1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):

2. Student School Committee Report:

3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:

• June 6, 2023, Regular Meeting

4. Reconsiderations:
None

5. Unfinished Business/Calendar:
#23-072: School Council Handbooks | Motion by Communications & Community Relations Sub-committee

WHEREAS: School Councils play a critical and valued role in the Cambridge Public Schools by assisting school principals in planning for and implementing best practices that enhance the achievement of all students; and

WHEREAS: The School Committee seeks to support our schools and our School Council members by ensuring School Councils in CPSD:

• follow uniform policies and practices while being able to adopt practices that best serve each school community;
• are inclusive, diverse, and equitable spaces that reflect the diversity of our students, with representation from parents/guardians, caregivers, secondary-level students, teachers, and community members; and
• function as they should under state law and regulations and are supported to do so; and

WHEREAS: The School Committee is grateful for the work from March - June of 2021 of the School Council Working Group, which included a diverse group of parents/guardians/caregivers, students, family liaisons, teachers, and administrators, listed by name in the Handbook, in partnership with the then-newly formed CPSD Family Engagement Office, and is grateful for the subsequent review of the handbook by the CPSD administrative team and for the additional input and feedback of members of the CPSD community who reviewed draft versions of the Handbook; and

WHEREAS: The Communications and Community Relations Subcommittee of the School Committee has convened multiple meetings to review and revise proposed versions of the Handbook resulting from this process and is satisfied that the attached version is ready for full implementation, with regular review with the aim of continuous improvement; therefore, be it

RESOLVED: That the School Committee approves the attached School Council Handbook; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the School Committee notes that at the time of this motion being submitted, current law related to extending certain state emergency accommodations, which, among other things, extends the provision allowing public bodies to continue holding meetings remotely without a quorum of the body physically present at a meeting location and to provide “adequate, alternative” access to remote meetings until March 31, 2023, has not yet been further extended, and therefore the language in this handbook will be adjusted to ensure compliance with Open Meeting Law as in effect of April 1, 2023, if this provision is not further extended.

6. Awaiting Reports:
None

7. Superintendent’s Agenda:

7a. Superintendent's Update:

Joint Labor Management Group Update

Dan Monahan, President, Cambridge Education Association

Dr. Turk, Deputy Superintendent

General Updates

Victoria L. Greer, Ph.D, Superintendent of Schools

7b. Presentations:

Superintendent's Summative Evaluation

Victoria L. Greer, Ph.D., Superintendent of Schools

7c. CPS District Plan:

None

7d. Consent Agenda:
#23-138 Recommendation: Day & Residential Program Services not Available fromt he Cambridge School Department
#23-139 Recommendation: Contract Award: Landmark Outreach: Professional Development (FY Contract)
#23-140 Recommendation: Contract Award: Cambridge Center for Neuropsychology & Learning: Special Education Services-amended
#23-141 Recommendation: Contract Award: Easter Seals: Special Education Staffing Services (FY24 Contract)
#23-142 Recommendation: Contract Award: Norton Healthcare Saffing Services: Special Education Temporary Staffing Services (FY24 Contract)
#23-143 Recommendation: Contract Award: The Stepping Stones Group: Specail Education Services (FY24 Contract)
#23-144 Recommendation: Contract Award: Maxim Healthcare Services: Special Education Temporayr Staffing Services (FY24 Contract)
#23-145 Recommendation: Contract Award: EI US, LLC: Special Education Services (FY24 Contract)
#23-146 Recommendation: Contract Award: Perfect Piec, LLC: Special Education Services (FY24 Contract)
#23-147 Recommendation: Contract Award: Allied Instructional Services: Special Education Staff Services (FY24 Contract)
#23-148 Recommendation: Contract Award: BCM Controls Corporation: Security Maintenance & Upgrades (FY24 Contract)
#23-149 Recommendation: Contract Award: Brightly Software: Computer Software (FY24 Contract)
#23-150 Recommendation: Conract Award: Next Gen Supply Group: Food Service Paper Products (FY24 Contract)
#23-151 Recommendation: Contract Award: New England Ice Cream Corp: Milk Products (FY24 Contract)
#23-152 Recommendation: Contract Award: Ace Endico New England: Groceries (FY24 Contract)
#23-153 Recommendation: Contract Award: Follett School Solutions: Library Books (FY24 Contract)
#23-154 Recommendation: Contract Award: Lakeshore Learning: Instructional Materials & Classroom Furniture (FY24 Contract)
#23-155 Recommendation: Contract Award: School Specialty
#23-156 Recommendation: Contract Award: WB Mason: Classroom & Office Furniture (FY24 Contract)
#23-157 Recommendation: Contract Award: School Specialty: FY24 Instructional Materials (FY24 Contract)
#23-158 Recommendation: Contract Award: Ricoh USA: Multi-function Printer Leases, Maintenance & Supplie (FY24 Contract)
#23-159 Recommendation: Contract Award: Sterling Business PRoducts: Printing & Mailing Services (FY24 Contract)
#23-160 Recommendation: Recomendation: Approval of Settlement Agreement between the Cambridge School Committee & the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, Council 93, Local 1611
#23-161 Recommendation: Givts & Miscellaneous Receipts
#23-162 Recommendation: Grant Award: FY24 Wipro Science Fellowship Program
#23-163 Recommendation: Grant Award: FY2024 Fresh Fruit & Veggie Grant
#23-165 Recommendation: Approval of the Position of Chief of Staff

