So if you could call the order the Amherst School Committee at 7 0 1 And Debbie if you could call to order the Pellum committee It's just the Amherston region, I'm sorry, okay great It's joint Not Pellum, joint Amherston region and region. Thank you. Sorry So we're gonna be going into executive session at the end of this public meeting and we won't be coming back to The public meeting after that just to let you know The purpose of going into the executive session to discuss on contract negotiations Agenda review any questions on the agenda? Okay, moving on public comment anybody care to make a public comment. Yes I remember seeing what was I don't know what your name is I remember seeing at least one If someone could tell a CTV that we need a mic at this table they could probably take that one Hey, Kim. Will you tell a CTV? We need a mic at that table. Thank you Okay, one update from me is that At the Amherstown meeting it was voted to create a regional district planning board for the town of Amherst What that is is a three-member committee that will meet with other towns potentially to discuss potential regionalization of between two and four towns Amherst Pellum, Leverett and Schuetsbury The The town moderator appoints the members of that committee He can't do that until five days after the end of town meeting or whatever But he he says he will be appointing Catherine Nappy as a school committee member Andy Steinberg as the finance committee chair and Alissa Brewer as a select board member So that's the way it works is there's members from each of those committees that get appointed The other four town the other three towns have voted to do the same. I don't think they've all decided who the members are yet So that should start start to get rolling pieces and the letters have in fact gone out Thank You Catherine any questions about that Okay, superintendents update Amherst education foundation. Okay, so I'd like to have Erica Zekos come up and She's going to speak to us a little bit tonight about the AEF grant program for the Amherst schools and Like to say upfront. Okay, and Sue Karen as well. I'd like to just say thank thank you to AEF for supporting our schools and Providing an amazing amount of support for our children And we're fortunate to have such a strong partner. So thank you for being here. Thank you so much for having us So My name is Erica Zekos and I'm the president of Amherst education foundation and this is Sue Karen's the chair of our allocations committee Maria gave us the opportunity to come tonight just to Thank you reintroduce ourselves and Let's give you a little information about what we've been up to lately as many of you know, we're a Non-profit organization. We've been in action since 1994 Currently we have an all-volunteer board of 17 Amazing people and another two dozen or so active committee members We represent and serve Amherst Palm Leverett and shoots Berry and Our mission is to support the public schools and providing a challenging and enriching educational experience We want to maximize the learning potential of every student in our district We're able to provide the support because the community supports AEF and we're supported by businesses and individuals Who donate their time their talent and their dollars to our efforts? We just celebrated our 17th annual trivia bee and Many of you were there. Thank you so much for coming to be on teams Principles in the room. Thank you also The winner was the Greenfield Savings Bank team that was Staffed by members of our Amherst planning board and that was great. We raised over $7,000 that night Despite the snow and that was that was great. It was a lot of fun So what's coming up for us? We recently mailed out our fall appeal letters to our previous donors inviting them to donate again and Our thank-you teacher opportunity is coming up. We ask every winter With flyers and the backpacks of elementary school children and mailings home to the secondary school families Our goal is to raise $56,000 this year and the money that we raise will support our excellence grants program and Our grants focus on district-wide initiatives that have a long-term impact Recently we've been focusing on funding professional development including Summer Institute one of the two summer institutes in June attended by 24 teachers and administrators In 2012 we're going to be giving away Grants, we don't know what they are yet grant applications are being accepted until December 1st And I'm going to turn it over to Sue Karen so she can tell you a little bit more Thanks, Erica Funding guidelines in the RFP and As Erica said, this is the first year. We've actually done a large grants program And we're really excited to see what comes in we're going to be funding as she said two to four grants in the amount of Ten to twenty five thousand dollars, so it's really enough money to really do something substantial with that One of the key pieces to this this grants program is that in order to apply I mean this is different than what some other Education foundations do is we are actually requiring that the application come from within the school district if a non-profit organization from outside the school district wants to Do something collaboratively with the school district? That's fine But it needs to have the okay of the principles or whoever they're working with in the district So we make sure it really is aligned with what the priorities are within the school and within the district as a whole Our deadline is December 1st We have a grants review committee if that is established and we expect to have those announced sometime in April On the application as you can see our funding criteria guidelines Those come directly from our strategic plan and the one thing we added on the second page and Thanks to input from the district from Beth and from Maria is that we're requiring that the application fit with the district Improvement plan and or the school improvement plan depending on Where the activities will be happening? So anybody have any questions at all on this process anything on the grants themselves Leverett and shoots Berry also included not everybody knows that it's It's the whole region Just just a quick question and thank you so much. I mean AF has done such incredible things for the schools and It's just wonderful and we really appreciate it I was reading that one of the Criteria is potential for sustainability. Does AEF Ever sort of do multi-year Granting we are open to that. This is the first this is our first year of these large grants and so when we put this together we actually talked about that as a committee and So for the second year, we've decided we absolutely would Consider second-year application grants because we realize that a lot of projects take more than one year to really get out the ground and The funding period is one year for this first year, but that doesn't need to come back and apply for a second year Thanks Yeah, just a quick question on so I was looking at the criteria guidelines So when you say district-wide, you're not meaning that the application has to sort of come from the district office it could right come from an Individual elementary school, but your hope is that that the goals are Wide or reaching right ideally we're looking for either a team of six grade teachers across all the a number of elementary schools Or a school-wide proposal these criteria guidelines were written when the strategic plan was written and My I'm almost certain that this is going to change next year when we do this But we kept them the same for this first round and we've already discussed that they don't necessarily fit exactly what we're going to be getting as applications, so Absolutely as a proposal from a school district is fine What we're discouraging is an individual teacher applying for a thousand dollars And we are looking at the package of grants right to reach across But it could also be then these collaborative In that area right now Collaboration across grade levels across school. Yeah, it's in our secondary considerations our geographic representation Grade-level representation so for example if the total package of grants that we fund Reaches across the district grade-wise in geographic then that would work You know if there was one school that came in but we we just want to make sure that we cover everyone with the Total dollar amount that's spent Thank you. Thank you very much So we have there are a number of updates, but I know we have a very packed agenda tonight So what I'm going to do is just pass these around and then call attention To this will be posted on the website tomorrow So if the community would like to see more of these updates and read more about them They can all hit some high points Just for you know the group sitting here Again to please look on the website We do have our second annual warm winter clothing share where we are gathering winter wear for families Children adults you'll see that referenced and it's on the Amherst Lions Club is partnering with With the community in all of our elementary schools, and there are a number of drop-off locations The school climate control group is mentioned again. This is a group of students who initiated the ask me Stickers, I think they were They are now looking for volunteer tutors from UMass Amherst College Hampshire and the Amherst Senior Center to help work with high school students for final exams So there's information about how people can volunteer on this and who to contact Also, I'm going to skip over one for one moment because I'm going to ask mark to come up in just a second and mention a specific update The PGO at the high school is excited to introduce the department showcase program Which is a new service design to support and highlight work of staff and students, so please take a look at this information It's really an exciting opportunity to showcase some of the amazing things that are happening in our schools also this The fifth installment and the high school council Got teens get the facts is coming up and it is the emotional life of teen boys And that will be Thursday December 4th at 7 o'clock at the high school library. Oh Did I say that wrong? It says 4th. Is it the first? Okay. Thank you. Thank you the first So Thursday December 1st at 7 p.m. Let's see Amherst middle school guidance counselors D Boyd and Talib Sadiq are meeting and have been discussing with Representatives from one of the sororities that UMass regarding the emerging young leaders program Which is a nationally recognized mentor program centering around female students Of color at the middle school in high school and provides tools for academic success and leadership So they're hoping to implement a program at the middle school this spring for 10 to 12 girls And then we did have Puerto Rico day recognized at the middle school on Friday November 18th and I know a number of different activities happened and it'd be great if you would just read about those and Ask some middle schoolers Why don't I have a mark would you mind coming up and speaking to the one announcement that would be great to make for our community? Thank you So the other morning I got an email And I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do with it because I didn't know if there was an embargo on such things But I was told that a member of the class of 2008 David Ports was a newly minted recipient of a Rhodes scholarship and Don't remember the other gentleman's name, but keep you may be able to help me on this. We had actually he's the second I think in the last three or four years. There was a young man named Anybody remember this three years ago cross-country runner went to the University of Chicago So It'll come back anyway So the second time in a fairly short a short period in Amherst, Virginia high school graduate has been Has been given a road skull a road scholarship. So David Ports was a class of 2008 When I sent it the notification to the faculty this morning There were lots of buzz in the school because when he was with us He made a very strong impact in terms of kind of the range of his accomplishments and interests And they were from from an active involvement in theater to a real strong activist commitment to Issues having to do with development in South America. So We posted on our website. I think I just And we have this attached to your back is in there, but it's really impressive I think we're very proud of and we're sending him a letter of congratulations on behalf of the entire school committee Great. Thank you mark. Congratulations to David. It's amazing And just a few upcoming things at our elementary schools just of note the second annual Fort River Reads night is scheduled for December 8th. So parents can look online and find this information to join for a book fair and guest speakers and arts and crafts and more and Also, I want to thank the generosity of the PTO at Pellum for every student and staff member are receiving a lime green spirit t-shirt That says be a buddy not a bully. So I know that's a big event in Pellum. So we'd like to thank the PTO for helping out And then also at there's a spirit night. Wildwood is hosting again on Monday, December 5th At the pub in Amherst and it's a special thanks to the collaboration between Aaron Jolly and Wildwood and this is an opportunity for families to get together kids to get together and Meet and raise money, of course the PTO for our students, but just to meet in a less formal setting So I know that Nick and the PTO have been working on having opportunities for families to come together So I think that's it for the updates for tonight Any questions? Okay moving on to the next As you know, I re-established an office of Auden Budsman about a year ago, and I think we have Barry Brooks here to give us an update Thank you. Thank you for coming, Mr. Brooks Did you all receive my report in advance, so you had a chance to look at it So rather than read it to you since you probably have read it, I'm open to answer questions if you have them Yeah, I guess one question I had was how do you families know of Know that there is an Ombudsman person and How to get in touch and things like that How do they learn about it? I'm listed in the school's email Catalog And I also have a phone extension with the ability to receive messages, which I check daily and It's listed in the school's website That there is an Ombuds person and that I'm him and how to reach me And do you also get referrals from guidance counselors and Administrators and not usually firsthand usually they would speak to the parent and suggest that the parent might want to talk with me About whatever the issue is. I also think there's a fair amount of word of mouth of families who have come to talk with Barry and Are able to share that resource with their but it probably is a good reminder to send out updated information to families maybe and one of my Monthly which is going out tomorrow so we can maybe update. Yeah, because I think it's such a great resource for families I'm sorry. I think it's such a great resource for families and to sort of Make sure that everybody knows and you had an opportunity to participate on your way in to school committee And and very you're available It's roughly five hours a week is what we've and you have an office space But you've been very accommodating to meet with parents at times that and families that community members that work for them For whatever reason some folks aren't anxious to come and meet in school. So I've met at Broogers I've met At other places I've gone to some homes So I'm pretty flexible about that. Yes So just kind of in clarification of how your role works one of the things that Interested me is you know based on The past year what has come out to you as being sort of that the big concerns that that people have had and you