1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):

2. Student School Committee Report:

3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:

• January 3, 2023 Regular Meeting
• January 10, 2023 Special 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:

College and Career Readiness & Early College, Initiative: Object 2: Provide Accessible College & Career Pathways

Dr. Nicole Gittens, Assistant Superintendent of  Secondary Schools

Damon Smith, Principal, Cambridge Rindge & Latin School

Ryan Souliotis, Principal, High School Extension Program

7c. CPS District Plan:

None

7d. Consent Agenda:
#23-011 Recommendation: Approval of Global Revisions to Policies in the School Committee Policy Manual (Second Reading)
#23-012 Recommendation: Approval of Family and Medical Leave, Parental Leave and Small Necessities Leave Policy (Second Reading)
#23-013 Recommendation: Contract Award: Leadership Academy: Professional Development
#23-014 Recommendation: Approval of Creation of 1.0 FTE Certified ASL Interpreter Position
#23-015 Recommendation: Contract Award: NCS Pearson: Assessment Material & Software
#23-016 Recommendation: Contract Award: Republic Services: FY23 Dumpster Services
#23-017 Recommendation: FY22-23 General Fund Budget Statutory Transfers
#23-018 Recommendation: Approval of Revisions to the School Entrance Age Policy (First Reading)
#23-019 Recommendation: Approval of Revisions to the School Admissions Policy (First Reading)

8. Non-Consent Agenda:
None

9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
None

10. Resolutions:
#23-020 Joint Motion by Mayor Siddiqui, Member Hunter and Vice Chair Rachel

WHEREAS: The Creative Design students at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School recently participated in a contest to create a flowchart poster that highlights our online incident reporting system, Speakfully; and 

WHEREAS: The goal of the poster project was to create a visually engaging design to educate fellow students on how a report can be made and how reports are processed; and 

WHEREAS: CRLS administrators and the Title IX Aurelia Advocates Working Group created the Sexual Misconduct Incident Reporting Poster Contest guidelines, which were designed under the direction of the Rindge School of Technical Arts Teacher Michele Watson Maxwell and the Creative Design Program, which offers RSTA students real work experiences; and 

WHEREAS: Sexual Misconduct Incident Reporting Poster Contest winning posters are online and on display at the high school and upper schools; and

WHEREAS: Congratulations to the winners: Charlotte Joly- a Senior in 1st Place, James Blanc -a Junior in 2nd Place, Evan Garvey -a Senior in 3rd Place, and Charlotte Joly a Senior in 4th Place; and

WHEREAS: The community can learn more about how the contest was created on our website; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED: That the School Committee extends a congratulations to student winners and CRLS teachers involved; and be it further 

RESOLVED: That the Executive Secretary be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to each of the student winners.

#23-021 Joint Motion by Mayor Siddiqui, Member Weinstein and Member Rojas

WHEREAS: Cambridge Rindge and Latin School music teacher Guillermo Nojechowicz composed the music for a documentary film called “Jazz Saved My Life,” which premiered in December 2022 at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline; and  

WHEREAS: The film was directed by Justin Freed, and included Grammy Award winner Maria Schneider, and composer and pianist Donal Fox, who joined CRLS music teacher Guillermo Nojechowicz at the premiere event; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED: That the School Committee go on record congratulating Guillermo Nojechowicz on this wonderful accomplishment; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Executive Secretary be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Guillermo Nojechowicz on behalf of the entire School Committee. 

11. Announcements:
None

12. Late Orders:
None

13. Communications and Reports from City Officers:

None

Updated on 01/12/2023