1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):

2. Student School Committee Report:

3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:
None


4. Reconsiderations:
None

5. Unfinished Business/Calendar:
#20-204: MCAS Moratorium | Joint Motion by Member Weinstein, Member Rojas, Member Rachel

That the following be removed from the Calendar and adopted as Amended:

Whereas the 2020-21 school year will be unlike any other in the history of schooling; and

Whereas the School Committee recognizes that the demands on all members of our school community will be unprecedented, especially so for educators who work directly with scholars; and

Whereas in a typical school year, preparation for and administration of Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) accounts for a significant amount of time in classroom communities and educator workloads; and

Whereas standardized tests have been shown to have biases that disproportionately negatively impact scholars of color and scholars with low-incomes, which may be further amplified in the pandemic context; and

Whereas the School Committee is committed to holding all scholars to high academic standards regardless of how scholar proficiency is assessed; and

Whereas teachers have a wide variety of formative and summative assessment tools they can use and there is growing interest in adopting competency-based assessments to assess scholar growth; now therefore be it

Resolved that, by September 30, 2020, the School Committee and Superintendent will send the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education a copy of this resolution urging that the Department suspend MCAS for school year 2020-21; and be if further

Resolved that, if DESE does not suspend MCAS this year, the Cambridge School Committee and Superintendent will discuss how to enable educators to have the capacity to focus on developing pedagogy adapted to this new context and to focus on teaching, assessing student progress and other scholar support.

#20-205: Power Standards | Joint Motion by Member Weinstein, Member Rojas, Member Rachel

Whereas the Cambridge Public School District is committed to a mission of equity, anti-racism, academic rigor, joyfulness, and preparation of all scholars for success in adult life i; and

Whereas during the emergency school building closures last year the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education identified priority standards to teach in the spring; and

Whereas the Cambridge Public School District (CPSD) is developing plans for 2020-21 school year instruction through convening grade level educator collaboratives; and

Whereas the School Committee supports collaboration between educators, scholars, and caregivers to identify CPSD 'power standards' for this year that support our district needs and goals; and

Whereas educators, scholars and caregivers have recommended prioritizing skills that support learning across disciplines, such as literacy, critical thinking, social justice, teamwork, and social emotional learning skills; now therefore be it

Resolved that, before scholars resume school this fall, CPSD will establish a set of power standards integrated across the preK-12 curriculum for the 2020-21 academic year; and

Be it further resolved that the Superintendent will ensure these standards will be established in collaboration with key stakeholders: educators, scholars, caregivers; and

Be it further resolved that these standards will advance our work to be a district of equity, antiracism, and rigorous, joyful and culturally responsive teaching that prepares every scholar for success post graduation; and Be it further resolved that these standards will be shared with the School Committee and all caregivers and scholars with clarity about what is expected of their scholar to learn in a given year; and

Be it further resolved that these standards will be reviewed during the academic year by the team that collaborated to create them and will be adjusted as necessary; and

Be it further resolved that the Curriculum and Achievement Subcommittee will convene a meeting after the year to review this pilot and make recommendations as to how best to proceed in future years.

#20-210: Childcare Options | Joint Motion by Mayor Siddiqui, Member Rachel, Member Weinstein

Whereas Health and safety, racial equity, and family partnerships are among the guiding principles of the Cambridge Public Schools Department in their planning for reopening; and

Whereas Cambridge Public School educators and many caregivers are essential workers; and

Whereas There cannot be a safe reopening of schools without addressing childcare needs of both families and educators; and

Whereas The lack of childcare options must not be a barrier to scholars' learning; now therefore be it

Resolved That the Cambridge Public School District works with the City of Cambridge Department of Human Services and community partners to determine childcare options and to provide an update to the School Committee on what is possible, to ensure options for Cambridge Public School families and educators as soon as possible.

#Late Order C20-242: | Motion by
6. Awaiting Reports:
#20-99: Parent University | Joint Motion by Member Fantini, Vice Chair Bowman

That the following be referred to the Community Relations Sub-Committee:

Whereas the Cambridge Public School District is committed to providing families with information that will promote increased family engagement; and

Whereas engaging families as a partner with a formal, ongoing feedback mechanism that creates differentiated opportunities for family voice and engagement is a crucial component of the 2017 - 2020 District Plan; therefore Be it resolved that the committee directs the Superintendent to create a Parent University whereby the school department organizes and provides relevant information/courses to parents to allow all parents to become partners in the education of their children. Be it further

Resolved that the School department works with the two newly created parent engagement leaders and parent liaisons in this work.

