Secretary Deniv. Yes. I would like [Music] to I would like to have us all look over the um functions and duties of subcommittees. You mean you want to look at all the functions and duties of the committees that have been presented and approved by the school committee? Um, no. Let me see how to phrase this. Um, I want to make sure that we understand how ad hoc subcommittees work and have that uh crystal clear and put in our handbook and our policy. Okay. Um maybe we could just um vote now on charging the um policy subcommittee with taking a look at that and coming forward to the full committee with um with re or with a review of that. Yes. Okay. Uh that motion was clear as mud though. So I guess I'll try again. Sorry. I'll move that the school committee uh charge the policy subcommittee with reviewing our policies on um ad hoc committees.
Any questions on that? All right, this is our first read, so next time it'll be the second read, so we'll be voting on it. So, all right. Um 9.4. So, um student enrollment numbers, I I shared the numbers with you um uh this week.
So but we but that takes time like you know it's not going to happen overnight and we want to give teachers space. We don't want to add stress or burden to teachers, but we want to build their capacity and then support the implementation of that. Dr. Thomas, special education. Sure. So, next up in special education, we've actually started on these as well. Um, so reviewing the continuum of services and updating programs based on identified student needs. So, we have some nice programs in place, but we also have changing needs and and changing trends with our students. And so, that's something we've been taking a very close look at this year. We may have some of the right programs, but they're not quite addressing the needs that the students have. And we have students who have needs that our programs don't address. So, we're taking a deep dive uh into the different programs, how they're structured, what methodology we use to see what adjustments we need to be making to make sure that we're matching our student needs, not matching our students to a program.
She talked a lot about that with us, which I thought was enlightening. Um and she's had really good discussions with faculty about that, too, and how going to roll out their new curriculum and plan and and we did go down a path about how science MCCAST is and uh there's going to be more simulation based but the curriculum we have does that already so there's a lot of about that um so they feel well positioned and Mike could probably teach us about that at some point so yeah the amplify the change you made to amplify the the curriculum we're using for middle school math is is very much aligned with the changes that were made for MCCAST. So, they're utilizing those sims. So, the students have now seen it already and they've done it. So, they're ready come MCCAST time at the middle school. At the middle Yeah.
Great. Is there a second? I'll second that. Second from member Childs. Any discussion? Okay. Secretary Den, will you call the vote? Hold on a second. Second was Child's. Okay. Um, Chair Johnson, yes. Vice Chair Ston, yes. I'm a yes. Member Goodwin, yes. Member Childs, yes. Mayor Disorger, yes. Member Martini, yes. Okay, the motion carries. Thank you. Any other requests for uh future school committee business items? Secretary Deniv, I'm sorry. This isn't a new business item. I just realized that I do have a very very short legislative report. Could I give it very quickly? Uh yes. Seconds or less? Yes, absolutely. Yeah, we can consider an item unanticipated. Thank you. Um we have the day on the hill coming up on May 6th. So if anyone on the committee would like to attend, uh you will need to get on the MASC website and uh register yourself and build to the district and then come and uh talk to us as we are putting together a group comprised of school committee members from various different districts.
Um and so if there's any questions you you are seeing the numbers go down a little bit which you will see at the end of the year but again I caution you as I said in some cases that's a positive not a negative uh will have especially at the center for success early graduates uh kids that have worked real hard and so when they go ahead and and get done uh they will go ahead and step out so they'll be considered a withdraw uh they will come back and go through the ceremony whether it's high school or at CCS but I just caution that in all cases it's not necessarily a negative there are other cases where uh in some cases uh especially at the high school, you start to see that you're just not going to make it. And so some decide to step off um to start fresh next year.