put them in The bottom of your report, but so what I'm wondering is is your relationship sort of purely with the families or do Do you you know when you see concerns coming out and maybe sort of regular ones? Systematic ones are you then bringing them to the superintendent or bringing them to the appropriate people in the schools or is It does the relationship not really work that way as well No, I had been meeting weekly with the superintendent to share Concerns and I also visit the various schools meeting with administrators sometimes counselors if there's an issue that seems to Require attention then I would go and speak with that person and depending on whether the parent has requested anonymity I could be specific or I can just sort of make it a general issue for their consideration But they can be anonymous in those situations. Absolutely very This and when I looking at your number of contacts just the question I have or are the teacher counselor psychologists Contacts emanating from or starting from the Family contacts that those that's how that those are based on information I've gathered from the parent about what they perceive the issue to be and then when I asked for permission to go back and Uncover more stuff. That's who I end up talking to At this oh, I'm sorry. May I at this point what we've limited at the role is Community and parent of guardians We have not extended to students or staff or anything at this point because we really wanted to see how this would Work out We've had some conversation with Barry helping us out at the school level with potentially students around different topics But we are just starting to take some steps there But we've kept it with within this domain until we really and got a sense of what the need would be I'd like to just say to that it's a very there are very few people who can actually walk the line of hearing people's concerns and then you know Go between the the school system and families and help everyone to sit comfortably in the process, which he does remarkably well Barry I personally want to thank you for taking on this responsibility I can't think of anyone in the community who's better qualified to do this kind of work I have one question. I wanted to ask you though and based on your experience I know you identified two items at the very bottom, but I'm wondering if you've thought about any Structural if that's the right word Changes suggestions that you would make to the school committee on the basis of your experience. What what do we need to think about? Improving what do we think what do we need to think about doing better? Any thoughts along those lines? Well, I can't predict the future, but I would imagine some of that Some of those possible considerations might come out of the MCAS report about how those issues are going to be addressed The Overall performance of all students I think is a concern for us all and there's some areas that need improvement And I think Maria and the various schools and administrators are all working on that and it's a work in progress But folks aren't satisfied with things as they are so I expect that they be addressed and we'll try to do better One more quick point if I may do Can you Give us a number of Students who have approached you or is it all parents and outside community member, you know adults It's all been either parent or parent advocates So far I'm not I haven't been opened up to take Comments or concerns from students directly, but that might come Kristen Thank You mr. Brooks I have two questions One is and they're possible. Well, so the first question is Five hours a week and what's your sense of is that sufficient for the? the purview of Working with community members and parent advocates at this point Well, I think so far it has been some weeks have been busier than others And so some weeks it's only been a couple of hours of actual contact and then other weeks It's been some back-and-forthing once I Hear from the parent Usually then I have to follow up and go and talk to someone at the school and it may require More than one conversation more than one visit, but I think at the moment it's working the second part of my the second question was in your report you Said the the modest number of parents using the services suggests that Teachers concerts administrators are doing an outstanding job of responding to the needs and concerns raised by parents, and I guess I Wonder how that how you came to that conclusion Someone might argue. Well, there's still parents who just don't feel comfortable coming to them So I'm wondering if you know something or can help me think about that in a way that I'm like great Well, I'm going under the assumption that folks who Have something to say or have concerns know of the website know that I exist and Would be comfortable coming forward I'm sure it's possible that there folks who have a bone to pick but aren't willing to pick it publicly or to talk to a stranger About it, but I'm hoping that the word has gotten out that someone's available Who can and will listen? Yeah Of the 17 cases that you had do you keep track of do or do you have a sense of how many got resolved? How many are resolved? To who satisfaction? Yeah, I Would say Most were resolved some There wasn't a resolution for where a parent was stuck on a particular point and Couldn't hear any other solution other than the one that they were interested in but Even at that. I think it's worthwhile for them to have an honest hearing and to think that someone is listening and willing to hear them Some things don't always turn out the way you hope they would but I think most were positively resolved and that's due in large part to the Again the flexibility and the interest on the part of school people If I've heard from a parent and I go to talk to someone They really listen and they look at the situation and see if there's some adjustment that can be made that would work better And I think they honestly try to do that else Something comes to mind very you mentioned that you have to meet or you wanted to meet some parents off-campus Which suggests that people are somewhat reluctant to step inside the schoolhouse That seems to be a problem for quite a long time Is for some people threatening on an uninviting what have you would that be your take and if so Any thoughts on how we can remedy that? I'm not sure that there's remedy some of that has to do with The parents own school experience is not necessarily in this system, but wherever they were and Some folks unfortunately don't see school as a particularly inviting place based on their own history and so a neutral place for them seems to work better But most of the few folks who are willing to come and meet in the school. So it's not a huge issue Okay, if nothing else just I just wanted to Say again, I really think the Not that there's a secret to the work but just that to be a strong communicator and sometimes people do want to feel very well heard and Sometimes it's some of our communications a conversation. We've had on a weekly basis when issues have been coming up for families It's been a miscommunication between the school and the family and sometimes just having an impartial person You know step into and be willing to try to clarify can be very helpful So, you know, I appreciated that. Thank you. Thank you very much. Mr. Brooks for doing this work and coming forward to let us know How it's going Thank you Okay, Amherst regional high school class size report so my framing is a It's a very brief one that first of all I'd like to introduce you to my Thompson who's our interim assistant principal for another week and a half Before he goes back to being an exemplary chemistry teacher But what he has done has been To pick up for Mickey while she's she's on maternity leave And so the report that he's nothing give you is one that she developed So two years ago. She really pushed us on a greater level of transparency on what it is that we represent to you about the state of class size in the high school, so I think Mike has Stepped in and been able to operate on a comparable level and I think we're able to present to you the same level of clarity that We have for the last two years. So with that Mr. Thompson I'd like to thank Andrew Dustin. She's my administrative assistant. She works with Mickey and I and she she put a lot of this together She just did a lot of great work. So You have a copy of the report and I just want to run through some of the highlights and then I'll take questions And if there's anything I can't answer on the spot tonight. I'm happy to come back to you later So just looking at the overall enrollment at the high school last year. We were at 1117 students as of October 1 this year. We're at 1099 So it's a slight decrease of 18 students And one thing I thought that was important to point out was that our project in a moment for this year was 1074 So we're running with 25 more students than we had planned on running and so when I go through some of the class size averages They're a little bigger and I think that's that's definitely part of the part of the reason Another thing I found interesting is the amount that it fluctuates so I did a Quick snapshot in early September and we were at about 1120 which is actually larger than last year The report we submitted to the state at the end of October set our enrollment was 1080 3 And I just checked today and it's at 1090. So there's a fair amount of fluctuation Based on new students coming in and students Just to run through the academic department. So average class size across the academic departments this year is 22.1 Which is a slight increase over last year and when I when I say the four major academics for talking English math science and social studies We're seeing the largest increase in English this year So 43 percent of their classes are over 24 students most of the other departments are in about the 25 percent range and Particular concern is 9th grade English classes which which have a very large average class size across the board In math we see most of the large class sizes in our honors classes algebra pre-calculus and calculus and Algebra honors has actually been kind of a frustrating Course to schedule I've been working in the scheduling office for a few years and we always end up with close to 30 students And 30 is like the most challenging number to deal with as a scheduler because it's really too big for one class and Really not big enough for two classes. So a few years back. We ran two very small sections of algebra one honors This year we made a determination to run one large section. And so it's very close to 30 students And it's not an ideal situation because we want we want students to take a to take a chance in honors And ours algebra when they get to the high school So a large class size can make that more difficult But again, we have to make the decision based on based on those numbers in science Again about 25 percent of our classes are above 24 and we're seeing another bubble in in ninth grade And most of the new students that came to the high school either over the summer or this year have been ninth grade students So that's why we're seeing that that increase in Socialities, I think we actually did a very good job with our ninth and tenth grade classes are very reasonably sized And so I feel good about that the classes that are large tend to be the then 11th and 12th grade elective courses and in world language Just because of our German and Russian programs that are being phased out We have a very large spread in class so we have classes in the low teens Those those programs will be phased out eventually We have some Spanish classes that are there in the high 20s. So that department just in general is It's hard to get an even spread across all all subjects And one other thing I did want to point out was directed studies So we did not have a directed study requirement last year or this year, but we still had 550 students request Directed study or I should say there were 550 blocks of study requested And our grand total was 784 so what happens is a lot of students request study Some some students request more than one and then do the schedule changes You know electives that are filled up. We end up having some students that end up in study They may not have wanted at the beginning, but They get to school and they have four academic classes and they need the extra time to do work or You know, they want to hold out for a different elective And then just as a quick summary So our goal is always to maintain class sizes between 20 and 24 We've tried our best to minimize classes that run that run low and also try to minimize classes that run too high And one thing that Mickey's done Is really helped try to to decrease the range So that if we have six sections of math running we try to keep we try to keep each class about the same size as opposed To having you know one class of 13 and one class of 30 So so by decreasing the number of offerings social studies in English has kind of gone on an alternating program where they They offer some courses odd years and even years It's helped the scheduling because in a trimester. It's difficult to get that range to be consistent And so if I were to look at this year's numbers and come up with an agenda for next year of things that we'd like to look at I'd like to look at ninth grade classes Eight to ninth grade transition is something that's always on our minds. We want our students to be successful And so going into the scheduling season in the winter. I'd like to to Make sure we really consider that that we have much more manageable class sizes for those for those ninth grade students And again, just to keep class sizes consistent as possible I'm happy to take any questions Steve Thank you for the reports really. It's very clear. I guess the first question is How do our class sizes compare with other schools in the state? country It's my sense is they're very low That is a good question that I that I don't have the answer to but I think it's something we should definitely look at Is that you know, we're the level you're talking about is manageable class sizes is smaller Than the class sizes in the intermediate grades in the elementary school and I think the sense is I'm sorry. Can I ask a clarifying question? Yes. So are you talking about the average class size across? Are you talking about in English or I'm just asking for more specific questions? I don't know but I think the average class size in our academic classes is tended to be much lower than Then for most schools where it's it's probably a purchase 30 so But anyway, so You know, we've talked about this before that we have average class size in the high school Academic classes that are smaller than fourth and fifth and sixth grade in many of our schools And that strikes me as backwards way to spend money So and I guess I guess the second one is a comment which is that that I'm not sure why we would want to shoot for a goal of similar class sizes across the disciplines You know, maybe that in a sort of I think there's an English composition class That's very intensive in terms of writing homework. You'd want a smaller class size then perhaps a math class with where the Teacher can can provide support and perhaps has less grading to do I have a class of 66 now and that seems okay, you know, given the way it's taught It's a lot of work on some level So I I mean, I know there's an equity piece that everyone wants to have the same class size, but it seems that The desirability of different class sizes really should depend upon the level of course because that enables us to then use our resources more wisely and I guess the third one concerns IMP and I'm could could you Say how many of the IMP students in ninth grade are in honors? Because I don't think they're not broken