7. Superintendent’s Agenda:

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

7c. CPS District Plan:
None

7d. Consent Agenda:
#20-222 Recommendation: Approval of Private School-Ecole Francaise Greater Boston (EFGB)
#20-223 Recommendation: Approval of Agreement between the Cambridge School Committee & the Cambridge Education Association Units A & B Regarding Office of Student Services Recovery Team for School Year 2020-2021
#20-224 Recommendation: Approval of the Agreement between Cambridge Liaisons Invested in Families and Education AFSCME/AFL-CIO (LIFE/AFSCME) and Cambridge School Committee
#20-225 Recommendation: Approval of Incentive Pay for Non-Union Hourly Staff
#20-226 Recommendation: Approval Revision to Inoculation of Student Policy (Second Reading)
#20-227 Recommendation: Approval of Title IX Sexual Misconduct Policy (Second Reading)
#20-228 Recommendation: Approval of Maximum Elementary, Upper School & High School Student Activity Account Balances
#20-229 Recommendation: Day & Residential Program Services not Available from The Cambridge School Department
#20-230 Recommendation: Contract Award: Cambridge Health Alliance: Special Education Services (Increase)
#20-231 Recommendation: Contract Award: Sunbelt Rentals: Equipment Rental
#20-232 Recommendation: Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts
#20-233 Recommendation: Grant Award: Coronavirus Relief Fund (CvRF) Grant (SC21203)
#20-234 Recommendation: Grant Award: Remote Learning Technology Essentials Grant (SC21202)
#20-235 Recommendation: Grant Award: FY21 Title III: English Language Acquisition For Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students (SC21737)

8. Non-Consent Agenda:
None

9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#20-236: Opposition to Rindge Tech logo | Joint Motion by Mayor Siddiqui, Member Wilson, Member Rachel

Whereas anti-racism is a key priority and value of the Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge School Committee, and the City of Cambridge; and

Whereas the old Rindge Tech 'Warriors' logo was abolished in 1989 for perpetuating derogatory and harmful stereotypes of indigenous peoples; and

Whereas the Rindge Tech Alumni Association (RTAA), while a separate entity from the Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School Alumni Association, produces the alumni directory for the alumni of Rindge Tech, Cambridge High & Latin, and Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS); and

Whereas RTAA continues to prominently feature this discontinued Warriors mascot in its marketing and promotional materials shared with over 20,000 of Cambridge Public High School alumni; and

Whereas the alumni directory also includes an official message from the current Cambridge Public Schools Superintendent, announcing 'support' for and pride 'to be associated with' the publication of this directory; and

Whereas CRLS alumni began a petition with over 780 signatures to stop the continued use of this mascot and strenuously objects to the use of the Rindge Tech logo; therefore be it

Resolved that the Cambridge Public Schools issue a statement condemning organizations that continue to use, produce, or disseminate this logo; and be it further

Resolved that the Cambridge Public Schools issue a statement of apology to all CRLS alumni stating that the juxtaposition of the Rindge Tech Logo and the CRLS Falcon logo was done without the express written consent of the CRLS Alumni Association; and be it further

Resolved that the Cambridge Public Schools cease all forms of collaboration, including sharing of alumni lists and entering into any contracts or agreements with any entities that continue to use, produce, or disseminate this logo.

#20-237: Support of Zoom over Google Meets | Motion by Member Fantini

Given that the current functionality of the Google Meet Application does not meet the needs of many of our Cambridge Public Schools Staff; therefore

Be it resolved that the Superintendent make provisions to allow the use of Zoom until such time Google Meet can support the needs of all staff; and Be it further resolved that the Superintendent recommend a financing plan to support such purchases.

#20-238: COVID-19 Outreach | Joint Motion by Member Wilson, Mayor Siddiqui, Member Rachel

Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant challenge to door-to-door outreach for a number of things, and;

Whereas the Census completion helps to direct adequate funding to local communities for schools, roads, and other essential public services, as well as determine the number of seats each state has in Congress and the political representation at all levels of government, and;

Whereas the deadline for the completion of the US Census is September 30, 2020, and;

Whereas the City of Cambridge is at 65.6% of self-response completion compared to the 2010 overall self-response completion of 72.8%, now therefore be it;

Resolved that the Cambridge Public Schools will join efforts with the City of Cambridge to engage families and scholars in being counted for the 2020 US Census.

#20-239: Zoom Licensing | Joint Motion by Member Wilson, Member Weinstein, Mayor Siddiqui

Whereas the Cambridge Public School District is committed to providing equity and access, and;

Whereas neighboring districts including Somerville, Watertown, Boston, and Chelsea are using the Zoom platform in addition to Google Classroom and Google Meets, and;

Whereas the information from educators regarding the need of efficient technology tools to effectively teach and engage scholars remotely requires tools with multiple features; including breakout rooms for small group and/or independent 1:1 work with an educator, and;

Whereas CPS educators have expressed their preference of the Zoom platform based on experience teaching remotely with Zoom and other platforms, and;

Whereas CPS caregivers have also indicated the importance to their children's learning of features currently available on Zoom and not on competing platforms; and

Whereas Google Meets is scheduled to release the feature of breakout rooms and other important features this October, however, this date was pushed back already, and may be pushed back again, and;

Whereas ICTS has been working tirelessly to understand and meet scholar, educator and caregiver technology needs, now therefore be it;

Resolved that the Superintendent will conduct a feasibility report to determine the need for and usage of the Zoom platform, and be it further;

Resolved that the Cambridge School Committee will support the need for CPSD to obtain Zoom licenses for educators who opt-in to and provide technology support for educators to have access to the best possible tools with the features they need to teach remotely.

10. Resolutions:
None

11. Announcements:
None

12. Late Orders:
None

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