Malden School Committee 05/04/2026

001Mhm. >> Mhm. >> All right, good evening everyone and welcome to the Malden School Committee meeting. Today is Monday, May 4th, 2026. The time is 6:00 p.m. Our next meeting will take place on Monday, June 1st at 6:00 p.m. So, as always, the agenda is as follows. We'll first pledge allegiance to our flag. We'll then have a moment of silence for our veterans. Our clerk will then take attendance to ensure that we have a quorum sufficient to allow us to gather here this evening. And then we'll get into this evening's agenda. So, the first order business will be the inter-district school choice hearing. From there, we're going to take out of order safe routes to school sponsored by Mr. Piazza. After that, we will go to the consent agenda, which has three items. First is

002the approval of the March 2nd, 2026 minutes, followed by the April 6th meeting minutes, and then finally, the April 2026 warrants. After that, everyone, we'll go to public comment. There will be an opportunity for anyone here wishing to address the public. We only ask that you state your name and address for the record. Public comment will be open for 15 minutes. We provide each speaker with 3 minutes and we'll let you know 10 seconds in advance of when you're at the 3 minutes. After that, we're going to hear from our school superintendent on two items. First is the draft strategic plan and next steps and then competency determination mastery assessments. Uh after that, we'll go to subcommittee reports and discussions. We'll hear from Ms. Rosemberg regarding the policy subcommittee and to my left to your

003right, Mr. Bernard regarding the technology subcommittee. After that, everyone uh we'll go to motions and resolutions. The first one is the inter-district school choice. Uh Ms. Spadafora will speak to that. We actually may take that up when we do the hearing first. Uh after that, Ms. Rosemberg will have the next three items. One is around the policy on competency determination. The second one will be on funding proposals and applications, uh policy DD. And then finally, uh review of the policy DGA, which is the authorized signatures. Uh then after that, we'll take up the item that we tabled last month, which is a resolution in support of a financial management review. Uh that's being sponsored by Ms. Spadafora and Ms. Rosemberg. After that, we'll go to personal privilege. And then from there, we'll entertain a motion

004to go into executive session for three purposes. Uh one is to take a look at the April 6th meeting minutes. The second one is to discuss an open meeting law complaint dated April 16th 2026 filed by Bruce Freeman against the Malden School Committee. And then finally another open meeting law complaint as follows, April 16th, 2026 filed by Bruce Freeman against the Malden School Committee. This is the executive session minutes from 12/5/2022. April 16th, 2026 filed by Bruce Freeman against the Malden School Committee. Executive session minutes from February 6th, 2023. And April 16th, 2026 filed by Bruce Freeman against the Malden School Committee for the executive session minutes from April 3rd, 2023. We'll then come back out from executive session. We may act on any of those items or none of them. And then we will

005move adjournment until our next meeting, which again is Monday, June 1st at 6:00 p.m. Are there any questions from the team? Hearing none, let's do this. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Again, this is a moment where I ask everyone to please remain standing for a moment of silence in honor of all those who have fought for our country and continue to do so today. Thank you. All right, we'll now have our clerk take attendance. >> Mayor Christensen? >> Here. >> Mr. Drammy? >> Here. >> Mr. McCarthy? >> Here. >> Ms. Spadafora? >> Here. >> Ms. Maclane? Ms. Hurdy? >> Here. >> Mr. Piazza? >> Here. >> Mr. Bernard? >>

006Here. >> Mr. Oseberg? Superintendent Sappol? >> Here. >> All right, so we have a quorum sufficient to allow us to come together. Let's take a look at this agenda. So, the first item again is the inter-district school choice hearing. And I have to read the following notice and then we'll get into it. Notice is hereby given in accordance with chapter 76 section 12B of the Massachusetts General Laws that the Malden School Committee will conduct an inter-district school choice public hearing during the May 4th, 2026 School Committee meeting being held at 6:00 p.m. in the Herbert L. Jackson Council Chamber, room 106, 215 Pleasant Street, Malden. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person and members of the public who wish to attend remotely can do so using the following information. And there's a