up this year. I Don't think I can do that at this point. I mean I can do I could certainly do it When I get to my computer. Oh, no, no, but you know, I mean, I think it's it's sort of an example of the you know of the complexity of running two parallel math sequences, which is You know, if there's 20 or so IMP students and honors then that would give 50 students who wanted to do honors math in ninth grade and then you have two classes of 25 and It seems to it places less pressure when we have these two two parallel tracks with With fairly small high school then it you it's not surprising that you get to these bumpy points We either have a really big class or two really small classes So I would hope that that we can work on making sure we have you know that we make choices In terms of our math curriculum at some point soon Well, I want to address the second point that you made so so we're not looking for a blanket average class size across the school I guess what I was trying to say was For like honors chemistry. I want all six sections of honors chemistry to have the same class I don't want that range to be to be thrown up by design. We do make some classes smaller So in English we try to make the writing classes more towards 20 And the literature classes more towards 24 25 Doesn't always work out that way, but we try to do that as best we can No, I understood that it doesn't look like you know the math in the English and social studies They're fairly tight. In fact, the English is a little bit bigger this year Which does seem yeah, but that's that's somewhat troubling. Yeah So I just Steve let me just make some larger points of principle without trying to parse the parse the question So I'm unapologetic About class size being The driving goal of our discussions about budget over the last five years. We've aspired to this And if it is the case that other places haven't been able to do that I'd like that not to cast the cloud over the fact that we have Because I think it's probably true that people at the high school level who are who have class sizes of 30 would wish that they had Our circumstances Right, and so I just I just want to be clear about that. I want to be unapologetic. We didn't back our way into this This isn't by the fault. This is by design. We've tried to Use the resources even as they shrunk to focus on this very thing And so the fact that it against the backdrop of a national average We may come up looking better than most people in America I'm okay Right, and I wish to the extent that I have sympathy for my my brethren across the country I wish they were in the same situation that we have but I'm willing to do without a whole lot of other things In order to be able to come before you on an annual basis and say that these are the numbers that that we've hit and And just just another point just just to keep it complicated. I Think I think we'd be hard-pressed to make a case that that That there are some subjects that are less labor-intensive in terms of what it requires of teachers To sustain a high level of quality in addition to providing intense level of feedback to kids on a fairly regular basis So that's that's that's an assumption that I make coming into the conversation And so that argues for making sure that everybody has access to these kinds of numbers across the correct Else can I can I just respond? Yeah, as long as nobody else Okay, I appreciate that I guess the point I would make is to is one it is I think that as a school committees And particularly as the Amherst members who who recommend the allocation of money I think we have to think about you know We have kindergarten class sizes now that are 21 2022 which are the same as High school average class sizes and I happen to think that the research is overwhelmingly clear That smaller classes are more important in kindergarten And I can appreciate that that the high school would like to keep class sizes low But I think as as a group. It's our job to allocate the money where it's you know where it's going to be most effective And I think the second thing is That we have a system at the high school which raises class size for the same amount of money with the same number of teachers and classes By about two students per class something on that order by having the trimester system instead of the instead of a seven course semester system each Seven courses each semester and I think again that's something we have to keep in mind. So I Think there are many ways to allocate workload across disciplines and across time in classes and for us across the levels of Education by kids age, and I think that that's you know, it's something that we need to keep in mind So I don't know if this is really an enrollment question, but it brings up the question So when I look at the enrollment for the world languages Some of them are Combined honors non honors some of them are separate and you know, you take a look at French for example the non honors French one or tiny classes 10 10 in each section So I'm just kind of curious what drives the decision to either combine the course as honors non honors Or keep them separated. Is it you know purely a scheduling numbers thing? Or is there any sort of educational philosophical decision-making that goes into this? there's there's both so Especially with the world language we take the number of FTE that we have and and we try to distribute them Even as possible to try to cover the classes based on the feedback from teachers There's certain classes that work well combined and there's some that don't But it does change every year. It's not set that you know French to will always be combined with with French to Honors it does change from year to year and it's really trying to get at the the best combination of class size and Ability to differentiate in that classroom because it's really challenging I'm not actually sure how the world language teachers are able to do it because they they are able to get all these students To master languages in in circumstances that other other teachers don't have to face But it really is a combination of the two and we have we have a history of you know This class really doesn't work well taught in a different section I Am thank you for the report. I think it's unfortunate that our discussion of class size Happens in isolation of anything else We talk about efficiency of class size We don't talk about what happens inside those classes And my my hunch is that the smaller classes lend themselves to the kind of best practices that most of the contemporary research suggests would Be beneficial for students smaller classes allow teachers to much won't say easier, but Make it somewhat easier to differentiate instruction smaller classes and larger classes Which to me strikes me as that's efficient if young students are achieving At a high level. I assume that as Maria moves forward with her initiatives to Change the culture of the district that Such things as best practices will become commonplace in teachers Conversations with one another and those kinds of things are much better instituted in smaller classes and in large Auditorium size classes. I would much rather teach and try my hand at differentiating instruction Even in classes that are supposed to be homogeneous There's a difference in Abilities of those kids, so I think I think you're on the right track and I applaud it Alright, so let's go through Directed studies and the first thing I would like to do is get some common grounder Would you define what directed studies are? So directed studies a period where a student is in a room with a teacher and they're expected to do work and The teachers available for help if that's necessary and sometimes it works well You know you might have chemistry homework, and you happen to be in study with a chemistry teacher, and that works really well Other times not When I have studies typically if I have 25 students in a study Six seven or eight of them are going elsewhere. They're going to meet with other teachers They're going to the computer lab to type up reports. They're going to the library to do research It's basically time in the day for students to do work And the students that request it tend to be busy after school. They tend to be athletes They tend to have jobs and so they use that time to to stay ahead so how would you best characterize it as Sophisticated kind of independently operated and directed study hall so Sophisticated is not an adjective That I would generally associate this so this is a block of time in a student's day For them to utilize in a way that hopefully supports Their ability to be effective students So the range of options that Mike just laid out or we have systems for all that different color code passes expectations But you can sit and do work You can get up and out go see a teacher go do research get yourself to a computer lab There are lots of ways there are lots of options that are presented to kids in order for them to maximize Maximize the time but sophisticated Probably not the adjective of you It's just a time that's available for a range of options for kids to exploit in order to in order for them to advance themselves academically So it seems feels feels like we're just warming up here. I mean is I wanted I want to come back to you I mean, no, I just you When I see it as and correct mirrors is a block of time That's student-driven. I this they selected elected correct and which they can do other things that would help them to Advance their studies right during the day, right? So I just I'm a little leery about this kind of kind of devolving into the conversation We had about directed studies a year ago a year and a half ago, right? So I just I'm just trying to burn off as much mist as I possibly can and say it's a block of time in the day right for kids to Call time out on other things and focus on on on their academics I brought it up because we did have this long we sure did Discussion last year and I just want to make sure that we covered some bases now rather than later I also just want to say that I appreciate maintaining Smaller class sizes because if we're truly committed to meeting the needs of every single child a teacher has to be able to measure and each class How that student is acquiring the information that he or she is? Teaching and that becomes increasingly difficult if you have large numbers of students in the classroom And it's not just you know in three weeks We take a test because that does not catch kids when they're struggling So if we're really going to do that work, we have to have class sizes that make it manageable to differentiate and measure You know take a sample of how kids are doing every single day and that is a challenge I just wanted to be clear that the direct study that enables students to have Access to resources that after school before school they might not be able to get to like to get back to the library We're taught to teachers, so it's no they would be the same resources They would have access to it before the day at the end of the day They would also this is another way for them to access of them during the day as well But but they wouldn't be different at the front of what they would encounter at the front end of the day Or the back end of the day right kids have access to computers they have access to the library They have access to teachers But there's not like a block of time set out for those things in the morning the afternoon is there You know like this is a good. Yeah, so the library is open to four o'clock Right and on the days that with three days a week. We have laid buses Kids can be in the library up until five or four and scoot outside and get on the bus So so there are those upper options at the end of the day the library and Gracious soul that she is gets it very early and opens the place up and as soon as kids come They can get in the library If there's no other questions Can I ask a follow-up? I mean Sounds to me like this like a study hall with some options and and I guess the question is given the length of our school day And the fact that looks like about something in the order of two-thirds of our students are taking a direct to study as one of their 15 trimester courses. I think it's about about 700 or It's um what I have there a number of blocks So so a student that takes it three times gets counted three times in that number So I don't know that it's a third. There's I mean, I think we have to I think we're risking something If we have multiple students taking more than one direct to study and that is there's minimum class times Rules in the state and in the and The idea that that directed study is different than a study hall I mean, this is real gray area because it sounds to me like a study hall and It sounds to me like like we may have some difficulties So so I think this is an issue that merits further attention Because we have to abide by the law and I think we have to to to abide by the fact that Students have to meet the minimum time and class requirements in the state of Massachusetts So, you know, I can't end on that note I Got I got to come back to you right so I guess So can we just agree this will be the last comment to move back because we because I got all these good folks I need to get to work tomorrow so Irv use the word sophisticated So let me go to the other end of the game This is this is a non sophisticated deal and Steve I'm going to change the name of this right We're not gonna call it directed and study me because I think it contributes to the confusion, right? And I wasn't here when it originated. I'm not quite sure I can argue for that But I'm gonna strip it of the modifier so I wish I had a guidance counselor here right now who could tell the story of kids who feel like they need to take five AP courses and Never take a break all day long. Those kids are a mess So I just give you that little snapshot to say that it's not bad to have a break in the day It doesn't represent the end of civilization as we know it It doesn't represent a decline of standards It's just useful to kids to call time out to catch up because a lot of them are doing lots of other things after school It's just it's just smart Right, and that's the context in which I'd like for this whole thing to rest if it is the case that numerically If there is a kid as Mike said that may be taken three in a row that's getting dangerously dangerously close or is even even You know crossed over and has has a minute total that doesn't match up to this date I would agree with you. That's a problem. Do I have an answer to that? Or do I have a sense of where we are at that? I don't but in general I think this is a good thing and the only key difference is that three years ago. We required it We've been out of that game for two years. This is by choice Thank you for your time Okay, why don't we move on to? course proposals Thanks Mike Thank you very much Mike and Thank you for everything as you enter back into the classroom those test tubes have never looked better We have appreciated all of your work, and I know the budget subcommittee has felt the same with the work that you brought forward So I will applaud you Thank you So I'd like to call Simon Lutz up and in doing so I just want to acknowledge the folks who are sitting behind We have three of our department heads here tonight And I It's I like the opportunity to be able to say publicly particularly on television that this is an exemplary group Not just three folks that I have here in general but the level of leadership in the building that's exhibited by the department heads I think is exemplary and we could not carry the high school forward without the work of these folks So I'm happy for the opportunity for them to be here and show off a little bit right because I think they're probably a well-kept secret so what we're the next phase