occurred in the downtown area after school hours on the previous afternoon. The communication offered a mini snapshot of the readiness and capabilities of our local law enforcement partners to optimally support our schools through any and all potential and/or reported safety concerns. Ms. Delrossi asked for more transparency and stated that parents call her and informed her of their concerns. Ms. Thompson asked what trauma supports were offered and how were people informed in affected areas. Ms. Martin made a motion to accept the communication and to place it on file; seconded by Ms. Thompson. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED 10.2. Correspondence with the Lowell Board of Health Two (2) communications were provided to the Committee (Board of Health and Superintendent Boyd’s response). The communications were regarding pupils being assigned to and seated in Lowell Public Schools classrooms without verification of their compliance with immunization requirements by the School Nursing staff in the Lowell Health Department, or by nursing hired by Lowell Public Schools. Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 8 of 8) Ms. Doherty stated that she was upset that she didn’t receive the document in a timely fashion and that she received a phone call about the document and she hadn’t received it yet. Superintendent Boyd stated that these are management questions and he as the Superintendent handles this. He asked what is governance and what is management. Ms. Martin stated that she agreed with Ms. Doherty and that she will always be available when something is sent to her to be seen. Ms. Martin made a motion to have the Lowell Health Department send a representative to the next meeting to discuss the communication; seconded by Ms. Thompson. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED Ms. Martin made a motion to accept the communications and to place them on file; seconded by Ms. Delrossi. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED Ms. Thompson asked the Superintendent to have schools reach out to students who may have family in Puerto Rico and are suffering due to Hurricane Fiona. 11. ADJOURNMENT Ms. Thompson made a motion to adjourn at 9:02 p.m.; seconded by Ms. Delrossi. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Mayor Chau) APPROVED Respectfully submitted, Joel D. Boyd, Ed.D., Superintendent and Secretary to the Lowell School Committee JDB/mes Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us