Um, developing systems for programwide data review. This I mentioned already with branching minds really getting to deep uh deep dive into which programs are effective and how is that methodology effective and comparing those and then finally updating the professional development for special education staff regarding the use of uh data evaluating goals and updating IEPs in response to the student needs. We're working on right now developing a professional development calendar for the year for the entire year for next year. Um and we've been working on several different avenues to do that regular meetings that we um have already in place. Um and then also we have started actually through the empower 26 we've done a couple things um uh through empower 26 which are great because they're after school short brief and then we record them. So, for example, I did a week or two ago a presentation on section 504 and that's recorded and now can be posted on the website.
So, they were saying that they went I forget what conference, sorry, because I don't have my notes, but um whatever conference they went to, the other teachers were like, "Oh, you know, you're lucky. Again, just like so impressed with Erin just bringing everyone together there. A lot of good sh I'm sure there's things I should say but I I can't most of them can't come to me. So probably since the last I think I missed the last meeting. Uh so we have received the IRA funding uh federal funding. Uh however uh Department of Local Services on the state level had issued a memo regarding that funding um that places likely restrictions on what we can do with it. We thought we would be able to do things like you know things on that capital list, things like that. Uh we're still working through um with council on what we can do with it but it seems to and uh essentially they're the memo if read you know the way it's being interpreted is means it has to be you know the it's it's a refund or a rebate of funds that had a particular purpose and they have to remain within scope of that.
Um we had a meeting on Monday night at the collaborative uh zoom meeting and we made plans to make appointments with various legislators and we identified the things that we wish to discuss um that was most top of mind and um we expect to be there as a large collective contingent. So if you would like to participate, please uh register and reach out. And tomorrow is the YLO uh conference at the high school, the youth engaged legislative officials and um Vice Ston and I will be present and um talking to the youth and we will bring back a report on that. Thank you very much. Uh member childs. Um, so can any of us show up and join you there or is it really just you guys that will be there for that? You would have had to have they uh they sent a sign up sign up sheet out.
So uh it's not uh unique to see numbers drop a little bit in in April and May. Um but if there's anything I can do to answer questions, I'll be more than happy to. those that step off and decide to start fresh at the beginning of the next school year. Is am I understanding correct? It may anymore. There's a number of different options. Uh the one thing you got to be careful about if they step off um if they haven't done anything and they're going to step off Friday and then start somewhere new Monday. What's different that says they're going to do anything different? So, we do look at those kids as possible summer school. Uh we do have both summer school uh opportunities. uh in depending on where they're at, our first choice would not be able to would not be to send them to grad solutions because we would like to work with them first in in our programs, but theoretically they could go there.
So, you could see it if you wanted to when you went there or you can go look at it later. So, in special education doing some really specific topic based things that people are asking about what do I do for student behaviors? What do I do for students with autism? What do I So, we can do some brief snippets like that and then post them so people can access them later. Just to clarify what you said post them to the website. It's our intranet website for teachers. So it's not posted to the website for sorry public. That's right. So that's those are the things that we're working on now to have in place for next year. Um I have I have just two things. Um first because I think this uh question came up. Um when it comes to wind time in the 3 through 5 uh removing a student who is in um speech would that take place during that time?
way to put it in a nutshell. So, so we're still working through that, but we did we did receive it. So, was uh we received the what we submitted for and then the interest delay 3.3. It's got to be a way to make good use of it. Um, yeah, it might it might just be paying bond, paying the bond and and stuff like that, which people are going to say, "Hey, my taxes are going to go down, but everybody's probably going to put out like a dollar little bit. It doesn't unfortunately doesn't have that big of an impact as it would to use it for something else, like a big project that we really, but we'll use it for what we can and and make the biggest impact." Um so I I was fortunate to mar my site council at the high school was today.
Sign up sheet. I only saw one. Please use I'm sorry. Please activate your mics and Oh, sorry. I didn't see the sign up. I only saw what day it was. So, Whoops. My bad. I am sure that if you we could give you the email and you could email the Americanore volunteers and they would probably be very happy to have you involved. I think we can handle it offline from from there. Yeah, we can talk about that after the meeting. I'll give you the email. Any other new business? Okay, great. Um, I'd like to hear um motion to enter into executive session pursuant to Mass General Law Chapter 3A subsection 21A2 to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-UN personnel. Three, to discuss 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.
