Minutes - August 15, 2023

   Brockton, Massachusetts        Brockton School Committee Meeting        August 15, 2023

A meeting of the Brockton School Committee was held this evening in the George M. Romm Little Theatre of Brockton High School at six o'clock.  These minutes contain a summary of the meeting and lists items that were under discussion.

Present

Ms. Joyce Asack, Mr. Jared Homer, Mrs. Rivas Mendes, Mr. Tony Rodrigues

Mrs. Judy Sullivan, Mr. Timothy Sullivan, Mayor Robert Sullivan, Chair,

Superintendent Michael Thomas, Secretary

Absent

Ms. Kathleen Ann Ehlers, Vice-chair

Also Present

Mr. Aldo E. Petronio, Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Mayor Sullivan, called the meeting to order at 6p, followed by a salute to the flag.

The Chair took roll call to establish a quorum.

Mayor Sullivan read the following statement: 

Dear Visitors: Welcome to a meeting of the Brockton School Committee. This is the agenda that will be discussed this evening (see attached). Please note that a Hearing of Visitors is included. If you have a statement or question, please give your name to the secretary. In addition to attending, the public can view this meeting via television on Comcast channel 8 and 1071HD Version, and online via this link: www.youtube.com/TheBrocktonChannels

Hearing of

Visitors

There were no persons signed-up for Hearing of Visitors

Executive Session

The Mayor stated that Agenda Item#3 is Executive Session and the body would return to Public Session following Executive Session.

·         M.G.L. c. 30A, § 21(a)(3) To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the public body and the chair so declares.

·         M.G.L. c. 30A, § 21(a)(2) To conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel.

Ms. Asack made a motion to enter Executive Session, properly seconded by Mr. T. Sullivan.

Roll call on the motion to enter Executive Session:

The Committee entered Executive Session at 6:03p.

The Committee reconvened from Executive Session at 6:53p.

Hearing of

Visitors

Upon return from Executive Session, the Mayor informed the Committee that there was, in fact, one person who wished to be heard under Hearing of Visitors.  This person reported that earlier building access not available.

Mrs. Sullivan made a motion to go back to Agenda Item #2, properly seconded by Ms. Asack.

The motion carried.

The speaker, Ms. Shaena Gilliard of Sharon, MA, was offering the possibility of converting her drop-in childcare business, located at Westgate Mall, to a vocational opportunity, i.e. nail tech, under the auspices of the Brockton Public Schools.

The Mayor thanked the speaker and mentioned that proper building access prior to meeting times be investigated with the custodial staff.

Consent

Agenda

The Chair read that the Consent Agenda consisted of items A, B, C, D, E and F, and asked if the Committee wanted to take any items off for discussion. 

Mr. Rodrigues requested clarification on how the money would be spent on item EB: Teacher Diversification (TD) Pilot Program Grant, $600,000.

Dr. Moran, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, explained that this money, as with past TD Grant allocations received, will go to paraprofessional/MTA tuitions with Bridgewater State College to fund further education in Bilingual and Special Education (SpEd).  Participants in the program were selected through signing up and a lottery selection if/when the requests exceeded 50 participants.

Mrs. Rivas Mendes expressed concern about educating the program participants to the extent that they become teachers that then become RIFed. 

Mr. Homer made a motion to take the other agenda items collectively,

properly seconded by Mrs. Sullivan.

The Mayor read all the Consent Agenda items aloud.

Mrs. Rivas Mendes brought to the attention of the Chair that item EB had been removed for discussion.

The Mayor asked Mr. Homer and Mrs. Sullivan to remove their motion.  They acquiesced.

The Chair motioned to take, as an individual vote, Teacher Diversification Pilot Program Grant, Center of Strategic Initiatives in the amount of $600,000, properly seconded.

The motion passed.

Mr. Homer made a motion to approve the remaining agenda items collectively,

properly seconded by Mrs. Sullivan.

The Consent Agenda was passed.

With respect to Agenda Item #5, the floor was turned over to the Superintendent of Schools.

Superintendent’s Report

Teaching & Learning

Superintendent Thomas introduced Dr. James LaBillois, Assistant Superintended of Student Services, who spoke on his first year in Brockton Public Schools.

Along with his PowerPoint presentation, Dr. LaBillois spoke about meeting with all staff involved in Student Support Services, including Special Education Parent Advisory Council leadership and the study of the various documents included in the District Review.  The result was the formation of the Office of Unified Student Services (OUSS).

The office model includes an Associate Director of Exceptional Learning, Jamie Langly, who will head the various levels of Assistant SpEd Directors, specific program Coordinators in the Office of Exceptional Learning. These key administrators will ensure purposeful inclusion and access in general education for students with disabilities. Dr. LaBillois emphasized that inclusion is not just the responsibility of the SpEd educator but the collective responsibility of every educator in the district. 

Next, Dr. LaBillois spoke on the fully formed Office of Social Emotional Learning which has three key components, School-based Therapeutic & Behavioral Health, Community Mentoring & Outreach and School-based Support personnel of Psychologists, School Adjustment Counselors, and chairpersons overseeing the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). There will be extensive professional development to support the initiatives.

Redesign of several previously existing programs brought about the Office of Reengagement Services, giving students aged 16 and up a drop-in, brick-and-mortar environment to work with staff working towards graduation success.

Dr. LaBillois finished by thanking Superintendent Thomas, and Deputy Superintendents Cobbs and Wolder for supporting a wonderful first year.

Mrs. Rivas Mendes asked, after the classroom teacher, what line of communication should parents follow with questions and concerns, and collaborations in the Mentoring Program?

Dr. LaBillois answered that after the classroom teacher the appropriate level Assistant Director.

