1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):

2. Student School Committee Report:

3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:

• August 6, 2024, Regular Meeting

4. Reconsiderations:
None

5. Unfinished Business/Calendar:
#24-100: Registration for Meeting Participation and Public Comment | Motion by Member Rachel: Download File

WHEREAS:  School Committee policy ABA notes the Committee’s commitment to seeking and encouraging public participation in the body’s decision-making processes; and

WHEREAS:  The body’s Rules do not specify when meeting registration opens to the public, but past practice has been two days before the meeting; and

WHEREAS:  The Committee intends to remove barriers to participation; now, therefore be it 

RESOLVED:  That meeting registration and public comment sign-up will be available to all members of the public beginning at the time a meeting is officially noticed with an agenda or designated purpose.

#24-153: Establish a School Councils Subcommittee | Joint Motion by Member Weinstein, Member Rachel, Member Hunter

WHEREAS: School Councils are established by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (General Laws Part I, Title XII, Chapter 71, Section 59C); and

WHEREAS: The Cambridge Public School District’s School Council Handbook was drafted by a working group that included Cambridge parents, caregivers, community members, and CPSD staff and was adopted as policy by the School Committee June 20, 2023; and

WHEREAS: The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education advises that the “law provides for an explicit oversight role for school committees” with respect to School Councils; and

WHEREAS: In Cambridge the School Council has the following main responsibilities, as noted in the School Council Handbook:

• Adopt educational goals for the school that are consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards; 
• Identify the educational needs of students attending the school in the relation to the goals; 
• Collaborate with school community and district instructional staff to form an annual School Improvement Plan (SIP) to be reviewed by the School Committee prior to approval by the Superintendent; 
• Review the school budget annually; 
• Review the student’s Rights and Responsibilities handbook regularly to ensure the school discipline policies.
• Assess student discipline data; and

WHEREAS: The School Committee plays a critical role in policymaking, establishing the CPSD budget, and reviewing School Improvement Plans; and

WHEREAS: This School Committee is committed to supporting the caregivers, staff, teachers and community members serving on School Councils with the shared goal of best supporting the education and growth of all of the children of Cambridge; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the School Committee establishes a School Councils Subcommittee; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the School Councils Subcommittee will be focused on supporting the School Councils; coordinating the School Committee's review of School Improvement Plans; providing a forum to review and support School Councils and their work; and will undertake other work determined by the chair of the subcommittee, in consultation with the members of the subcommittee, to be relevant and timely.

#Late Order June 18, 2024 Regular Meeting: Timeline for 2024 Superintendent Search | Joint Motion by Member Rojas, Member Weinstein: Download File
6. Awaiting Reports:
None

7. Superintendent’s Agenda:

7a. Superintendent's Update:

School Year 2024-2025 Opening

7b. Presentations:

Leadership Development & Goal Setting Activities

Undertaken by District/Building Administrators - August 2024 Retreats

David Murphy, Interim Superintendent of Schools

7c. CPS District Plan:
None

7d. Consent Agenda:
#24-206 Recommendation: Approval of Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Sex-Title IX Policy (Second Reading)
#24-207 Recommendation: Approval of Revisions to Sexual Misconduct/Title IX Policy (Second Reading)
#24-208 Recommendation: Approval of Revisions to Rights & Responsibilities Handbook (Second Reading)
#24-209 Recommendation: Approval of Revisions to Cambridge School Department's Non-Discrimination Policy (Second Reading)
#24-210 Recommendation: Approval of Revisions to Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Sex Policy (Second Reading)
#24-211 Recommendation: Approval of Revisions to Civil Rights Grievance Procedures Policy Fomerly Know as the Uniform Grievance Procedures Policy (Second Reading)
#24-212 Recommendation: Approval of the Waiver of Accounting Form in Regards to the Estate of Kevin Higgins
#24-213 Recommendation: Day & Residential Program Services Not Available from the Cambridge School Department
#24-214 Recommendation: Contract Award: TeachTown: Specially Designed Instruction Software & Professional Development
#24-215 Recommendation: Contract Award: Bunker Hill Community College: Dual Enrollment Program for CRLS Students
#24-216 Recommendation: Contract Award: Baystate Interpreters: Translation Services-Amendment #1
#24-217 Recommendation: Contract Award: Concentric Math: Professional Development
#24-218 Recommendation: Contract Award: Cresendo Educaiton Group: Professional Development
#24-219 Recommendation: Contract Award: High Output, Inc.: Media Supplies & Equipment
#24-220 Recommendation: Contract Award: Imagine Learning: Instructional Materials-Amendment #1
#24-221 Recommendation: Contract Award: Trustees of Boston College: Professional Development
#24-222 Recommendation: Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts
#24-223 Recommendation: Grant Award: FY25 Strenghthening Career & Technical Educations (Perkins V) Secondary (SC25606)
#24-224 Recommendation: Grant Award: FY24 Expanded Homeless Shelter Funding (SC24218)-Increase
#24-225 Recommendation: Grant Award: FY24 Circuit Breaker Allocation (SC24776)-Increase

