Um and um remediation supplies. So, um that's an area where they do feel like they can forego uh for next school year and still be in okay place. Uh and then we would look to talk about that for the next year's budget. >> Yeah. I mean, I guess my question is what is remediation supplies? >> That's going to be my question. >> So, sometimes it's it's various supplies that we might use with students when we're working with them more individually or in small group. But again, um they look carefully at what supplies they do have and if they do have supplies that they can get one more year out of before they have to, you know, they're looking to get another year, right? It's like I look at my tires and if the treads are okay, I'm going to give it another couple months. You know, we're we're trying to really use the things that we have to their fullest without going without either.
If you've ever gone to uh you're a podiatrist or whatever and they give you inserts or sneakers or shoes, it's basically the same thing. I I don't know about the email. I would love to see the email you're you're talking about, sir. Maybe you could you could forward that to me so I can see what you're talking about. Who is being forced to do that? We're not not aware of that at all. That's something I would I would not subscribe to here. But that's something we could talk about off cycle, but just to make that very clear. Thank you. >> Thank you, Dr. Thompson. Any board member comments? Mr. Proales? >> I want to thank you, Mr. President. I want to reiterate congratulations to all the teachers of the year, the power professionals. Like your principals have mentioned, you're outstanding, you're an inspiration, your dedication to teaching in this district means a lot.
Yeah. All right, on to Spanish contemporary human geography. This is our review team. And this is our staff. We had both the department chairs, teachers, gen ed social studies teacher, and uh multilingual, plus both EL coordinators. Our process has kind of been a fast one. Um in the fall you approved us to open our first ever Spanish chug that satisfied the TBE requirement that we needed to have. So, we have rapidly worked on creating a scope and sequence, curriculum maps, um aligning them to summative assessments, and we have reviewed three different um vendors and the team came back and they have come with a proposal tonight, and we're hoping that when we come back in June it will be approved. Our Spanish chug is there's a few things that have to happen. So, first we have to have SLA standards embedded in this because it is replacing that idea of an SLA class.
Stal was nice enough to reply to me over the weekend. uh another teacher in our department, Lisa Porter, whose name has been brought up several times tonight, another rockstar teacher. Um she uh is our teacher of the year at East science teacher and she has uh been asked to fill out this paperwork for the next level of uh to to see if she went at the at the corporation level. And so she sent out um some of the the her responses to some of the cues uh uh of the paperwork for this and she wanted to share it with the teachers in science department and I thought I'm going to share this tonight because she has no idea that I was going to be here tonight but it was perfect. It was too perfect to pass up. So this is from Lisa Porter. One important reason, let me give you some backdrop.
I know a lot of thought has gone into it, so it's difficult times, but I know we've always had support from our community. I anticipate and expect we'll have continued support from our community. They've always been great and blessed us and our students, our teachers, and our staff. And I have no doubt that we'll be able to steer the direction of this and get back on track despite some of the changes and the financing changes that are thrown our way. So, I know I have great trust in our administration, our leaders, our building leaders. We'll do what's right. So, we just may get a little rocky for a little bit, but we'll hang on. We'll be we'll get back on track, so. >> Brian, to that to your to your point about the the budget and challenges, I think it's very important that anyone who has questions knows to ask them.
Anyone else have any questions? If not, let's go to G2 admin handbook. Okay, so moving on to the administrator handbook. Um, there were just a few again changes here, updating um, director benefit, things like that, and striking out some items that necessarily are not associated with administrators. Um, and then under life insurance, just adding in there under for the superintendent, um, as defined reference in his or her contract, um, as that can vary according to um Mr. Berry's uh current contract. So, we wanted to be clear that way we don't have to change that every single year um to reflect that. And then moving down to uh bottom of page one, um any unused sick days above the maximum shall be paid annually on July 1st at 50% of the highest substitute teachers daily rate. Um payment to the administrator shall be made into the 401A plan administered by the vendor selected to accept employer contributions.
Board, any questions or comments? Once it's approved, I it'll go up on the website. It'll be official. Okay, thank you for that. 3.10, amendment of cancellation of outstanding checks, Mr. Miles. Thank you, Madam President. Dr. Smith, members of the board, you may recall back in our March 16th meeting, you priorly approved cancellation of checks. There was one check that was missed from that that we bring back to you tonight as an addendum to that approval. Again, these must be canceled per statute after 2 years post 12/31. So this one check, it has been paid and cleared, more of a clerical issue than anything and we'll just ask your permission later this evening to cancel that check. Thank you, Mr. Miles, and I know we do have that in a board policy as well, although we can't access it right now. But we appreciate you following along and updating us.