007Microsoft Teams link. All right, now that that's been read, anybody here wishing to speak for inter-district school choice hearing. Anybody here for that specific agenda item? Okay, hearing none. Anybody here in opposition for that agenda item? All right, we'll close that portion of the um hearing. What say the committee? Uh let's see. Any lights? Ms. Spadafora? >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um so, every year we take this vote up and I am especially appreciative of our superintendent. He provided the committee with um a memo in regards to uh the inter-district school choice and um the amount of available seats if we did decide to go this route. Just a lot more information than we may have received in the past. So, I just wanted to say thank you for that. Um in looking at the

008numbers, I will say I am intrigued to potentially be an inter-district school choice district um based on the requirement that we could set it for a certain school or a certain um even down to the grade. And in looking at the high school um right now the enrollment between May 1st, 2026 and May 2nd, 2025 is a difference of almost 300 less students in the district, but specifically 121 less at the high school. And based on the superintendent's um memo that he provided, we could potentially take in 35 students at the high school. Um kind of trying to think outside of the box, this group has struggled at times with students maybe moving out of Malden um especially in their junior year that they would miss out on graduating with kids that they've gone to

009school with. If we did entertain this at the high school level, that would allow for us to potentially keep um juniors, even sophomores that could be moving. Um their sending district would then pay us and they could um graduate with their peers. I think it's something worth looking at. Um the cost for a small amount of kids would not We wouldn't be necessarily hiring teachers. Um they would just be dropping into the already established classrooms. And if we did take the superintendent's I don't want to call it a recommendation, but the numbers he provided um if we opened it up to the full high school um recommendation of 35 students, that would be um $175,000 brought in to educate those students. >> Okay. Other thoughts? Uh let me I'm going to come to you next,

010Mr. Piazza. I first want to hear from our school superintendent. Is this something you're recommending? >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh I tried to play it very neutral in my my memo uh just to provide the facts. Um and the the the estimates in terms of the number of seats uh as I indicated in the memo also was uh was conservative. Um there could be um over the summer the situation where there's more space than we anticipate. Um but I felt that the these projections were conservative enough that indeed if the committee were to um participate vote to have the district participate in school choice next year that these would be um amounts of students that we could sustain um given how we're anticipating being staffed next year. Um and I I guess I'll just

011say that um the I believe the the typical way this would work in a district where there's a lot of demand would be that there would be two lotteries that would be conducted, one in the summer and then another in the fall. Um however, um, per what I've what I've read on um, from DESE, it could be a students could be allowed to enroll at any time during the year. And then the tuition would be prorated for the amount of time that they're, I believe, in the in the district. >> Mr. Piazza. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, thank you, Mr. Superintendent, um, for the additional info. Um, as member Spadafora said, I'm also intrigued by this as an opportunity for for our district. Um, even just to build on the arguments um, previously made,

012um, the, uh, the numbers it appears to be that the numbers for the K-8s also wouldn't necessitate the hiring of an additional or or too many additional staff members. And so, the argument made for the high school, I think, also applies to the to the K to 8s as well. Um, and similarly, you know, I talked to, um, parents at, uh, the school that my kids go to at Salem Wood, who maybe, um, were will have to move out of district, but they really like the education that they're getting in Malden. They want to keep their kids with their friends. And so, I've been in conversations recently about parents who feel conflicted by this. And so, I love the option of having this available all throughout all all the grade levels. So, I just want

013to kind of like second some of the points made by Miss Spadafora by member Spadafora. Um, I do have a few questions. Uh, for the calculation of capacity, my understanding is that there isn't a set formula that the state requires districts to use, right? This is up to each district in terms of how they calculate that. So, I would just love to hear more information about how we approach that. I know you said that it was a conservative estimate to make sure, which makes sense, right? It makes sure that we can house students who who decide to choice into our district. Um, so that is one question that I have. I have two questions. Do you want to hear the second one or should >> No, let's take that question first. >> Okay. So >>

014So, uh, first of all, what we did was again a conservative estimate of what we anticipated the number of classrooms at each of the buildings and then the number of students that we currently have in house that we anticipate going on. And then allowing for the fact that we may well have some move-ins into the district taking a percentage of those of that difference of that variance between the the number of students that we have moving up and the number of of seats where anticipate having in each of those grade levels. >> Great. Super helpful. Appreciate that. Uh, and then my my last question is a more of a procedural one. Uh, members have already noted that we could open up by school, by grade level even. Will we be voting tonight on like opening

