View Motion

WHEREAS: School Councils are established by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (General Laws Part I, Title XII, Chapter 71, Section 59C); and

WHEREAS: The Cambridge Public School District’s School Council Handbook was drafted by a working group that included Cambridge parents, caregivers, community members, and CPSD staff and was adopted as policy by the School Committee June 20, 2023; and

WHEREAS: The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education advises that the “law provides for an explicit oversight role for school committees” with respect to School Councils; and

WHEREAS: In Cambridge the School Council has the following main responsibilities, as noted in the School Council Handbook:

• Adopt educational goals for the school that are consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards; 
• Identify the educational needs of students attending the school in the relation to the goals; 
• Collaborate with school community and district instructional staff to form an annual School Improvement Plan (SIP) to be reviewed by the School Committee prior to approval by the Superintendent; 
• Review the school budget annually; 
• Review the student’s Rights and Responsibilities handbook regularly to ensure the school discipline policies.
• Assess student discipline data; and

WHEREAS: The School Committee plays a critical role in policymaking, establishing the CPSD budget, and reviewing School Improvement Plans; and

WHEREAS: This School Committee is committed to supporting the caregivers, staff, teachers and community members serving on School Councils with the shared goal of best supporting the education and growth of all of the children of Cambridge; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the School Committee establishes a School Councils Subcommittee; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the School Councils Subcommittee will be focused on supporting the School Councils; coordinating the School Committee's review of School Improvement Plans; providing a forum to review and support School Councils and their work; and will undertake other work determined by the chair of the subcommittee, in consultation with the members of the subcommittee, to be relevant and timely.