Municipal Finance Oversight Board of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts may require a motion. >> Can I get a motion on this language? >> Motion to approve with discussion. >> Second by Mrs. Ferris. Any further discussion? >> All those in favor? Going to make it easy on to catch up. I'm sorry. Question. >> Uh what? Um so this is uh part of the bond that we discussed in the last meeting. >> Yeah. For the $4 million bond. This allows us to apply for uh the state bond rating. >> Yeah. And what's the purpose of the change of language? >> Because we want to uh use a state bond rate rating uh which is better than ours. So it would have any would it have any negative impact or is it just a technical thing? >> No have it's a technical thing actually will have a positive impact.
We will be able to instruct fully. Um but next year we'll be coming to the table with these things and you'll see why, right? And we'll talk about why we might need those now because we those are the things we we foregone, you know, this past year. >> Yeah, I appreciate that, but I think that remediation supplies like we need to keep a firm hand on that because if we're not remediating, we're going to be identified. >> We agree. We We agree wholeheartedly. >> Yeah, I guess having a breakout of that would be you know, so we don't get into this situation again on the front page, right? Again, like what does that mean? You know, reading supplies? Is it reading remediation supplies? Is it, you know, what science supplies are we talking about? Are we talking about Smithsonian? You know, it's just that's a lot of money, 33,000.
Um and we just we welcome that. We welcome that and that's important to try to continue and build that relationship with our community and that's what you guys are doing, building that uh building that that status, that that community involvement like uh uh Miss Alf- Mr. Alfonso's wife, I forgot her, Jennifer, had mentioned how her teachers mingle and talk with with the with the community, with the with the parents. That's important. That helps the kids move forward and and the learning process, of course. Uh and I want to congratulate everyone that's retirement for that's retiring. Congratulations and I that'll be all for now. >> I want to congratulate all the teachers that got their awards tonight, power professionals. I just want to be on the record here about uh false information that's going around about my family >> [clears throat] >> In this city the rumors that are false It's been going on and continuing on.
So, we had to embed these within this course along with the social Oh, sorry. Spanish language arts. And chug. So, Spanish language arts standards are embedded within this course. Um along with the social studies standards. So, we have all of those and then we also have aligned it with the chug class that is the um monolingual class or the gen ed course. Um we >> Chug is contemporary human geography. Yes. Sorry. That's all right. Um There's other chug curriculum. >> [laughter] >> So, um we also added our social emotional learning standards and our culturally responsive teaching and learning standards. The material that they chose both of the novels so that they could include the Spanish language arts standards is from 2018 and the textbook that they've asked for. The reading levels are appropriate for high school and that was very important that they weren't too low with it being a Spanish text.
She could have she planned on leaving six years ago, right? She's still with us obviously and a rockstar teacher. One important reason I've stayed for six more years and plan on at least a few more is because of this lunchtime I have with colleagues. And nothing contributes to school culture more than retaining teachers and staff who care, who collaborate, who keep updating their lessons, who trade secrets about how to manage squirrely kids, and who want to support each other and their students in all the way they all the ways they know how. Okay, so here's Miss DNA. Uh hello again. So I just want to talk about AP classes in the science department at East. Um through AP classes, I've been able to accumulate many credit hours that I can use for college. So save me a lot of money. Um I also really appreciate the teachers at Columbus East because I'm obviously very interested in science, but I also see students who are not and the teachers find a way to make it engaging for everyone.
You know, there's there's we've learned there's there there are answers. A lot of them are spelled out through Dr. Terrell when what you had to say, this piece of paper. Um but there should be really no We don't want confusion and different fears that that that are just aren't necessary. >> Throughout the rest of the week, there's a very extensive communication plan in place where individuals and different groups will be receiving different information at the at the appropriate time. Um information will be explained for next steps and uh just a little bit more about what's what's going on in your cabinet. So, as you mentioned, questions, please make sure that those get to the right areas. Start with building level leaders and >> Thank you. We'll move on to item 8.01, board statements of appreciation and recognition. Mr. Waring. >> Well, as we said that with Ms.
