CPS

Regular Meeting Meeting | Agenda

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Held in and broadcast from the Dr. Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room, Cambridge Rindge, and Latin School, 459 Broadway, Cambridge. To sign up to call in using the ZOOM app on your computer or mobile device: visit www.cpsd.us/school_committee/virtual

Regular Meetings will be live-streamed at www.cpsd.us and broadcast on Cambridge Educational Access TV (CEATV) Channel 98/99, as usual. Motions shown below are updated live as they progress.

From the Office of the Executive Secretary to the School Committee

December 21, 2021 | 06:00 pm

1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):

2. Student School Committee Report:

3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:
  • November 16, 2021 Regular Meeting
  • December 7, 2021 Regular Meeting
  • December 14, 2021 Roundtable Meeting

4. Reconsiderations:
None

5. Unfinished Business/Calendar:
None

6. Awaiting Reports:
#C21-311 Joint Motion by Member Fantini, Mayor Siddiqui, Member WilsonThat the School Department work with the City to develop a plan to support transporting students attending after school programs given the issues that DHSP has with after school this year.

7. Superintendent’s Agenda:

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

FY23 Draft Budget Guidelines District Plan Process Review
Victoria L. Greer, Interim Superintendent of Schools
Claire Spinner, Chief Financial Officer 

7c. CPS District Plan:

None

7d. Consent Agenda:
#21-346 Recommendation: Approval of Interim Language Regarding the Indoor Mask Mandate for the Cambridge Public Schools
#21-347 Recommendation: Day & Residential Program Services not Available from the Cambridge School Department
#21-348 Recommendation: Contract Award: Venous Technologies: COVID-19 Self-Test Kits
#21-349 Recommendation: Contract Award: Imperial Bag & Paper Co., LLC
#21-350 Recommendation: Contract Award: PowerSchool Group, LLC: Computer Software
#21-351 Recommendation: Contract Award: Guaranteed Fresh Products, Inc.: Fresh Produce
#21-352 Recommendation: Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts
#21-353 Recommendation: Grant Award: FY22 Summer Programming Reimbursement Grant (SC22287)

8. Non-Consent Agenda:
None

9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#21-354 Joint Motion by Vice Chair Bowman, Mayor Siddiqui: Download Attachment

Be it resolved that the School Committee creates a District Planning committee to provide oversight and support the Superintendent's district planning process; and

Be it further resolved the ad-hoc committee will be dissolved upon the adoption of a new district plan.


#21-355 Joint Motion by Vice Chair Bowman, Mayor Siddiqui and Member Fantini: Download Attachment

Whereas the Cambridge Public School district is committed to engaging parents and caregivers on the academic success of their children; and

Whereas the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education provides a curriculum framework to all teachers, students, and families with clear and shared expectations for what all students should know and be able to do at the end of an academic year, and

Whereas the framework formalizes the expectation that all students in the Commonwealth meet specific academic benchmarks regardless of their zip code, background, or abilities, and

Whereas these state standards guide instructions within our district, however, the state curriculum frameworks are typically not shared with our parents/caregivers to set expectations of what students should achieve by the end of an academic year; and

Whereas at the beginning of each school year, the district, as well as CPSD schools, send out logistical information that prepares families to start a new school year but limited documentation that focuses on academic goals; now therefore be it

Resolved that the district and/or schools provide parents/caregivers with theMassachusetts Learning Standards, so every CPSD parent/caregiver clearly understands what students are expected to know and achieve by the end of an academic year.


#21-356 Motion by Member Fantini: Download Attachment

That the School Committee adopt the amended Preliminary School Committee FY23 Budget Calendar.


#21-357 Motion by School Climate Sub-Committee

Report of the November 30, 2021 School Climate Sub-Committee


#21-358 Motion by Buildings and Grounds Sub-Committee

Report of the December 2, 2021 Buildings and Grounds Sub-Committee


#21-359 Motion by Special Education and Student Supports Sub-Committee

Report of the December 6, 2021 Special Education and Student Supports Sub-Committee


10. Resolutions:
#21-360 Joint Motion by Mayor Siddiqui, Member Fantini and Member Rachel: Download Attachment

WHEREAS: Vice-Chair Manikka Bowman is concluding her time on the Cambridge School Committee after serving for three terms; and

WHEREAS: Vice-Chair Bowman is leaving the School Committee with a wide range of accomplishments, including: as Vice-Chair she was responsible for appointing Sub-committee leadership, facilitating the public budget process, and serving as a committee representative during bargaining and negotiations with the CEA: and

WHEREAS: Vice-Chair Bowman also led the effort to expand access to sanitary hygiene throughout our schools, ensured that the CPSD budgetary process would be directly connected to the multi-year District-wide plan specifically designed to close the district's opportunity gap, partnered with parents and educators to get air conditioning units in all classrooms that lacked it, worked to ensure that the CPSD's students understood their rights in the CPSD Non-Discrimination Policy, worked to ensure the safety of students and staff throughout the Covid-19 pandemic – and so much more; and

WHEREAS: While Vice-Chair Bowman's time on the School Committee draws to a close, she continues to serve her community in a multitude of ways, especially via her role as Executive Director ofRebuilding Together Boston, and her work shall continue to inspire and empower the next generation of Cambridge residents seeking to make a difference; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the School Committee go on record thanking Manikka Bowman for her years of distinguished public service and wishing her the best in all her future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Executive Secretary is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Manikka Bowman on behalf of the entire School Committee.


11. Announcements:
None

12. Late Orders:
None

13. Communications and Reports from City Officers:

None


Updated on 12/16/2021