1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):

2. Student School Committee Report:

3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:

• January 25, 2020, Budget Community Meeting #2
• January 28, 2020, Budget Retreat
• February 6, 2020, Budget Retreat

4. Reconsiderations:
None

5. Unfinished Business/Calendar:
None

6. Awaiting Reports:
None

7. Superintendent’s Agenda:

7a. Superintendent's Update:
None
7b. Presentations:

Community Partnership (Objective 4) - Summer Academic and Enrichment Programming
Maryann MacDonald, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education
Michelle Farnum, Assistant Director, Children Youth & Families City of Cambridge Dept. of Human Services
Telesha Mervin, Director, Kennedy/Longfellow Extended Day
Dr. Joanna A. Christodoulou, Associate Professor
Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders MGH Institute of Health Professions & Research Affiliate at MIT

7c. CPS District Plan:
None

7d. Consent Agenda:
#20-21 Recommendation: Recommendation: Day & Residential Services Not Available from the Cambridge School Department
#20-22 Recommendation: Recommendation: Contract Award: Integration Partner: Telecommunication Services
#20-23 Recommendation: Recommendation: Contract Award: Donnegan Systems: Records Management Services
#20-24 Recommendation: Recommendation: Contract Award: Interstate Food Equipment: Equipment Repair Services
#20-25 Recommendation: Recommendation: Contract Award: Language Connections Inc.: Written Translation Services
#20-26 Recommendation: Recommendation: Contract Award: Gov Connections: Computer Software
#20-27 Recommendation: Recommendation: Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts
#20-28 Recommendation: Recommendation: Grant Award: FY20 OSE Targeted (SC20165)

8. Non-Consent Agenda:
None

9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#20-29: Reschedule Public Bgt. Hearing | Motion by Member Fantini

That the following be adopted as amended:

That the School Committee Budget calendar be amended as follows: the Public Budget Hearing on the CPS FY 21 Budget is rescheduled from March 19, 2020 to March 17, 2020, a joint meeting with the City Council is scheduled on March 24, 2020 and the Budget Workshop scheduled for March 24, 2020 is rescheduled to March 26, 2020.

#20-30: Report from RSTA on Technical Education | Joint Motion by Member Fantini, Member Wilson, Member Rachel

That the following be adopted as amended:

Whereas: the Cambridge Public School District is committed to preparing students to thrive in their careers; and

Whereas: the Rindge School of Technical Arts aims to provide the best technical education for high school students in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and

Whereas: CPSD, RSTA and CRLS leaders value workplace learning and seeing students obtain credentials that ensure they are highly employable upon graduation from high school; and

Whereas: the CPSD budget process outlines the priorities and resources for the coming school year;

Therefore be it Resolved: that as part of a budget workshop prior to adoption of next year's budget, the Superintendent's administration will organize a conversation on the achievements and opportunities for strengthening RSTA, including how student enrollment in career and technical education pathways compares with the general CRLS population, how many students are provided with workplace learning experiences, how many Cambridge students are accessing career technical education in other Shared Occupational Learning Vocational Education Division (SOLVED) partnership districts, how many students graduate with state or industry credentials and how many graduates with credentials enter related fields.

#20-31: Support pilot alternatives to MTEL | Joint Motion by Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Chair Bowman

That the following be adopted as amended:

Whereas: The Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) was initiated by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in 1998 as part of statewide education reform initiative for educators seeking PreK to grade 12 academic licenses; and

Whereas: There are disparate pass rates for candidates of color on the MTEL and there are teachers in the field who have not been able to pass the MTEL and this pool includes more teachers of color; and

Whereas: Standardized tests have historically under-assessed the knowledge and professional capabilities of students and professionals of color; and

Whereas: A more diverse workforce has a positive effect on student success and at Cambridge Public Schools, the district plan has identified a goal to 30 percent of all teachers be teachers of color by the end of 2020; and

Whereas: The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Board is considering conducting a pilot of alternative assessments that are rigorous and comparable to MTEL to assess candidates' skills and content knowledge and is taking comments on regulatory amendment until March 13; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the School Committee go on record in support of DESE adopting pilot alternatives to the MTEL; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the School Committee submit a letter to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in support of pilot alternatives to MTEL during the public comment period.

10. Resolutions:
None

11. Announcements:
None

12. Late Orders:
None

13. Communications and Reports from City Officers: None
Updated on 04/26/2021