And as we found in researching this that we were following this process, but it was not documented. And so, this is just documenting what we are doing our practices, making it clear for everyone. Thank you. I was going to ask about that, so I appreciate that. Uh yes. And then um page three, um just um adding the language so request must be in writing. And I think that's really it other than at the back end there are the updated um direct or deputy superintendent, those. And I did notice we do not have the director of human resources on here, so I'm going to add that. You're welcome. Thank you. So, that takes care of G1 and G2. Moving on to H1, award of bids for H and HS arena locker room renovations, Mr. Thornsberry. Pleasure having you back again today, sir. Thank you for the opportunity.
Any questions, board, on the outstanding checks? Okay. Mr. Miles again, 3.11, financial update. Yes, Madam President. In front of you, we will start with the looks like we're going to start with the transportation fund. So the transportation fund as of the end of March, March 31st, in a in a good place and very close with our original projections. Again, as a reminder, revenue comes in twice a year, so we're still really waiting on uh the vast majority of our revenue. We did get some a little bit of revenue in and expenses are trending just a little behind our projections, so we'll take that, leaving our cash balance in a little better position than originally projected. And similarly, as we move to the general fund, akin to our education fund, but we'll call it general fund for purposes of our report. Again, 3/31 balance, revenue trending in a good place, a little ahead of original projections, but but fairly for the most part in line, as well as our expenses.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah. If I if I may um also we're working John and I and Melissa are working with Hilltop Securities, our financial advisor. And so when we go through the state and it's an an enhancement, it's like a double A rating. And so our rates are much better going through this route and having this language rather than not. So, uh, it's really good that we're doing this. Nice hearing from the treasurer. >> Thank you, Jerry. >> All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Why? Yes. Okay. Reports of the committee. None. District committee priorities. None. New business. See none. Table matters. >> Question on new business. >> Oh, >> I had asked in the last meeting to add an item. It's very technical item. I missed my colleague over there. So, just to revert back to the original seating chart, >> we can do that at the end of the meeting because I left that opened.
You know, it's 34,000, you know, that directly impacts students. And if we're honing in on a specific group of students, right? Struggling students, that's that's a big concern. That's not something I would want to >> It is I think it is just a small portion there and then a small portion from all those areas. Um, I do know in talking with Dr. P that he has had generous supplies in previous years that he feels like he can forego one year, you know, next year without having to get these. That that he can manage. And they can manage. >> like things that Deb, you have looked at too? Like with him cuz I I I'm trying to put this as nicely as I can, like I really don't want to put my faith in one person in instruction one leader um, in of a building. >> Right.
I would much appreciate my family let being left out of this business, please. If it continues on from this point, I will retain an attorney and we will go from there. Thank you. >> Again, I'd like to congratulate all the teachers, all the power professionals. Uh to Mr. Miko and Marie, you do a wonderful job with the Blue Stars and I mean I I seen the kids when I was working that do come from military families and they're lost at the beginning. I think it's a fantastic program. And thank you for that. >> Thank you. Is he a son? >> I'm sick. I'm not going to give a long Teachers, I just wanted to uh congratulate the student of the month and the teachers and paraprofessionals that received their awards tonight. And also uh congratulate President Corino on his award. Thank you. >> Thank you.
The text is written in Spanish. They've both reviewed are well reviewed and they have awards. So our first is the novel Voces sin Fronteras and I will tell you I don't speak Spanish so if I butchered it, I apologize. This is the novel that they want to use to embed that Spanish language arts. And then this is the history book that they want to use and it's for Fisica y Humana del Mundo and that's the Spanish version and it matches very nicely with what they're doing in our contemporary human geography class. This novel is both English and Spanish so it helps with trans languaging which is probably the biggest part that they enjoyed. It is also vignettes so they could take parts and pieces of all of it and embed it in different units within the entire scope and sequence. The text the biggest selling point is it mirrors a lot of what the students will be doing in the contemporary human geography class so that students can have from the Spanish class Spanish version to the English version class they would be able to have conversations and be doing similar things.
Um along with teacher retention, I have had Mrs. Porter that he just mentioned for three of the four years in high school. Um, so I've taken more than one science classes in my years. So she's not the only teacher I've had, but I've seen her in all sorts of classes in the more motivated AP classes and in the harder to wrangle general classes. Um, and she makes sure that all the kids are paying attention, they take something away, and that everyone learns at least a little bit about science and sparks that passion that she definitely sparked in me. >> Thanks, Lauren. So, I wanted to talk to you a little bit about um these amazing, excuse me, veteran teachers that we have. They do have over 103 years of experience. They constantly strive to better themselves, better their courses for their students, and to better their students.