Our Supervisor of Community Mentoring and Outreach, Mario Lamarre, collaborates, where appropriate, with community opportunities to support students in need.

Mr. Rodrigues asked for access to the credentials of mentors under contract in our schools and for supports for our female students.

Superintendent Thomas answered that there would be no mentors under contract in SY24.  Mentors will be BPS employees and there will be particular focus to have female mentors on-board.

Deputy Superintendent Wolder, Teaching & Learning, gave a presentation on end-of-the-year information that was shared with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

As our mission is to move students to proficiency with continued organization to support our students, teachers, and classrooms the following presentation will show steps taken.

Priority one was providing high quality learning experiences using high quality instructional materials (HQIM) and culturally responsive, inclusive and rigorous curriculum. Schools drilled down on the data collection to identify areas of need, i.e. attendance, reading/math scores, ELA gains, etc.

Dr. Karen Spaulding, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary, spoke on the speed of movement of student in or out of Meeting or Not Meeting Expectations in Reading/Math of all students, Students With Disabilities (SWD) and Multi Lingual Learners (MLL) from Summer to Winter and then from Winter to Spring of the school year.

Dr. Michele Conners, Assistant Superintendent, 6-12, spoke about professional development opportunities teachers received on the HQIM being used, i.e. Carnegie Math, STARR Reading.  District walkthroughs and learning walks provided opportunities to observe the impact of fidelity to the HQIM and coaching.

Sean Precious, Assistant Superintendent, Assessment & Accountability, spoke on the various work-streams identified for the SY 24 focus, including PK-3 SWD, School Leader Capacity Building, Universal Screening, 9th grade “on track” support, intervention, and progress monitoring and systematic improvements in the Educator Evaluation Program.

Items to Refer to Subcommittee

The Superintendent requested that subcommittee chairs work with Ms. Campbell to arrange the following meetings:

·         Safety/Security/Transportation & Policy Manual Subcommittees (J. Asack), September/ She will coordinate with members.

·         Superintendent’s Contract (T. Sullivan): Before October 1st per DESE.

Unfinished Business

Policy Subcommittee Meeting

Ms. Asack reported that the Policy Subcommittee met the following BHS policies.

Ms. Asack made a motion to approve the Brockton High School Dress Code, approving bullet points one, two, three, four, five, six and eight, as stated in our hand-out, properly seconded by Mrs. Rivas Mendes.

The motion passes.

Ms. Asack made a motion to approve the District-wide Electronic Devices Policy, properly seconded by Mrs. Rivas Mendes.

The motion passes.

Mrs. Rivas Mendes made a motion to accept the proposed Attendance Policy, 9 through 12, properly seconded by Mr. Tony Rodrigues.

The motion passes.

Bullying Prevention Policy/JICFB

Mrs. Rivas Mendes made a motion to accept the JICFB Bullying Prevention Policy, properly seconded by Ms. Asack.

The motion passes, unanimous.

New Business

Student Handbooks

Mrs. Sullivan made a motion to accept the Brockton Public School Student Parent Handbooks 2023-2024, properly seconded by Mr. Sullivan.

The motion passes.

Donation of Surplus Educational Materials

Mr. Petronio, CFO, informed the Committee of an excess of curriculum and classroom materials that are in storage.  He is requesting the Committee’s permission to, depending on the value of the curriculum or furniture, to either put the materials out to bid, find a community program in need or dispose of these items.

Mayor Sullivan spoke on the importance of possibly making these materials available to communities or countries in need.

Ms. Asack, Mr. Rodrigues and the Mayor all asked for an itemized list of the materials in question and some ideas of where they might reach the neediest.

Budget Update

Mr. Petronio reported that, with the closing of the budget in June, he and Deputy CFO Correia discovered several accounts that are out-of-balance.  As reasons, he cited the costs in out-of-district tuition, McKinny Vento Homeless, SpEd transportation, loss of enrollment and overstaffing.  The Mayor and the city-side CFO were both notified of this on Thursday, August 10th.  As a result of this meeting he contacted an out-side auditor, CliftonLarsonAllen, LLC (CLA), to determine the best way to handle these, out of our control, account deficits. Some of the deficits, such as out-of-district tuitions, can be carried over until State reimbursement comes in.  A report will be shared once CLA has a reached their determination.

Mr. Rodrigues asked if there would be any funds coming from the Governor’s Surplus Budget?

Mr. Petronio replied that Brockton received less than anticipated monies as more funding went to Charter Schools, however, additional funding may yet come though.

The Superintendent added that the Governor’s State of Emergency funding, covering immigration and new to the district students, may also be coming.

The Mayor spoke of having met with Congressman Lynch and Jeffries. It is hoped they will visit and advocate for Brockton on the federal level for funding.

Closing Statements

&

Adjournment

Ms. Asack asked to acknowledge:

·         the passing of past Superintendent Bob Jones,

·         the many wonderful volunteers, adults and kids, who assisted in the distribution of donated backpacks from Cradles to Crayons,

·         and The First Responder’s Event, Saturday, August 19 from 11a-3p at the Fairgrounds.

Mayor Sullivan shared condolences for city-side CFO Troy Clarkson’s stepfather’s passing, and shared a message delivered by Brockton Boxer Football Coach Jermaine Wiggins, on a recent radio show appearance, of the importance of academics and the pursuit of higher education degrees.

Mrs. Sullivan made a motion to adjourn, properly seconded by Mrs. Rivas Mendes.

The motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 8:48p.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael P. Thomas

Secretary

mdc

Enclosure(s): Office of Unified Student Services Summer Updates 2023 (PPT)