that we're going to is New courses right and and before if your head is starting to drift in The direction because you know we've been shrinking the size of program studies that we're reversing field and we're expanding We're going to address that through the courses of the presentation But the image I just like to leave with you as we start is that These are three people who with their departments have done a lot of really smart thinking about how it is given the financial Circumstance that we we are in we continue to enrich The program studies, so I think you're going to hear three very smart attempts to continue to push ourselves And address the needs of kids and while at the same time working within the confines of the budget So we're going to begin with Simon Lutz the social studies department He's going to speak to the question or speak to the course which we've entitled modern African history Thank you. Yeah, so everybody should have our course proposal in hand and I'll walk you through it a little bit in just a Moment, but just to give you a sense of where this course proposal is coming from I We've talked in our department. I've spoken about this with mark And it's a process that began about 18 months ago. I think so it's been quite deliberate and carefully thought out We we as I've perceived it many of my department have perceived it have had a hole in our curriculum And that is we offer European history. We offer Latin American history. We offer Asian history We do teach African history in our world civ class, but it's ancient and medieval So there seem to be this gaping is probably too strong But you know at least a significant hole in our offerings for 11th and 12th graders when it came to history and so this course is meant to sort of Complete our offerings when it comes to Our history offerings in the different, you know major regions of the world So like I said, it's a process that began about 18 months ago I've worked on this but two other teachers in my department as well Sam camera and Sherry Abbott have helped me consistently through the way actually they're probably the ones with more of a Academic background in the modern African history than myself But I was there as department head and also to make sure that the course remained consistent with the other offerings that we have in our department Along the way. We also consulted Quite frequently with a couple of scholars from the area African history scholars joy bowman who some of you may know from UMass In the African history department and another professor at Mount Holyoke whose name is Holly Hansen that we've had several meetings with so We consult with them at sort of the beginning of the process as we gathered resources And talked about what this curriculum would look like and then Especially with joy sort of vetted with her at the end of the process as well to make sure that it looked consistent with her sort of scholarly Standards and I So that's the sort of basic background rationale sort of how we got here I would say too that I think offering this is consistent with our social justice mission in the district and at the high school This is a story at modern African history as you probably are well aware That includes oppression And and but also the struggle against that and sort of for the human spirit of liberation and independence Which we'll talk about in the course So I think this is also a course that fits well in that in that respect to our mission as a school So if you look at the the proposal You know if you flip to the sort of second page with the program description I guess I'll just walk you really quickly through the various units that are there And if you have any questions about it at the end, I'm happy to take some questions as well and answer what I can so The first unit is on it's we call it introduction and African geography maybe a little bit misleading because What this well, we're gonna look at geography and we're gonna do map work and all that stuff But really what this is about is trying to confront I think some misconceptions and stereotypes that students might enter the class with about Africa Students don't tend I know this from teaching 9th grade in our unit on ancient and medieval Africa. That's Excuse me students don't tend to appreciate the sort of richness and diversity of the African continent It's sort of they come with the sort of Lion King Discovery Channel version of Africa in their minds when you ask them sort of what comes to mind when you think about Africa And so this is about confronting a lot of that And trying to correct some of those misconceptions and have students appreciate. There's the geographic climate religious cultural diversity of the continent The second unit is gonna be about the slave trade So again, it's a modern African history, and I don't think I also said this It's also gonna be a sub-saharan African history course. So North Africa is gonna be We decided was just too much to sort of you know to take on this course when we have a trimester to do it Second it's gonna be on the slave trade Look at the transatlantic slave trade And I know this is a topic that students have looked at before, but I think what we hope to do in this unit is Look at it from a different perspective, and that is from the African perspective students typically have they understand the the Middle Passage They understand and they've looked at slavery in the Americas But they haven't necessarily looked at the impact that slavery and the slave trade had on African societies And that's what we hope to do in that particular unit The third unit and we sort of get those first two units are gonna be fairly brief You know three or four days apiece We're moving to the meat of the course, which is gonna be on colonial and imperialism and imperialism and then on liberation and independence movements the colonialism and imperialism movements gonna look at you know investigate both the Causes and motivations for the colonial era The Consequences it had on African societies and African people it's gonna focus on looking at this sort of the varying economic and political Systems imposed on Africa by Europeans And then also the response that that Africans had to those to those systems including Resistance to colonialism during that era In the liberation and independence movement Unit we're look at the role of African nationalist and pan-African movements and bring an end to colonial rule in Africa We'll trace the evolution of that and it is a revolution from the earliest moments of colonialism through the Cold War and even beyond Look at what's often called the second liberation in Africa, which was the wave of democratic elections that swept the continent in the 90s This unit will also include look you know looking at South Africa and the African National Congress long struggle against apartheid in South Africa That that will be that will be the meat of that unit The fifth piece of the course the fifth unit we have lifts here is a research project one of the things that Is a mission of our department in general is teaching Research and analytical writing So this course consistent with that That goal will include a research paper student driven select a research topic within modern African history So students are driven here Develop a research question a thesis to answer it the supporting evidence They need outlined that typically and presented in a formal analytical research paper So again, that's pretty fairly consistent across our electives that they include that kind of skills work In the courses that we teach and then finally we'll conclude with a unit on Contemporary issues and the sort of challenges facing the continent today things like globalization disease especially HIV AIDS Role of women food insecurity global warning warming genocide ethnic conflict Those are some of the issues that will help to sort of confront in that unit And I think a special emphasis on the the potential for progress I don't think we want to have students leave the course feeling like the problems facing Africa are overwhelming But really focus on potentials for progress possibilities for change In the and future success in the region moving forward It is going to be a course that will be we call it heterogeneously grouped So there will be honors and non-honor students In the same classroom together with honor students typically working with differentiated materials, you know typically more sophisticated reading assignments Sometimes unique assignments to honor students and even assignments that that are common between honors and non-honors You know in differentiated expectations in terms of a research project that might be a long piece of writing You know more sources required from the research More depth of analysis and detail from their evidence and things like that So it will be grouped in that way which again is pretty much the norm across our electives in the high school social studies department So that's the the general gist of the course and overview Mark did talk about no Okay questions I'm happy to answer any Not a question well to a comment than a question I've been hearing about this gap in the curriculum for a long time So I think it's great that that the school is finally addressing it but the one thing I've never really understood about Asian history, and I don't understand about Modern African history either is it's a one trimester course which feels to me like you're barely scratching the surface And I don't understand why those types of courses aren't offered as Trimesters I I guess to answer the question You know they were taught originally in a semester configuration most of these courses where we had 16 weeks as opposed to 12 And so by default when we moved to Trimesters they they were you know they got sort of Shortened in that respect It's the system that's existed I think we appreciate it and want to provide students with in their juniors and senior year a Sort of wide range of things to choose from offering these in a semester or a trimester Configuration allows them to choose from the sort of widest range of content and experiences I Agree sort of would I think it might be ideal to offer these in a in a year-long kind of setting you know to trimester or year-long setting but It would the flip side or the downside of that is they wouldn't be able to experience as you know for Let they'd only get two electives as opposed to four Yes, I Don't know this. I'm asking is there is there currently taught at the high school in African-American history course There's no African-American history course. No We're very careful to include the African-Americans experience in the US course the US history course that we teach But we don't have a unique African-American history course. No, man. It's interesting because you're dealing with Africa the entire continent of Africa and African history Modern African history is very difficult for Me to look at that and be an African-American and a classic. Hey It would be seem to be some logical connection between the two And if you just start stop at modern Africa And you and you're talking about the slave trade, but you never hit The African-American history then it seems like there's Some kind of disconnect I Guess our philosophy on that is that we've wanted to teach the African-American experience as part and parcel of the American History experience and so it's it's a it's Critical to what we're teaching in our US history course From you know what we teach in the reconstruction to the civil rights movement The African-American experience in our US history course is critical to that so There's one philosophy that says We could separate it out, but I feel like something would be lost then in our US history course If somehow we extracted the African-American experience from that and taught it separately And I guess I could buy both sides of that Because when I look at it, especially if you're talking about about such a large and important sections of history You just mentioned the reconstruction movement Reconstruction era, which is in of itself a year-long course sure and then you're dealing with the civil rights movement in of itself A year-long absolutely. Yeah, then when you talk about pre-American history as it, you know Entwines itself with African African history Of course in itself. I mean, it's sort of like this whole long line of things that you're dealing with and I can understand Why you wouldn't wouldn't want to segment and if I had you know in terms of where I what the way I look at it In terms of getting where you want to go in terms of social justice and inclusiveness, etc It seems to me if you had one course that was African-American history where all students were taking it You would get the same results that you're trying to get by combining there, too Thank you. More comments Steve. Yeah, I too appreciate this course And it's interesting Looking at our list of social studies courses and I hear great things about social studies department It's a kind of eclectic and unusual list and I think that there's two other gaps that strike me as very important And that is there's no course that focuses on Asia As far as I know on Asia, we have an Asian history. Oh you do have an Asian history.  Oh rotate courses that and do you have a course that focuses on North Africa or? We deal with North Africa in our World Civ course not necessarily it with the modern North Africa or the modern Middle East? But definitely through the medieval period so again if there was I think I'd agree with you Steve that there was Another sort of gap here. It would be the modern Middle East including North Africa And I imagine you cover some of it in in the current global issues global issues international relations We do look at the Middle East and modern right, but I hope you I know you're gonna undertake a review I think you're next yeah, and I hope that would be an area. Yeah, thank you Thought and and I guess you know given the fact that the school is probably gonna continue shrinking in enrollment given the demographics going forward That's some difficult choices might have to be made. Yeah, no, I agree. Yeah Nothing else. Why don't we move along? Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you So I asked in moody or the math department had to come up so I Just want to say one thing before we talk about statistics one and two so if I was gonna say if you were here in September, and I know you were all here in September, but Steven I had to Go around in terms of framing the review of the math department at the high school and I think that conversation is going forward And so I think we had a shared interest in making sure that we could settle the question about taking a heart systematic look at the math offering at the high school Here's what I would ask of you though tonight Right, it would not serve our interest I think as a collective not just minor James But for the discussion of statistics to be used as a plan platform to launch us back into that larger conversation Right, so I don't want to say that I don't want to say that this we're going to decontextualize The the conversation about these particular courses But I do want the the conversation to be more specific than than general because if we go there We'll never get out of here, right? And I really need some closure on this because we're going to press Okay, so if you do that for us that would help so so Jane, please So I want to focus on three areas in my presentations first I want to give you a little background of why Statistics is our focus right now in the math department sort of our current situation of statistics in our Curriculum and then finally a look to the future where we where we want to head so in 1989 the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics published a document called the curriculum and evaluation standards for K through 12 and They called for a greater emphasis on the study of probability and statistics They revised it in 2000 again. The billion statistics is a dominant strand there. So fast forward to today Massachusetts has adopted the national common core standards for mathematics and probability is Statistics is one of the six major concept conceptual strands in the framework So we have a national call for it and a state call to have this in our curriculum Besides that we feel we have a responsibility because our students are bombarded by data and statistics on a daily basis And so we feel we need to develop their understanding so that they can make Informed choices and really understand their world at large So we also have a lot many students of course go to college and many of our college majors Require statistics and so we would like to give our students the basis to be successful in those courses So we've identified a real need in our curriculum So our current situation in our curriculum is that probability and statistics is well developed in the IMP curriculum There's a strand that runs through all four years there It is absent in our traditional pathway except for we currently offer a one trimester elective course called math modeling So we're proposing sort of a short-term plan and then We'll look to I'll talk about where we want to go from there So the short-term plan with hat would have an immediate effect on some of our current students we'd like to build on our math modeling course and Extended to two trimesters and rename it to introduction to statistics one and two this would open that the Math modeling course to a wider range of students So right now that course is you typically Access by students that have finished algebra two in their junior year and they take math modeling in combination with trigonometry to make a year math course So this proposal would open it up to students that also finished Pre-calculus and AP calculus in their junior year. So it would give a senior year course offering to these students The other strand is not appropriate for them because they've already taken the trigonometry And so we've also deemed that a one trimester course is not enough to meet the framework It would be offered Heterogeniously grouped so college prep and honors level together The data analysis would be more sophisticated for the honors level student and it would be available for 11th and 12th graders so Right now we have Students accessing the math modeling and the trigonometry. So we'd like to add the one trimester So that we can offer it to a wider range of students And we really believe that this will be a low-cost Temporary solution because we'll have a shift of students within our courses So some students that might have taken trigonometry now Will decide to take the second half of the statistics course Some students that finished pre-calculus don't want to go on to calculus will then take this as their senior year level course so our next step then is to hopefully do away with these courses and Integrate probability and statistics into our traditional curriculum And really following the Massachusetts frameworks. That's the call that we need to answer So that all our students will have a rich foundation to build upon so we've had lots of conversations over the past few years about a Including AP statistics to our course offerings. We're not ready to make that recommendation yet We'd like to wait because we really feel like we need to build this foundation in our students so that they are Successful in this course We'd really like to Follow the gaze report that outlines developing the level three levels of statistical understanding over time and also the new frameworks which also calls for that because They would like you to integrate it into the algebra geometry and algebra to or if you're in an integrated pathway the first three years So We would like to eventually look to AP statistics as a capstone experience for a large variety of our students So AP statistics could be accessed for any student that had finished algebra to or I am P3 and beyond So the last thing that I sort of want to call your attention to are the curriculum maps the first curriculum map is our current math Modeling course so my colleagues bill Blatner who has developed this course over probably the past five years and Need a coach and Josh Nugent met this summer and They looked at the current state of the math modeling course. They revised it They incorporated the frameworks into the course and then This fall we extended the course to look at the second trimester Happy to answer any questions First of all, I'm wondering about your apparent confidence that students who've received a C or better in algebra to succeed Stat one So If you look at the recommendations for AP statistics course, they Recommend that students would be ready for this course if they had mathematical maturity and were successful in algebra, too so And based on our past experience in this course those students that have Been in the course from algebra to with a C minus or better have been successful Sure, so there would be daily homework and daily classwork that Usually students do presentations on so there's a group discussion of What the homework was a previous night and then various students are asked to present their groups findings on those particular questions And then the classwork is a similar experience where students work on classwork in a group setting and Then they give presentations on that particular classwork the portfolio is Is something that's to that been developed over time where The teacher would ask very specific questions or extension questions about a homework or classwork The student would submit that particular piece. The teacher would give some feedback on it, it's a formative assessment and So this the teacher would give Some sort of grading skill like a one two or three three means you're right on you met expectations. You're great You get a two. I need you to revise this. I need you to rework it rethink it I want you to come in and work with me before we get to the end result the portfolio, which would be a summary assessment so the idea behind the portfolio is all the upfront work is done and Then you're summarizing in your portfolio all of your learning and it is the last opportunity to show That you've met expectations where you haven't met them before and I'm unsure of the project Your blatner is here who has developed this course Thank you Okay, hi So there are a number of projects, but This is Bill Blatner. He teaches math advice So one in particular Has to do with production variation Statistics are very important in industrial processes. So for example, we have students design a container that will hold a certain weight of material and they have to Design the container as best they can and then they have to Fill it without weighing what's in it about I think we did 30 trials So they make a container they think it holds let's say 20 grams of something and then this is our best container They fill it weigh it I'm sorry They fill it 20 times and they weigh all those and they look at the distribution of the weights And then they have to say something about they have certain design targets They're trying to get an average weight within a certain tolerance So they never hit it because there's so many sources of error, but they're analyzing this to say how well did we hit it? How far are we from the target? How far are we from the top target tolerances and then analyzing sources of error to see how could we improve the design and go To a next round so that's a fairly major project They spend most of a week doing all the work of making this Analyzing it and then producing a report and so that's a major grade as part of that And there are a few different projects like that that especially in the second trimester that we're envisioning They're really Part of the part of the the way I would characterize The way we do the way we're going to work with honors and non-honor students is I Consider this basically an honors course and we're going to teach all of this at a very high level and We're going to do everything that we can to support The kids who are taking it at a CP level to access as much as they can on this So We're not going to say okay. This is what CP students do and then here are the extensions for the honors kids This is difficult this kind of thinking and my experience is that the kids who are taking it for honors are well challenged by these ideas and So by working in a heterogeneous format everybody's working together And I would say that the difference is in the rubrics that we use and the level of sophistication that we're expecting in the reports But we're not actually differentiating the the the content and saying You're going to do something different Yeah, the skills and the concepts are the same we want everybody to be exposed to The highest level at least have exposure to it So I got a couple questions, but the first one really relates to this tolerance thing Do you give them the tolerance variable first? We gave them the tolerances. We said your target you're already giving them the tolerance right? We want you to make a Container that holds 20 grams plus or minus point four grams 95 percent of the time Excellent anyway, um, I you know, I first Considered statistics Greatest amount of fun you can have with our glasses. Anyway And also considered to be the most probably one of the most fundamental courses that all of us should have knowledge of And the other thing is it's also a course statistics is a course Where a great amount of knowledge? Can be accessed with the least amount of mathematical knowledge take that Think about it because You can do you know experimental and quasi-experimental exam and multivariate analysis and and do regression to the means to your eyes to fall out but Basically, you know, they're all they're only they're only a certain for night number of concepts that you're dealing with And those concepts are basic to the understanding of Our world as we know it Especially when and the knowledge at any human being walking this earth especially in in in our country to be able to sit down and Read When someone says is plus or minus error. What is a 3% error? What does that mean? What's the standard DV? I mean all those are things that we all need because all the information coming off of the internet is given to you But if you don't know how to Interpret that and I consider that to be a primary function. So I implore you That not only go into the deeper parts of that require, you know That look at Statistics as this great big field You know one going on for a PhD and to be able to design an experiment and do a dissertation, etc Right below that is That which we all need to know and all of our students need to be exposed to And I really would implore that we that our kids should not come out of high school Not having that basic information and knowledge. Okay, we should keep moving along So if there's no other questions Steve one more. Yeah, I to applaud this that you're bringing this course to lots of people I have a few Comments having taught this this is about the hardest course That students have to take to really get an understanding. I mean, it's not so hard to be able to memorize things But it's really hard to get an understanding of what? Stochastic variation means I guess Understand the desirability of heterogeneous classes But it probably means that you're limiting the tools the mathematical tools that you could be teaching to some kids Who might be ready for more as opposed to some kids ready for less and I guess I imagine you've thought about it but I Would ask you to think about it some more because I know there's a value in heterogeneous heterogeneous classrooms but I think that we moved from heterogeneous classrooms to separate kind of honors econometrics and Regular econometrics and Amherst College for precisely that reason and the students actually see much happier now on both levels Maybe very different at the high school level But or but my guess is the range of preparation is actually wider in the high school than it is at Amherst College I Am struck by by the number of topics you're trying to cover. It seems like an awful lot and I wonder if I mean since Really the basic thing is to get people to understand that that what they observe is something that's that's sort of not set in stone But it's you know a random variable if so many topics are gonna get in the way That being said, I think there is one topic that I didn't see on here, which is kind of a random assignment experiment And I find that that even in economics where we have very few random assignment experiment experiments Understanding random assignment experiments is a nice Foundation for understanding observational data and the differences So I would I would ask you to think about that and then the final one gets to something kip-assed about Which is in terms of methods of assessment. I don't see any exams here and And I just wonder and I worry That you may not get we get a good sense of what students are actually Understanding and learning because it seems to me that what we want to do In the spirit of investigations is one that we don't them to memorize formulas We want them to think about how to actually answer questions and That are different than they've seen before so I Don't ask your answers now. I just hope you think about it, but I agree. This is extremely important and very difficult Okay, we can yeah, Catherine. Yeah, I just wanted to follow up Steve and had a comment Because I actually think the hey, oh genius Classes make enormous sense in a high school In that I mean, I wouldn't be as excited as Irv to take this class Strength but But I think to be able to offer it to a wide range of kids Together, I like the idea of working in teams. I think you learn a lot from other kids and You know, obviously the population in a public high school is going to be very different from Amherst College So it's hard to make that comparison, but I So I really applaud it and I think I agree with Irv that it's very important for kids To come out with a sense of it in high school So that if they decide to go and take Steve's course in Amherst College, they're More prepared to go deeper, so thank you Okay, thank you very much So lastly we have Hannah Hartle who's the chair of our visual arts department and Our topic is Advanced drawing and painting So the art department would like to propose two new courses. They are advanced painting and advanced drawing which Is an area that we have a curricular gap at the high school. We have a lot of introductory courses Students complete them and then they have there are 20 per year that have a choice of taking the portfolio class At the end. So there's not there's not a lot in the in between. So we've Learned that the portfolio class first of all only meets a small number of kids And that there are some juniors that have already finished. They've completed What there is at the high school and so they go on to do Alpses which are alternative learning programs and but they're consistently that there's similar kids Take the opportunity to design that present it. It's a self-initiated Course so it takes a certain type of kid Which is not a very even playing ground playing field. So The proposal is to have the courses meet Concurrently within the introductory classes. So presently there'll be many Alps students with an introduction introductory class and Instead of that having it be a clear course that kids sign up for So we taught with different curriculum same teachers. So it's not adding any sections to our To our department and the materials are the same materials. It's just that instead of having it be Randomly designed Alps