015it up large across the district and then we decide if we're narrowing it down to certain schools or grade levels or are we voting on something more specific than that tonight? >> So So, um, happy to defer to anyone else, but my understanding is that >> good. >> Uh, if a district does not take any action, fiscal committee takes no action, then by default we are participating in school choice like any other district that shows chooses not to withdraw in a given year. That is what Massachusetts General Law says that all districts are part of school choice and must receive must accept uh, students from other districts who want to come on an equal basis without discrimination unless they hold a hearing and vote before June 1st each year not to participate. >> Um, I

016could I just add one thing though. Uh, just just a an important note and that is that um, if a student enrolls with us in ninth grade, then we would they have the option of staying with us until they graduate. >> Mhm. If they enroll with us in third grade, they have the option of staying with us until they graduate. And so, given the uh you know, no one has a crystal ball to know what the the finances of of the city, the district are going to look like in 5, 10 years. Mhm. Um depending on how popular this is, it could be a a boon to the to our finances or it could be um if those state doesn't adjust the funding for school choice, it could be um something that becomes a a

017challenge. >> Got it. >> I'll set. I want to go to Ms. Houghty and then we'll go over to uh Mr. Bernard and then Mr. Rosaieberg. >> Thanks, Mr. Chair. Um >> [clears throat] >> I have first-hand experience with school choice. The district that I work in um participates in the school choice program. And I'd like us to break it down on a little bit more of an actual day-to-day moment about what that actually looks like because I think that it's quite appealing to say um this would be great because we would be reimbursed for students, people that want to be here that might have moved out of the community. Um but my understanding, you can fix my numbers, please, um Dr. Sebold, is that it's we end up spending more money for students, but

018we are not reimbursed the full cost. We're only reimbursed a portion of like like net school spending. So, I want to make that clear. The other thing that we've we've talked about on this committee um numerous times and I think I've made a little bit of a stink about it is attendance and tardy. So, when we're talking about students coming in from different communities, we need to focus on the fact that if we are then opening up school choice, we are saying you can come to us from Somerville, you can come to us from Danvers. Fine. However, at this moment in time, we're still struggling with our tardy and attendance for our Malden public school students. So, I would hate then for our attendance teams, cuz we do have them at each school and they

019are working [clears throat] diligently on this, to add this extra piece into the mix. Um My understanding from school choice, Dr. Sullivan, is that when you do open it wide like that, you can say we have X number of seats per class and things like that. Um my other concern is that as a district, our enrollment fluctuates pretty broadly consistently. I worry that if we say, "You know what? We've got five seats in fifth grade." Let's just say for instance, but then we also have eight students move in that year, just because. So, then then what position are we putting our staff in? Um and how is that going to play out even just with space within the classroom? How are we literally fitting in all of the bodies in there? Um I think I

020I'm not 100% sure. I don't know the history on school choice, but I think it was designed for smaller communities that, you know, maybe had fluctuations in birth rates. So, you know, they might have a third grade that has 60 children and a second grade that has 27. So, in order to sort of keep numbers where they are, they said let's do school choice, you know, and which to me makes a lot of sense. Um but when I think about this and I know what this means for the actual practice in the day-to-day, it gives me pause to really consider if this is the right move that we want to take for our teachers and for our students already in the district. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh over to Mr. Bernard. Uh thank you, Mr.

021Chair. Um just a couple questions that kind of popped into my head and it's possible that I missed just missed them when I was reading through. Um, so if we vote to go and allow the school choices that is that reciprocal? Does that mean that people that live here could then go and decide that they want to go and send their kids off to other schools and we would be on the hook for only paying for that? >> Please. >> So, um, actually, uh, our students are already able to avail themselves of school choice to any district that will is participating in the program. Um, our, um, our election to participate or not participate has no bearing or limitation on our students and I had indicated in the memo that 54 students in Malden, uh,

022as of October when we, um, when this was actually as of current currently, 54 students are are, um, opting through school choice. They've enrolled in other local education agencies. 50 of them are in one of two, uh, Commonwealth virtual schools. And, uh, four of them are in other districts. Presumably, I I don't know what their circumstances are. >> Okay. Um, my second question is just, um, if we have students that are coming into district that have sped needs, do we have we anticipated those costs? And what happens when we have someone from another town that, uh, you know, we we're trying to go and and meet their needs, but for whatever reason, again, we go and we kind of hit that thing that we've been hitting, which is we can't get a speech therapist because

