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

February 1, 2022 | 06:00 pm

1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):

2. Student School Committee Report:

3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:
  • January 18, 2022 Regular Meeting
  • January 25, 2022 Roundtable Meeting

4. Reconsiderations:
None

5. Unfinished Business/Calendar:
None

6. Awaiting Reports:
None

7. Superintendent’s Agenda:

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

Superintendent's Update: COVID Testing Update
Victoria L. Greer, Ph.D., Interim Superintendent of Schools
Lisa Dobberteen, MD Medical Director, School Health and Public Health Programs, Cambridge Public Health Department

FY23 Budget: Enrollment and Budget Projections
Victoria L. Greer, Ph.D., Interim Superintendent of Schools
Claire Spinner, Chief Financial Officer

7c. CPS District Plan:

None

7d. Consent Agenda:
#22-14 Recommendation: Approval of Revisions to Cambridge Public Schools Chapter 74 CVTE (Career/Vocational Technical Education) Student Admission Policy (Second Reading)
#22-15 Recommendation: Day & Residential Program Services not Available from the Cambridge School Department
#22-16 Recommendation: Contract Award: Gordon Food Services: Groceries
#22-17 Recommendation: Contract Award: Guaranteed Fresh Produce, Inc.: Fresh Produce
#22-18 Recommendation: Contract Award: Lesley University: Professional Development
#22-19 Recommendation: Contract Award: NOVAtime Technology Inc.: Time & Attendance System
#22-20 Recommendation: Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts

8. Non-Consent Agenda:
None

9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#22-21 Joint Motion by Vice Chair Member Rachel, Mayor Siddiqui; Member Wilson in collaboration with Student Member Killian and Student Member Vera-DeGraff: Download Attachment

WHEREAS: Cambridge Rindge and Latin School students have spoken out about troubling levels of sexual harassment and assault; and

WHEREAS: Students have repeatedly advocated for more education around consent and prevention

of gender- and sex-based discrimination; and

WHEREAS: Educators in the Wellness and Athletics Departments as well as school leadership have

joined the students in pushing for additional required Health instruction; and

WHEREAS: The School Committee and Interim Superintendent are on record supporting further Health education that would address sexual assault prevention, consent, healthy relationships, and related matters; and

WHEREAS: The School Committee holds that this supplementary learning would help improve the climate at the high school as well as better prepare students for external situations; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the School Committee changes File IKF High School Graduation Requirements Policy from five Health credits to fifteen Health credits, providing a second semester of Health courses for the class of 2026 in their junior year and every class thereafter; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Wellness Department will develop the new curriculum in collaboration with a group of students representative of the student body; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the School Committee revises File IHAE Physical Education Policy to specify that waivers provided to CRLS students participating in approved team sports will apply to physical education, but not Health course requirements.


#22-22 Motion by Buildings & Grounds Sub-committee

Report of the January 26, 2022 Building and Grounds Sub-Committee


10. Resolutions:
#22-23 Joint Motion by Member Wilson, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Chair Member Rachel: Download Attachment

WHEREAS: On January 21, 2020 the Cambridge School Committee voted unanimously to prioritize racial equity and anti-racist work; and

WHEREAS: On June 15, 2021 the Cambridge School Committee adopted anti-racist mission and vision statements; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the Cambridge School Committee fully endorsesMassachusetts Senate Bill S. 2506 and House Bill H.584 " An Act relative to anti-racism, equity, and justice in education." This legislation,sponsored by Representatives Nika Elugardo of Boston and Erika Uyterhoeven of Somerville, would support the creation of a Commission for Anti-Racism and Equity in Education, the purpose of which would be to:

  • Develop curriculum materials with a social justice perspective towards dismantling racism and advise the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on improving the history and social sciences framework;
  • Ensure that ethnic studies, racial justice, decolonizing history, and unlearning racism is taught at all grade levels using an analytical approach and pedagogy that is age-appropriate;
  • Advise the Department on ways to ensure equity on the Massachusetts Test for Education Licensure;
  • Ensure that teachers and school counselors have access to professional development that fosters equitable, inclusive curriculum, and pedagogy and practices that support racial justice;
  • Advise the Department on how to best promote efforts to increase, support and retain teachers and school counselors of color in our public-school workforce;
  • The Commission, in conjunction with the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Board of Education, will develop and administer an Anti-Racism and Equity in Education grant program to allocate funds for public schools and school districts to promote racial equity and racial and ethnic studies within and across school districts on an application basis. Funds and resources for universities and other community groups working in education will also be considered and administered by the Commission and the Commissioner;
  • The Commission, the Commissioner, and awardees of these funds will work together to analyze the effectiveness of their initiatives, analyze social studies and history curricula and framework through a lens of racial justice, and make amendments to the social studies and history curricula and framework where necessary.

and be it further;

RESOLVED: That the Executive Secretary will send copies of this resolution to legislators representing Cambridge at the State House.


11. Announcements:
None

12. Late Orders:
None

13. Communications and Reports from City Officers:

None


Updated on 01/27/2022