1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):

2. Student School Committee Report:

3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:

• December 6, 2022 Regular Meeting

4. Reconsiderations:
None

5. Unfinished Business/Calendar:
None

6. Awaiting Reports:
#C22-311 Joint Motion by Member Weinstein, Mayor Siddiqui

WHEREAS: The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is reviewing and revising bus service schedules; and

WHEREAS: Cambridge Public School District (CPSD) students and their families rely on public bus service to attend school and to participate in out-of-school time opportunities including extracurricular activities, sports, jobs, and internships; and

WHEREAS: CPSD does not provide school bus transportation to students in grades 9 to 12; and

WHEREAS: Proposed changes to MBTA bus routes serving the City of Cambridge include reductions and changes in routes and/or schedules that would greatly impact the ability of CPSD students to access school and other activities; and 

WHEREAS: Many issues with the proposed route modifications and recommendations have been brought forward by the community, including:

• Route 68 Harvard - Kendall / MIT (travels down Broadway between Kendall Sq. and Harvard Sq.). MBTA proposes reducing service to weekdays only 6:00 am- 9:00 am and 4:00 pm-7:00 pm every 30 minutes. Afterschool activities and sports need evening rush hour frequency service extended to 3:00 pm-8:00 pm;
• Route 69 Harvard - Lechmere (travels down Cambridge St. between Lechmere and Harvard). MBTA proposes a reduction from every 15 mins to every 30 mins;
• Route 83 (Rindge Ave to Central Sq. via Porter Sq.). MBTA proposes a reduction to every 30 minutes from the current 20 minutes. Current frequency should be maintained, or increased to every 15 minutes to make the bus usable between 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm;
• Routes 69 and Route 83 are being cut drastically; the frequencies of both routes should be increased to account for the needs of students;
• Route 78 (78 Arlmont Village - Harvard via Garden St., Concord Ave to Cambridge Highlands). MBTA proposes a reduction from every 25 minutes to every 60-90 minutes (6:00 am-1:00 am). Students on this line need more frequent service to access school and afterschool activities and sports need evening rush hour frequency service extended to 3:00 pm-8:00 pm. Cuts to Route 78 also reduce access to Neighborhood Nine, Cambridge Highlands, Concord Ave between Huron and Blanchard Rd, including assisted care and medical facilities; it is also the only connector between West Cambridge and Arlington;
• Route 75 (The dedicated CRLS route on school mornings) provides essential transportation services for high school students to get to school on time and should be reinstated and additional dedicated CRLS routes considered for other areas of the City;
• Routes throughout the City need to be assessed in light of new and planned housing units including affordable housing and the potential future needs of students living in that housing; therefore, be it

RESOLVED: That the Superintendent and Mayor Siddiqui send a letter and forward this policy order along with emails from the community to representatives at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and the Cambridge state delegation on behalf of the entire School Committee, and be it further

RESOLVED: That this letter will detail the MBTA bus routes and schedules that are critical for the needs of CPSD students, with particular attention to those students and families who rely the most on MBTA busses; and be it further

RESOLVED: That CPSD will review student needs and the most recent MBTA proposals before submitting the letter and will add to or modify the list noted above if needed, and be it further

RESOLVED: The Cambridge School Committee goes on record in support of changes that improve access and in support of further changes to address the concerns of residents as summarized above, and be it further

RESOLVED: That this letter will be delivered to the MBTA, the state delegation and the Governor-Elect Maura Healy as soon as possible with a request for a response.

7. Superintendent’s Agenda:

7a. Superintendent's Update:

None

7b. Presentations:

District Plan: District Plan Targets & Mid-Year Update on Progress: Standard I-E: Data-Informed Decision-Making, Standard II: Communication

Victoria L. Greer, PhD, Superintendent of Schools

Lyndsay Pinkus-Brown Ed.L.D, Chief Strategy Officer

7c. CPS District Plan:

None

7d. Consent Agenda:
#22-286 Recommendation: FY22-23 General Fund Budget Statutory Tranfers
#22-287 Recommendation: Approval of Revisions to the Cambridge Public Schoos Acceptable Use Policy (Second Reading)
#22-288 Recommendation: Day & Residential Program Services not Available from the Cambridge School Department
#22-289 Recommendation: Contract Award: Research for Better Teaching: Professional Development
#22-290 Recommendation: Contract Award: McGraw Hill LLC: Instructional Materials
#22-291 Recommendation: Contract Award: Applied Behavior Learning: Special Education Services
#22-292 Recommendation: Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts
#22-293 Recommendation: Grant Award: FY2023 SEL & Mental Health Grant (SC23832)

8. Non-Consent Agenda:
None

9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#22-294 Joint Motion by Member Weinstein, Vice Chair Weinstein

WHEREAS: The Cambridge Public School District (CPSD) holds a sense of belonging as a core value; and

WHEREAS: CPSD is committed to advancing equity, defined as meaning “that each student, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or socioeconomic status will have access to the opportunities, resources, and support they need to attain their full potential;” and

WHEREAS: CPSD seeks to align its practices with its values and commitments; and

WHEREAS: Some CPSD forms and communications use gendered language that is not inclusive, such as the use of or absence of terms and pronouns; and

WHEREAS: While unintentional, outdated binary language has a significant impact on students, staff, and families; therefore, be it 

RESOLVED: That CPSD will undertake a comprehensive review of forms and communications informed by best practices for gender-inclusive language, with the goal of identifying any forms or communications currently in use or planned for use that falls short of these best practices; and be it further

RESOLVED: That CPSD update all identified forms and communications according to those best practices as soon as possible, completing the full review and updates by December 2023 and prioritizing those being used currently or soonest, with the expectation that any registration or other forms related to the start of the school year be reviewed prior to the 2023-24 school year; and be it further

RESOLVED: That CPSD will ensure anyone tasked with creating or updating CPSD forms and/or CPSD communications at the district or the school level is supported to follow best practices now and as those practices evolve.

#22-295 Joint Motion by Member Fantini, Member Rojas

WHEREAS: Cambridge takes pride in its dual-language immersion school and programs; and

WHEREAS: That hiring teachers fluent in the target language of our dual-language immersion school and programs can be more difficult than hiring other teachers; therefore

RESOLVED: That the Superintendent put in place a hiring plan for staff that will anticipate shortages and plan far in advance to ensure appropriate staffing are in place to ensure continued success of our dual-language immersion school and programs; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the district consider sponsorship of work visas for teachers that we cannot hire otherwise as a necessary and normal accommodation of our hiring processes.

#22-296 Joint Motion by Vice Chair Weinstein, Member Rojas

That the School Committee adopt the Preliminary School Committee FY24 Budget Calendar.

#22-297 Motion by Buildings & Grounds Sub-committee

Report of the November 30, 2022 Buildings and Grounds Sub-Committee

10. Resolutions:
None

11. Announcements:
None

12. Late Orders:
None

13. Communications and Reports from City Officers:

None

Updated on 12/15/2022