is it would be a curriculum. That's set and students sign up for That's it. So there's no budget change. There's no new teachers. There's no new materials. It's just We've seen that in our comparison schools students applying with a portfolio that doesn't include any advanced Painting or drawing just doesn't isn't the same as something that says independent study So right we feel like it So So I have so one question is this just One I'm having a hard time understanding how There's an advanced class and an interclass going on at the same time. Maybe I'm misunderstanding that but that I That is what happens. It's the same class. We have multiple courses like that at the high school. There's the Woodtex have one two three and four in the same So so we're not going there, but But it already happens right now at the high school. So there's there can be three Alps students sitting with the 26 intro Drawing class and then three Alps students that are And in each doing three different independently designed Like says which is kind of chaotic it adds it makes the class, you know, 30 kids in the room So we have to kind of say no, which is really hard when the kid is you know at their heart said I'm going to art school, but they can't Get into a class that meets that need So they do happen at the same time and there is a different curriculum for the advanced level and can so If you're formalizing it sounds like that's that's really what it is. It's taking the Alps and then saying okay We're formalizing it. We're calling it this on your transcript that way I can imagine you'll Your then the need or the desire for that class will go up. So it won't be three Alps kids It'll be 12 and so I want to say I support this I think it's great me and I'm worried that you're gonna have to At some point it may very well be an additional class, which maybe we need to do But I'm wondering if there's been thought about kind of the future Yep, and we did think about what would happen if it went the other direction if that became one of the drawing class So presently there's two drawing classes and two Painting classes and so it would it would take up a chunk of those two glasses So yes, we would assume that those two would rise, but they're not So they could if it went the other direction and we had one only needed a certain number of foundations classes so there are three foundations classes of 2d foundations, so maybe those would could would shrink I don't know where it would really happen. I guess we just really mostly need to see but right now there's a big gap of kids and whose needs are not being met who have taken all the courses and Mostly that their portfolios the portfolio class has art schools that come and present and tell them what they need to be in it And we're not meeting that need so we've got this Figure-drawing club after school to meet that need, you know, and we're trying to boost their portfolios up But we're not doing it adequately and I and I really like the the idea that this is a This is it's making a course so anyone can see it and take it versus saying oh, I want to design my own things Because it's not an it's not Doesn't ensure equal access right now because it's the parents who are pushing it or the kid who has been there already And it's that's not really fair You see this a similar type of kid Doing those independent studies Two questions one is We don't currently offer an AP port the portfolio class is not an advanced placement course And it seems that this is a group of students who are often very different than the students who are in other AP courses And an AP course might also be advantageous for getting it to Pratt or RISD Because it sounds like this is in part a renaming to help kids have a stronger Have a stronger transcript even though they're gonna be doing some ways some other things because the our teachers already doing this So why not an AP class that would help that could also help help our students get in You know, it's a good question I think it's there's a step before the AP class because our students I don't our students are not ready to go from There still needs to be the advanced painting class and drawing class before you could take an AP class and really meet the AP needs So if you look at the what the requirements are for that AP class, I Don't think our students can jump from one to the from intro to the AP So I think we still need to build the foundation and we would love to have So It's really it's not that the out students are doing are already doing what it's not it's not really rearranging it because they're not actually They're kind of their curriculum is self-made. It's you know made individually after school with the teachers It's not they're not following a hard core or something that is really pushing them right beyond So I support that and I also I appreciate the fact that you're sort of Treating the AP class and respecting the prerequisites that are necessary In my second comment I'm not quite sure how to put this but when I look at the enrollments of kids And I look at the at the art classes we offer I get the sense that it's clear that art and music and theater are not part of the core At the high school, maybe they're not part of the core at many high schools But it seems to me that that's a place where we could have heterogeneous classes at the core of the high school And our kids could come out with a lot more knowledge about things that is valuable in life So you talk about expanding courses to the students who are really interested in the arts But what is the thought about expanding students to integrate? These areas of the curriculum more centrally into the curriculum And there's no art history class There's one or maybe there is but it wasn't listed this year And there's not even sort of what looks like performance class that that lots of students are taking And so I guess I guess I'm I'm puzzled given some of the values of our community And maybe it's not very different than many schools, but but I would it would be interested in seeing some Suggestions in that direction. So I just want to check for understanding. I'm not sure I'm not sure I I think the state that I've aggressive Your intent so this is less about The proposals that are being this is not a criticism. This is just an opportunity We have we have someone from the art department here, right? So it's about to the extent to do we at the high school take courses in the visual of performing arts and have them as a graduation requirements That would be a thought right Or as a as a core course I mean I could imagine a year-long course in the in the you know art history and performance art integrated from across the world that all of our students would take and I don't know how much that goes on at other places, but we never have a chance to talk about the arts in here So I guess I'd be interested in in your thoughts You know as the four our teachers we have right now, we're very sorry where we are We would be very willing to go down that road of having there be an art requirement and Are often talking about the fact that our comparison schools all have had art requirements for a long time and that that would be great Whether or not it was one big foundations class because we have you know a lot of foundations classes 2d and 3d that loads of especially freshman and sophomores, but even juniors and seniors take and I think that it would be wonderful if every kid had to take a class One statistic that I don't know is what percentage of kids at Amherst high school do not take an art class In if you include all the arts is in music drama dance and all the visual arts and you know The clothing and the wood carving class It'd be interesting to know how many of them really don't because it seems like it's almost hard to not It seems like it's a hard thing to get away from Thank you, which would make it easy to make it a requirement I'm just curious if you see this as a not only a step possible stepping stone to advance placement But more probably a stepping stone to advance photography advance ceramics Well, there is advanced ceramics and there is advanced photography. It's photography wasn't offered this year And wasn't offered last year, but the hope is to get that eventually back Advanced photography courses hasn't been offered in the last year the the only issue with the advanced the photography and the ceramics courses if you look at a portfolio that RISD is asking for they're not there's a they don't that's lovely to have that on the side But that's not the core of an art school portfolio What's that except for home? No, but it is true and that that is a Section, but it's that's already there a student is already narrowing there Designed down and that's a whole nother level and whole nother night for a discussion of where our photography department You know is going if you want to go to hallmark Is it fact or stereotype that these these two courses would draw a certain type of youngster It Not that the youngsters attracted to this aren't necessarily bright or intelligent, but rather their intelligence is Directed as it goes in a different direction And yet I recall this sort of being a Place of solace for some kids a place to go to kind of retreat from the more academic courses Safe haven if you will is that accurate are you referring to ceramics and photography or the art department? I would say there are our art department having taught at many schools in Boston and Concord and Our art department has such a range of students in it You know the top students are in it and some of them the art the painting and drawing classes are way too intimidating And they take a photography class because they can you know kind of just take that one course And that's for some and it opens a lot, you know a door wide open So I would say at this school. I feel like it's not that at all, you know, we have a wonderful range of Developmental studies students sitting right next to their in their AP bio neighbor. Thank you All right. Thank you very much So I think we are looking for a vote tonight. So I yeah Well, that's the question are people in the It could go either way are people prepared to vote this evening. If so, let's take it off the plate Vote whether to So I'll make the motion that we approve the addition to the curriculum of these three classes Any discussion All those in favor post Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. It was great to hear from all of you So we're half an hour behind the agenda schedule. So there was too much in the agenda, but let's try to keep moving ahead finalize budget guidelines Debbie if you could hand out what you have and let us know While I'm I will just tell you that I I didn't hear from everybody and so sort of trying to consolidate Everybody's feedback. It wasn't really possible because people are kind of all over the board. So this is really intended as a discussion document and so what I did is I Still took the starting point from last year all of the things in bed are things that I I've added and then I also included sort of some some of my questions in there because we had You know, we may have had people saying one thing should be a tier one and someone else saying it should be a tier three I don't really know what to do with that. So I Don't know how we want to go through Discussing this I don't I Don't know what you would like to do with this but I Incorporated all of the feedback I got from people and I did on the the last two pages I just included every the text of everyone's emails so we can try to you know, see what people were thinking Why don't we quickly if it's okay? Why don't we quickly start with tier one and the thing at the top a school environment and facilities? Okay, just say everybody okay with that word is so I left that one in because I wanted that in so okay, so Tier one and start with school environment and facilities everybody okay with that stain where it is Student support services that first bullet there, I guess focus on raise in a level of achievement Well, we've added a red bullet. Yeah, so so I'll explain that red bullet because that was actually something I added that and And it maybe it doesn't belong here, but I guess my real priority is focusing on on excellence in teaching and I don't want to specify how that's done. I I don't you know, that's but I want there to be a focus on that So to me that's it's not a professional development argument It's just it's just this is what I want the focus to be so I put it there Maybe it doesn't belong there. Maybe no one else wants it there. I'm not sure but that was my thinking Let's first discuss the black text that was already there everybody okay with that Okay, anybody not okay with the red text that Debbie added or Okay, moving along then maintain supporters. I think I just had a question. I don't know what it means to Understand support services invest and provide excellence in teaching I don't understand from a budget point of view what that means and I don't know if that's a professional development or That's what I'm saying. I'm not I'm not Specifying what it is what I would what I would like to say is that that that there be a focus on that and how that is done I I I just am not in a position to say it needs to be done x y and z way That's that's that was my thinking on it and I'm obviously all of these things are open for discussion Any other comments on that line? Okay, next maintain supports for students including math and reading writing specialists that was there already everybody okay with keeping it there Okay, next red edition consider an extended day program at the middle school and elementary schools for struggling students Where did this come from? I think Steve put that in and One Okay, go ahead Steve did you want to talk about that? Well, I just think that We have a fair amount of money and I think that one of the things people are Are doing across the country is providing a place of academic support outside of the school day in my sense is When if we think about the balance we spend in terms of the resources between When schools and session on the resources after school is out I think we're way out of balance and and I guess you know this maintaining support for students including math and reading writing specialists I hate to be that prescriptive. I mean it's not clear. I think it's an administrative I Think we should focus on Goals I guess that that invest in providing excellence in teaching is a broad-minded goal I mean we could have invest in providing Support for mathematics and reading it's not clear to me it means specialists It could mean it could mean intensive professional, you know PD and content matter knowledge So I guess that that I think that if sort of a peril structure would be helpful. I Think that's I'm fine with that suggestion. So changing that one. What is a specific? How did you word it invest in providing? support for students I guess I guess something which is just similar. I think we should be less specific about about how the money is being spent That's the administration's job. I Think we're specific and we're putting budget toward goals We need it like kind of exact word in here So what wanted somebody think about writing that down while we keep talking and consider extended day program Why don't we get a comment from the superintendent on the extended day, you know I I think we are looking at extended day programs in various forms. So I think it's a reasonable thing to hear have here to look at And it might we might want to say We'd have to take out elementary out of here and put it in Amherst, but we want to look at After school is it specific extended day Steve in terms of there's lots of grants out there for potential extended day Or just after school intervention or opportunities for school students after school I guess