8. Non-Consent Agenda:
None

9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#24-226: Cleanliness Near Public Schools | Motion by Mayor Simmons: Download Attachment

WHEREAS: The cleanliness and upkeep of the playgrounds and yards in and around our public schools are critical to ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for students, parents, and staff; and

WHEREAS: Several playgrounds and areas near the City’s public schools, particularly those in and near the Port neighborhood such as the Fletcher Maynard Academy, have been observed to have an unacceptable amount of trash and debris, including overflowing trash and recycling receptacles; and

WHEREAS: The presence of such trash and debris is especially concerning during the first week of the new school year, when students and families are returning to or becoming acquainted with their school environment; and

WHEREAS: The Public School Department has a responsibility to maintain these areas in a clean and well-manicured condition to support the health, safety, and aesthetic appeal of our communities; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: The Interim Superintendent be and hereby is requested to direct the appropriate CPSD staff to increase the frequency and thoroughness of cleaning in and near the playgrounds and areas surrounding our public schools, with particular attention to those in and near the Port neighborhood; and be it further

RESOLVED: The Interim Superintendent be and hereby is requested to ensure that this heightened maintenance effort is sustained throughout the school year to prevent future accumulations of trash and debris, and to report back to the School Committee on a plan of action for this process in a timely manner.

10. Resolutions:
None

11. Announcements:
None

12. Late Orders:
#Late Order Sept 10, 2024 Regular Meeting: Passing of Councillor Joan Pickett | Joint Motion by Mayor Simmons, Vice Chair Hunter, Member Harding: Download Attachment

WHEREAS:
It is with profound sorrow that the School Committee learned of the passing of our esteemed colleague and friend, City Councilor Joan Pickett, on August 31, 2024 at the age of 69; and
WHEREAS:
City Councilor Joan Pickett was a dedicated public servant and a resident of Mid-Cambridge for the past 26 years, bringing a strong background in planning, municipal finance, and community leadership to the City Council during her tenure; and
WHEREAS:
Prior to joining the City Council, Joan Pickett's distinguished career included significant contributions in commercial lending, municipal bond finance, and strategic planning at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where she worked closely with both academic and community physicians and staff; and
WHEREAS:
Joan Pickett's commitment to community service was demonstrated through her leadership roles in organizations such as the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association, Cambridge Streets for All, the Charles River Conservancy, and Caring Canines Pet Therapy, where she worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Cambridge residents and beyond; and
WHEREAS:
Joan Pickett's dedication to ensuring that the City's policies reflect the broad sentiment of the community, her desire to ensure that all community voices were given ample consideration in creating City policies, and her focus on maintaining the City's strong financial position were hallmarks of her service on the City Council; and
WHEREAS:
Joan Pickett earned the respect, admiration, and affection of her colleagues and people throughout the Cambridge community for her warmth, her thoughtfulness, her desire to serve, and her willingness to engage with every person she came across with a sense of true decency; and
WHEREAS:
The Cambridge community will greatly miss Joan Pickett's thoughtful approach to governance, her commitment to transparency and accountability, and her unwavering dedication to making Cambridge a safe, vibrant, and inclusive city for all, and her colleagues shall surely miss her warmth, knowledge, and amiability; now therefore be it
RESOLVED:
That the School Committee go on record expressing its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and community of City Councillor Joan Pickett for their tremendous loss; and be it further
RESOLVED:
That the School Committee Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Adane Dessie, husband of City Councillor Joan Pickett, on behalf of the entire School Committee.

13. Communications and Reports from City Officers:

Mayor's Communication re: Plan of Work for Superintendent Search

Updated on 09/10/2024