They could do it in June starting with summer school. They could start in July. Um especially online, uh the school year technically for online is July 1 to June 30. Um so they can pick it up there. So we would look to grab those kids and see what's what's in their best interest. In some cases, there's to be totally honest a willingness to talk to us and listen to us and see what some options are. In some cases, there's a sense of frustration and they're really not wanting to talk to us. Uh what we do see, and I think most school districts see that though, if I do something right now, I may be frustrated, etc. Come around the end of July, early August, I see the world a little bit different because it's a brand new year. And so, I might just decide to come back at that time.
So we do try to use wind time for the related services so that the students aren't missing uh instruction. However, I will say our related services staff have been some of the staff at the forefront of doing inclusive time. So OT inclusion, speech inclusion, especially if it's a social pragmatic issue or things like that. So we're working they've been I would say speech and OT um and PT all have been working on doing more services inclusively social work as well. If the student is having a social issue they are sometimes out on the playground or in the cafeteria working directly with the kids real time. Um so but if they do need pull out that's the time that we usually aim for. It's always a tough balance if you have a student who's got some academic needs and has three related services and has maybe a tier 2 need in math.
doesn't mean I can remember much more than um than you, but um they they two were talking about the site council just the improvement plan in terms of you know sort of what they've been working on this year just kind of more view and Kelly anticipates coming forward somewhere between now and prepared to present as they have typically more sort of a normal course thing than a specific uh agenda item but Um so we talked a bit about that for about half the meeting. Um I think the one substantive thing that I wanted to update people on I missed the last meeting they had but they had decided the last meeting not to make recommendation rating issue at this point um they've kind of tabled it. It's not to say they voted not to do anything, but at this point um with a lot of other things that telling comment of, you know, there are a lot of other things that are causing stress and something try to figure out.
And seven, to comply with or act under the authority of any general or special law or federal grant need requirements. The committee will not return to open session. So moved. Second. Motion for member Ston Ston and a second for member Den.
Again, it could be at a regular school or it could be an all-term school. Um, but I I just caution that because sometimes when see people see that number, it's like, oo, whoa, whoa. But it's just a part of the natural uh process. What is the outreach like and followup to try to recapture that? It it depends on the situation uh and the individual. Normal, you might have some reach out over the uh probably be a conversation before they leave. Um, and depending on where that goes, what options are, then you'll see some reach out uh as part of registration process um throughout the summer. uh and and to see where they're at. Again, depending on the situation, you might give them direction to do one, you know, take this route or that route. So, we try to work on those kids best we can.
um trying to balance there's only two blocks a day. Um but our staff do a great job of scheduling that. I I I actually like the fact that speech would be included with the others in a more inclusive way. I've had three children who have done speech and they have often felt like they miss out on things when they get pulled out. So that makes me happy. Um the other thing I want to add because my brain was moving my academic teacher brain. Um I have seen teachers and this is maybe um for Mindy's question as well and most recently do creative teams among their teams when it comes to differentiation where it's not just them within their classes differentiating but among their teams which I think is a huge benefit and incentive for kids where they do book clubs and like it's just called book club time but there's strategy behind that and I you know our son comes home and he's in book club but he's excited because he to see his friends in the other class, but we know that they're leveled, right?
Um so right now it's just been tabled um and there were a couple of other points that were related to sort of the re original purpose for looking at it which really was all about you know is there something that differently that prod reduces stress and part of it was the way creating forcing decisions that um kids were making because of things that weren't necessarily healthy big picture. Um and so they're kind of more committed to looking narrowly at some of the other issues that might impact that. So um that's where they are with that. That was that was probably the highlight of share with folks. Yeah, I uh the Warren side council uh did me but I missed it so I can't report on that. I do know that they're doing a community read day on Friday. I'm going Tina's going. Mike Jim, are you maybe to be determined?