I used to extended day in the sense in the sense of having certified teachers With the children until five o'clock, you know In a context of a different thing than having Amherst College volunteers or even paraprofessionals that I think what Kip and and a lot of these places are doing is this which may or may not be Explaining part of their success, but I think that we ought to think about putting some of our resources in this So maybe it's not extended day in this in a particular Incarnation, but it's providing additional resources to support students academic and social progress outside of regular school hours And then leave it open to the administration to choose. I'm I'm actually okay with that statement It's nebulous enough that we are looking at Opportunities for students outside of the school day and how we provide support for students who are struggling Yeah, I'm actually serious I was wondering if Steve could repeat what he just said because I think that was a change in wording It was provide additional resources or provide additional resources to support to support academic achievement and social progress social progress outside of regular school hours You have that down. Okay, Debbie. I have it to Debbie Kim Wholeheartedly support this. I think it should be at the very very top of the list And I would hope that it might be a precursor to An extended conversation discussion with the community about Not just an extended day for struggling youngsters, but an extended day and an extended year If we're going to spend as much time as we have talking about a later start putting all the resources that we have into that Certainly should have Intensive conversation I Sure might go ahead. I just want just want to ask a clarifying question because one piece Steve said I thought was Significant budgetarily is certificated So we have a lot of after-school opportunities that we're providing right now, but they're not Certificated teachers that that are providing the instruction and so I think that's To me if I walk away from this meeting thinking keep working with what we're doing with that for school How can we expand that? That's one thing if we're talking about certificated teachers doing it Then that's that's a that's a major major budget implication Just thinking just some some basic numbers. So I Just for clarity is I'm going to meet the one going and thinking about this So the wording didn't say that in the text here did it get changed to say that okay not in this line specifically Okay, let's Let's keep moving on tier two now. We're done with tier one here That there was one and this is what I forgot to mention Catherine did mention preschool But again, that's that's an Amherst specific. So that's why I didn't well We have the Amherst committee here. So why would the Amherst committee is here anybody? I have a problem with consider extending day program for elementary schools What part of the problem was Amherst committee Fed back the ones that did feed feedback didn't feedback in terms of this format. All right. Well, we'll discuss that the next Okay, so tier two So instructional program so this one Some people have as a tier one some people have it as a tier two Just to sort of generalize some people are saying just no more, you know Try to meet maintain the depth and breadth of what we have Steve actually what was suggesting expanding actually putting putting money into The arts program so And I wasn't sure what to do with that because are we saying expand the arts program at the expense of something else? Are we saying expand the arts program and and still maintain, you know Maintain the rest of what we have and I wasn't sure what your what your intention was Administrators and coaches and professional development. So this is a moving the money to to the arts into other places that come in contact with children so That was what I had in mind So I think it seems like where where we are is that it's a difference between are we saying expand or at least not cut So are we just discussing tonight? Whether or not we're going to accept these under tier two We're deciding everything, you know, whether it's in here and what tier it's in Expand the arts programs was not in the last go-around or was no Listen feels to me like it should be more general. I mean I feel like in tier one we're talking about safe school environment making and making sure that we follow up with the recommendations of our view and supporting offerings Support for students who are struggling at different times and Possibly different structures in tier two. I feel like we're saying I believe Maintaining the quality and depth of our instructional program if we I I guess I wouldn't I Would I would recommend personally an expansion of anything going on tier three after we maintain But that's that's Maintain the instructional program. So For me that would be the the tier two is maintain the quality and depth of our current instructional program Before we talk about something else and then go to certainly also under tier two generally a goal around professional development and generally a goal around teaching staff if everyone agrees that but Really such a targeted goal We haven't We haven't voted on we haven't thought about so it just feels like that is Beyond our scope at this point. Can I ask a point of information? Are you gonna ask us to vote on this whole thing when we're done? We'd like to if we could I mean because I don't I don't see how we do that I mean do I vote do I vote no if I don't like one of the lines five of the lines?  So, you know, if you don't like one line so badly that you vote no for the whole thing That's what you would do, but I mean the alternative would be to actually vote on the lines And I think this is kind of what Kristen is saying. So We could have we could do that rather than against voting on the whole document seems You know, I'm just not sure How that works. Yeah, it's just gonna take too much time But but if we have a line that we have a disagreement on why don't we just get a consensus or something on On the line kept to do Make a suggestion See how it flies me If we're voting on this extensive of a menu I would ask myself to what extent does this list in whatever order? Help us reach our mission. And secondly to what extent does it move us in the direction of reaching our goals? as a totality And maybe one item, maybe even two items that I don't agree with In placement, but I would ask in its totality So on the expanding the arts program, how are people feeling about it being in there and how are people people feeling about what tier it's in? Catherine well, I Agree with Kip and and Kristen that I I think tier two It would to me makes more sense to have it broader and and also Supporting what we currently have which given the budget we may or may not even be able to do that so So I would say that You should be about supporting what we have and furthering our district goals So are you saying so so I think this is too specific? I think Making a statement like expand the arts program is too specific for tier two and that you know That may be a desirable thing to do, but I Wouldn't want it in tier two necessarily would you be would you be okay with it in tier three? Or do you think it just shouldn't be here at all? Yeah, no I mean, I think it would be wonderful if we could expand the arts program, but But I think we need to initially worry about maintaining the breath and depth of what we already have Kristen, I guess I feel like we're just getting too directive in the sense of So we just passed it. We proved a course here that would extend expand our arts program and Great so but I feel like we have to And that will likely happen because there seems to be a need but I think we need to talk about the instructional program unless there's Something really glaring versus a specific like let's let's expand the wood tech or that's in it So I feel like we're going way too. So you're saying it shouldn't be there at all I'm saying we're going to specific in our direction of the budget Items well, I need so the instructional program to me seems something like we can agree upon and the administration has to come back and say you Prioritize the instructional program. This is what we think in the instructional program is working, right? But what I need is a specific yes or no in this language So that's what I need from so you saying yes or no or move it to a different tier Saying yes on instructional program I don't know Steve go do you have something you want to go back at people I heard from Catherine Kristen who I haven't heard from I Was just gonna say I think that what Kristen said at first about moving that out of Move the expand the arts program either to tier three or off of the document because it's not Which do you prefer? I Don't know that it I would be happy prison in three so that it's mentioned that it's something we're thinking about I I just think that Tier two and tier three should be combined Because we're talking about trade-offs And if you're looking at the difference between tier two and tier three I'm not sure what those differences are if you're talking about trade-offs Well, we only had two tears last year and you guys wanted three tears. I added three tears I didn't but I am just as happy to take out third tier I'm gonna speak in support of tier three just because we've just had a few people here who showed Why they might want something like this on a slightly lower priority platform Then what we're thinking of is tier two so I think it's good to have another level And what do you feel about the wording on expand the arts program in what tier it should be in? I'm fine with either taking it out or putting it to tier three Who haven't I heard from on yeah? so I I Think the expanding the arts program would be great, but I also know the realities What we're likely to face and the budget and you know, I honestly I don't even know that I have enough information to say whether arts is the very first place I would necessarily put budgetary money if we came upon a windfall so I Mean, I'm okay with leaving it in as tier three, but I would also I'm fine with taking it out Okay, I think I'm here in a consensus. Okay to keep it in there, but tier three. Can I see a show of hands on that? And can you keep your hands up? Okay, that's barely a consensus Not really it isn't really So we need so any other discussion on that item Well, okay, so my question is for those people who didn't raise their hand on that or they want to leave it in tier two use that Like then more people want to leave it Can I I mean, I think I think it's split between tier two and take it out So I think that I mean I think it should be in tier two But I recognize that that's not the the majority I had I had it and I think we should move on But but I had another question, which is there was the in previous Incarnations there was money for improving laboratory facilities. Are we thinking I? Don't see that anywhere on here. Yeah, I took it out But I can again, it's only was only because nobody mentioned it as a priority one way or the other because I thought it was there That's why I didn't mention it. Okay, I can that's And I would like that as a tier two. I mean to me to me. I guess laboratory facilities I Do think that there are areas of the curriculum and we can be prescriptive because that's our job and We have multiple math curriculum, you know math programs doing the same thing I think we have broad offerings in the social studies and in English and world languages and My understanding is our science facilities are not up to par compared to schools that we aspire to compete with And and I think that's a place for money and I happen to think we we have a lot of money as a district And and we should we should use it. Well, okay, so we'll come back to that I'll put on the list to talk at the end of the tier two. So I'm gonna move Expanded arts programs to tier three. So that's what we'll vote on when we get to there avoid. Yeah, kept voting on this is sort of like Taking the public Secondly, I'm wondering if Alternative to the arts, I'm mainly interested in Performance and visual arts, you know, if the reality is we don't have the money then for heaven's sakes, let's not cut Preserve it and if possible I don't know that does justice to what you want. Well, well, that's basically what I think we're doing I mean the line here avoid further cuts and instructional offerings isn't here to and expand the arts program is in tier three, right? No, do you disagree? I'm not just it was just a thought okay Yeah, I just have very a Very difficult time understanding the difference between may and likely I really do I mean try tell me what the differences are Traff may be required it might be but if it's likely you're probably not gonna get it 50% 20% I just think well, I think I think actually Rick put it nicely when Kip had his concerns about not cutting what we have before we add and he said okay, so we're Writing avoid further cuts and structural offering in an area where trade-offs may be required But may not and then we're asking to increase something, but we're putting it where likely that would be a trade-off We can't do I don't know. Okay. I see it as having value Keep moving avoid further cuts and instructional offerings in tier two everybody okay with that Continue to pursue rigorous review of core curriculum including math science ELA and social studies as well as world language in tier two Everybody okay with that review by who? Well, it says that I pursue rigorous review. I think Okay, I think as pertaining to policy IL and the reviews that they're currently undergoing Thank you Support curricular alignment between the middle school and the high school in tier two Okay, all right that a budgetary implication Potentially I don't know that to be the fact, but I guess someone thought it wasn't they put it in Potentially well, I guess I guess if you come in with a budget that cuts all of your curriculum budget There would be an implication To make sure that if there were a budget issues around it that we were We prioritized maintaining a line between All right professional development Quote in parentheses what tier should this be in then it looks like something got changed where language got deleted and added so provide Professional development opportunities to support best instructional practice period include math coaches and outside consultation when necessary Debbie so my personal opinion on this is I would actually take this whole thing out I mean, I don't think professional development in and of itself is Is the goal the goal is Is this sort of what professional development does? So Which is above and invest in providing that was my teacher, okay? Yeah, well my only my only thought about that Debbie is that we've heard as a school committee from lots of people the superintendent and Teachers and administrators that professional development is a very good way to invest in providing Excellence in teaching so I didn't so that's also one and I didn't put it in tier one for that reason I mean because I think there are other ways to also Support and invest in excellence in teaching, but professional development has been Talked about and presented to us as a very important way so and it it is a budget issue So I just want to make sure that We supported it so I hear one to strike it one to keep it in who else Steve I mean I think we should strike it because I do think again It's it's an invest and provide excellence in teaching and it's also I think the way it's written is it's it's sort of general And it's not support teachers based on their individual You know on their individual needs and I think that that there is I think there is a sense that that's sort of This kind of professional development is less Useful the professional