8. Non-Consent Agenda:
None

9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#23-164: Report of the June 12, 2023 Special Education & Student Supports Sub-committee | Motion by Special Education & Student Supports Sub-committee

Report of the June 12, 2023 Special Education & Student Supports Sub-committee

10. Resolutions:
None

11. Announcements:
None

12. Late Orders:
Late Order from the Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee: | Motion by Buildings and Grounds Sub-committee

WHEREAS: Like many calls for help from scientist citizens throughout our nation’s history, the members of the Health, Safety, and Facilities Working Group, Cambridge residents, and CPS parents from many disciplines, including epidemiology, materials science, psychology, public health, biology, special education, and more, willingly, and expertly advised CPS, beginning in the spring of 2020, on all facets of navigating the COVID pandemic and prioritizing the health safety of our students and staff, and; 

 

WHEREAS: The CPS Community expresses an enormous debt of gratitude to:

• Dr. Martin Aryee, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health Institute, Broad Institute of Harvard, and MIT & CPS Caregiver
• Anita Barando RN, School Health Nurse Manager
• Dr. Bradley Bernstein,Massachusetts General Hospital, Broad Institute & CPS Caregiver
• Daniel Coplon-Newfield, Principal Vassal Lane Upper School
• MaryElizabeth Cranton,  Math Interventionist at CSUS, CEA Executive Board & CPS Caregiver
• Dr. Jill Crittenden,  MIT; COVID-19 Cambridge Expert Advisory Panel; N95Decon.org & CPS Caregiver
• Dr. Lisa Dobberteen,Medical Director, School Health and Public Health Programs, Cambridge Public Health Department
• Christine Gerber, Principal Kennedy-Longfellow School
• Dr. Michelle Holmes, Associate professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Dr. Helen Jenkins, BU School of Public Health & CPS Caregiver
• Margaret Jeram, Grade 5 Teacher, Morse School, and CEA Health & Safety Committee
• Joanne Johnson, CPS Operations Assistant
• Dr. Alisa Kahn, Pediatric Hospitalist, Boston Children’s Hospital, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School & CPS Caregiver
• Vedad Konjic, CPS Director of Facilities
• Dr. Jamie Lichtenstein,  Emerson College & CPS Caregiver
• Dr. Keith Marzilli Ericson,  BU Questrom School of Business & CPS Caregiver
• James Maloney, CPS Chief Operating Officer
• William McDonald, CRLS Science Teacher; CEA Vice President
• Dan Monahan, President Cambridge Educators’ Association
• Dr. Lyndsay Pinkus-Brown, CPS Chief Strategy Officer
• Rosalie Rippey, Writing Consultant & CPS Caregiver
• Dr. Kenneth Salim, CPS Superintendent
• Tracey Rose-Tynes,  Associate Chief, Clinical Services; Nurse Manager, School Health Services
• Mackenzie Shubert RN, School Health Nurse Manager
• Dr. Carolyn L. Turk, CPS Deputy Superintendent
• Ena Valenzuela, Cambridge Special Education Parent Advisory Council Board Member & CPS Caregiver

and;

WHEREAS: These members generously offered their professional expertise and valuable time, endlessly reviewing drafts, researching topics, and developing the  Covid-19 Safety & Facilities Manual, a living document that was continuously revised as the pandemic evolved and;

 

WHEREAS: There was no topic they were afraid to tackle! and;

WHEREAS: Policies were updated in real-time in response to changing conditions and adjusted guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and;

 

WHEREAS: The panel met as often as needed and convened by email when immediate assistance was necessary and; 

WHEREAS: The meetings were expertly facilitated by Deputy Superintendent Dr. Carolyn Turk, whose vast institutional knowledge and steady hand were both essential in keeping the group well-informed and always on task, and;

WHEREAS: Dr. Joseph Allen, Associate Professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Director of the Harvard Healthy Buildings Program provided practical advice on how to reach healthy air exchange levels within our buildings in an efficient manner, which was a critical part of being able to return to in-person learning in the autumn of 2020, and;

WHEREAS: Former Chief Operations Officer, Mr. James Maloney, who, prior to his retirement in the summer of 2022, with guidance from the Working Group and his firm resolve, facilitated students returning to in-person learning safely. His forethought in purchasing thousands of adult and children’s masks has kept us to this day, well-supplied with masks. He was ably assisted by Joanne Johnson, who launched the coordination of expert supply chain management, and Vedad Konjic, who without hesitation assumed those responsibilities following Mr. Maloney’s and Ms. Johnson’s retirement, and;

WHEREAS: Dr. Lisa Doberteen’s expertise and leadership were also key in advising Mr. Maloney and Superintendents Kenneth Salim and  Victoria Greer and facilitating the safe return of students to in-person learning, and;

WHEREAS: The school nurses, who, after being deployed throughout Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) in direct Covid care, returned to school as some of the first people in the buildings in the fall of 2020 and along with their regular school health duties, executed a testing program which was undoubtedly the best and most comprehensive in the Commonwealth, and be it;

RESOLVED: That the Cambridge School Committee go on record honoring and appreciating and expressing gratitude to all of those who served on the Health & Safety Working Group, Dr. Joseph Allan, Mr. James Maloney, Dr. Dobberteen, and now, therefore, be it;

RESOLVED: That a formal copy of this resolution be prepared by the Executive Secretary to the

School Committee and be forwarded to the members of the Health, Safety, and Facilities Working Group, and to Mr. James Maloney, Dr. Dobberteen, and Dr. Joseph Allen.

13. Communications and Reports from City Officers:

None

Updated on 06/16/2023