development, which is tied to observation and evaluation being an instructional rounds or or from a superior That is more tailored to To the work that an individual teacher is is engaged in so but in any case whatever kind I think when we have invest Providing excellence in teaching It's at the top of the list, and I don't think we have to be to be in any more detail than that Strike because it's already mentioned just what he said it's already mentioned and how the district plans on doing that is its own So I'm gonna say we strike that So we're striking the whole professional development Yeah I wasn't sure if this if this really had budgetary implications So that's why I put that question in there Let me can I yeah, so Kathy in terms of investing in the level of diversity of our faculty and staff does have budgetary implications in terms of the level of outreach and visits and that would Be necessary that we do do now, but I don't know what You know I would therefore move to strike this just if it's something that we're already doing and we're not going to change I don't know why we have to put it as a budget priority one way or the other Anybody else Well, I guess my question maybe I wasn't entirely understanding your answer So are you saying that if if we were in a position where we could put more money at the What the problem we would see better results or are you saying? You know we're pretty much we're doing what we can adding throwing more money at it isn't really going to solve the problem Say this at one time in recent years We've had as many as a hundred We're hiring and the reduction in retirement we're hiring fewer staff every year. So have we Altered our recruitment efforts in any way. I think in fact we've added to our recruitment efforts What I suggest in terms of I think we should strike this also and I think we want to be careful because if we're going to offer these kinds of incentives We offer them to everybody we can't be raised something specific and so they'd be it would increase our costs substantially With perhaps no additional yield. So I think we we undertake serious effort in this way and we should continue We have on the schedule Yes, we have that scheduled for you Kathy. All right, so So coming back to the one Steve mentioned lab Did you explain that Steve? Oh What? Can I just tell you where it was last time you want to know what it said last time? It was under tier two and it was up-to-date labs and technology and said commit funding to maintain up-to-date labs and technology Where is that now it would be under tier two I Moving on to tier three class sizes allow for increases in class sizes it to not jeopardize high standards Okay to keep Keeping a third tier. Yeah, it would stay there unless you want to move it unless I hear we want to move it Administrative costs reduce administrative costs then as a bullet under that the school committee recognizes that administrative Budgets have been squeezed for a number of years and we appreciate the ways in which administrators are doing more with less Nonetheless in our desire to provide an outstanding education to all students We believe it is critical to continue to evaluate Ways in which we can balance the budget without having a direct impact on our students Personally, I don't see anything wrong with that language, but I got to tell you I don't think we have too high administrative costs I just look around and see the number of people we have doing these things and it's just not a lot of people it is Go in there and look and work with these people and it's just not but but but certainly trying to do There's the way this is worded is perfectly fine Steve I guess I don't like it given that we've expanded the administration at least this year. I mean this There may have been periods in which there were cuts, but I think this year we've we've increased the number of positions Number of high-paid administrative positions By at least two or three Well, we have a curriculum director. We have a director of curriculum. I mean two years ago Beth Graham's position didn't exist We now have a Rhonda Collins position these may be very valuable important positions But I think for us to have this language in here after adding these positions We have an ombudsman now. We haven't had an ombudsman before We have pretty extensive Administrative Support and student services in comparison to other districts and our salaries are quite high in administration Compared to other Western Massachusetts districts. So my view is that we should be reducing administrative costs and and Reallocating money toward programs Toward an expansion of programs for children So so I disagree with the language and I guess I disagree with your sense of where we are so But this is a common effort, so Well, no, I mean I I agree with you Rick and so and I I Think the language is fine. I mean, I think it's tight, but I think the language is fine It's in tier three. It's like banished They were important very important to the members here. It's certain with being tier one So as far as I'm concerned, it's meaningless As far as I'm sorry to tear three is like banishment. Okay getting back to the tears I think we've changed what these tears originally meant when this was this was first in tier three last year, correct? No, there were only two tears last year. Okay. This was tier two Okay, I Think the reason this item was in tier two was because when it was placed it was seen Tier two was seen as things we might be cutting Okay, so that's why this was there. It wasn't that we didn't want to do it It's that this was a cut not an add or a maintain So I don't think you should necessarily say, okay, this isn't here I mean the tears have changed as to what they've mean now. We're talking about prioritized priority tears as opposed to Add maintain or cut or add or possibly cut and definitely cut Yeah, so what do you what do you say and exactly should this move to a different tier? If we're talking about priorities, I Would consider moving it to tier two as a priority. Yes, I Could also leave in tier three, but I just I want I want to say that as or say is what tier three is just Are things that aren't going to happen. That's not what this meant last year I'm just going about what what you have here and what we had Looking at what we had last year if we if we somehow end up where we were last year then You end up with two tears, okay? Well, let me ask you that we're tier three, okay We can have two tears But let me ask you this if you have the something like the expand the arts program Which is something that you possibly want to expand but don't really want to put a high priority on it And we have two tears. Where do you put that because I put it in I put it in tier two, okay? But last year's last year's tier two meant things might be cut. These are things. I'm just saying that there everything in tier two to me says These are things that if we want them we might have to have trade-offs with something else possible with something else in tier one Okay, that's what that means to me. So you're using it as last year's definition I don't think it's any it was my understanding that the stuff in tier one is what we're really going to put most of our resources and money Towards and efforts and then trade to I mean tier two is also important But it's if we have it will use it will try to get to these but tier one is what we want to maintain and really take care I I would agree with that Except when you got where trade-offs may be required if you already have all of these things that you that you We've said is tier one where all of our resources are going to go all right In reality if we looked at tier one and through the prism of that Lint to that lens then we never should get beyond tier one Why don't we we're not going to finish up here? Let's leave the tears as they are administrative costs tier three or tier two Or Tier two or tier three with the administrative cost thing. I know you don't like the tears, but I mean Meaningless to me. So, you know Well, it's not meaningless to you because you just declared tier three is stuff that will never happen Yeah, well, so I'm saying that as long as you happen in tier three. It's meaningless. That's what I mean Put it in two Same all up third tier three. Let me make myself clear all of tier three should be in tier two, okay? Hi Rick I just have to say I think that we're having a conversation where we don't even agree what we're talking about and So asking us which tier we wanted in when we don't have a consistent understanding of what the tears are I guess I'm not I'm not I don't want to have a longer discussion. I see people holding their heads and frustrated but I It's a frustrating question when you say which tier and Earth saying we're not even addressing that here And I'm saying I think that's the tier we go to first if we want to make cuts And then once we get the most cuts out of there, we go to the second tier and then we go up to the first tier That was my understanding. So if people are working with that understanding I'd say keep it at tier three, but I don't know they're all working on the same understanding and it Yeah, no, I I I do have to say something too because I think that we There are things in here that we have as priorities and I think It is very confusing because if nothing in tier three is going to be addressed It's it's you're basically what you're saying is that things in tier three are protected somehow because we're never going to get to them So now I'm confused as well What Christian just explained was entirely what I thought our intention was for adding to your three So maybe the word trade-offs in fact, I mean that was just my language Maybe we say areas where cuts will likely be required. I don't know But but that is what you're talking about that when we said last time we wanted three tears That would be the first place you'd go for first place yes, if we're going to Use that definition of tier three I think a lot of rethinking needs to be done by all of us and If we're going to be that specific of in terms of tier three then we'd be we must be just as Specific in terms of their tier two because that's very specific In a big suggestion and I think I think the problem with this is is all of a sudden tier three has Come to meaning we're talking about Desired cuts, which is a totally different. I'm saying the language here is about desired cuts So I would be comfortable to say maintain the current in minutes that maintain the current level of expenditures on Administration in tier three Which would then mean to me that's the first place to cut and I think Maintain current class sizes in tier three that would make us say that we have a willingness to increase class sizes Some I think that would be more in the spirit of the way We did the budget last year where this is a everything that is written in a positive manner So I guess that that that I would suggest that we have maintain current administrative Spending or structure to me it's tier three because that would be the first place I would like to see cut if need be Though my sense is this this goes beyond budget and this is something we should we should look at any ways in terms of Reallocating money. I think that's for a different document. So that's a good suggestion I think so you're saying both on class sizes and administrative costs. We change the wording to maintain. Yes Yep When it comes around the budget time, there are two factors We'll determine how I vote on any Number one will be whether there's sufficient management personnel to run this corporation efficiently and well and secondly If you're at all familiar with what desi is coming out with as tasks for the superintendent on down to teachers I suggest you read it because what the state is asking these people to do is an Incredible number of tasks that they may very well need assistance to accomplish Those are the two factors that are going to influence my vote. Frankly, it doesn't matter what tier they're in I have to decide whether or not in my own mind Are there enough people to run the organization and number two do they have the resources to perform all of the tasks that they're being asked Okay, so Steve it suggests in the maintain and maintain how do people feel feel about that? Okay, that sounds good So how about maintain for both of those and they stay in tier three and if we're there or done base My only thing is I would then want that in tier two I would want it in reduce Maintain administrative costs as they are in tier two as opposed to tier three. I'd like to move to tier two if it's to maintain To at the very least maintain it at at what it is now Okay, again, I'm maybe gonna change the wording on this because I don't think administrative costs should ever be anybody's goal I think maybe what Kip said should be an appropriate goal maintaining Administrative staffing at levels that you know Support our schools. I mean, that's our goal. I mean, we're not looking to right. That's much better Mm-hmm. I Think that's a cop out by the school committee because I mean you're always gonna hear that that we don't have enough Administrators everybody always says that you can look at across every district in the in the world We I see it at Amherst College and and so I think the school committee has to to make a decision about how How they want to push on the administration to consolidate and be more efficient and so I Don't know what it would mean to say maintain the level of administrative staffing necessary to you know The paragraph don't know the paragraph underneath that describes it pretty well I mean, I don't like the paragraph. I don't I don't think it's accurate Well to me it describes things at least so it whether you don't like it or not at least describes things so You know, it says what it means, you know Debbie forgive me for saying this but I would I think I Realistically two tears make sense to me the first year being school safety An environment the second means support struggling students Right the other to me and realistically I think the administration looks at all of these things and says Well, these class sizes can go larger, but these can't these administrative things can go here so I think giving them a menu of Categories to choose from at the second tier where they're cutting bits from all seems appropriate So I just want to remind everybody that the last time I went through this. We said we're gonna have three tears Shifting back now. We're like never ending this but we didn't even agree with those tears were at that point. So I'm gonna really say we can't spend any more time on this So if you want to spend more on time in this, we're not gonna do it at this meeting, which is a shame So I'm gonna say we should keep the three tears change the wording to maintain Just just in terms of Amherst what what what I had asked for in the email was to put your Priorities in this format In format, so if you've sent them to me, that's fine if you haven't sent them to me They and they're in this format what I am going to do is Define make a stab at defining tier one and tier two and Tier three And then we can put them back together. I and then you can decide whether or not we should have three tears But we have to we have to arrive at something that's going to make sense. I I would like to end up with a document that Literally is a guide to when we do come down to these final budgets where we're going to be looking at Hey, well do we cut this do we cut that such what I don't want to be in that I already want to know I want the superintendent to know that hey tier one is hands-off I really think I can make this easier if we just stop calling them tears and Call the first one top priority the second one areas where trade-offs might be required and the third one areas for potential savin