023there are none available or we have to go and pay out pocket or they require someone in their IEP a service that we don't offer currently. And what is that going to have we thought [clears throat] about that as to costs and and what's going on? >> Yes, so um by statute the district of residence uh well for us for students that we serve in district who have uh individualized education program uh we would um there's a there's a provision where Malden Public Schools would incrementally charge the district of residence for services that we provide through special education. Um there is a requirement that a representative from that district be a part of uh participate in the team process because they would be owning um at least a a a large portion of the cost

024for that. If the student were to qualify for an out of district placement then just as we do through the circuit breaker uh mechanism that we for our own students, we would um calculate the cost of that placement and the district in which the student resides would be 100% responsible for that cost. But it is uh but it is an incremental calculation and so um there would be some cost to Malden Public Schools for the students that we serve in district. >> Okay. And then just my third last third and final unless I think of another one. Um uh Miss Roy had mentioned you know having space for uh if we have space for new new residents um it kind of and I'm glad that we brought that up cuz that is something we we

025know that we go and we have numbers that go and shift, you know, starting off in October. We don't have those numbers in September and where our and that's where we going to get our per the Chapter 70 stuff, that's where they go and they make that decision on what we get paid uh for the next year. So, if all of a sudden, we have a number of kids that go and move into district or I would assume that would also work the same for um school choice that if someone says uh November, I go to uh you know, a school and I'm getting bullied, but Malden's got a great anti-bullying program and I drive right by it to work and I'd love to go and drop my kid up uh every morning and having

026that sudden increase uh and I would think might go and and be a little bit of an unexpected cost that we don't go and get that reimbursement for. I know it's not a lot of kids, but with our current financial struggles, it is something that I want to make sure that we got in uh kind of in the back of our heads as to you know, whether we're going to do this or not. Um Yeah, I figure I really just want to go and keep that kind of as a the statement then rather than pose another question. >> Okay. >> Thank you, sir. >> Good discussion. Uh Ms. Rose Eiberg. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um I have not been able to um access the policy the policy um manual. I know that we have

027a policy about high school students who move out of district in their um like junior senior years that they can apply to stay. I can't I don't remember the number off the top of my head, but we do have senior year that we do have something in place for that. Um do you have a question with um basically backing up what everybody has said. I'm curious if Ms. Martz, if you know if this is sort of a sustainable program financially or would we be taking a hit on that um at some point? Um does the sending district have any say? And the if the child is allowed or is it just Massachusetts? So, if you want to go, you can go. >> Yeah, so those 54 students that are currently at either the virtual school

028or one of those other four districts, they did not need to ask permission from us. >> Yeah. Um. Thinking of if you did it one year and then backing up what everybody said. So, school choice, so if we let people in one year and then we realize, oh wait a minute. We can't the following year. Siblings, I was going to say, what about siblings when cuz it but we vote every year on it. So, what what happens if there's siblings if there's that and it's lot if it's a lottery, then how does it work for siblings? When they are haven't entered school yet? I just I just don't know how it works. >> Yes, so um, as far as students who it is the the the school committee needs to vote every year if it's

029choosing not to. Um, however, if if it opened it and was happy with the experience so far, it would not have to take action to keep it open if that makes sense. Um, there is a um, a very strict rule in terms of non-discrimination um that is it's very explicit in the in master law with respect to school choice. Um, for siblings, um, I would need to review the regulations. I think for a given admission cycle um, you could have a situation where uh, let's just say that we opened it at third and sixth grade and there were more applicants. The lottery only kicks in if you have more applicants than you have available seats. And if there um, if the sixth grader was admitted because they they they won the lottery, but the third

030grader uh, were not. Um. I I would just need to look in into that. But um generally speaking they they there is a provision for if you don't have a if you don't have a a lottery if you don't have a limited number of seats or you don't have fewer seats than you have interested applicants then you would just admit everyone who applies. >> The follow to that and in this so if we did come before us and devoted no and there was a so we already have one student and then siblings. So I guess it'd be up to the parents if we say no we're not going to participate going forward then that student has to stay at their home district. >> Correct. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Anything else Mr. Rose Albert? >> thank

031you. >> All right. Uh let's see. Uh just if I might from the chair and then we'll go to Mr. Piazza or Miss Spadafora. Based on the number of questions I I can't support this. There's just too many unknowns and we have no idea what's in front of us at the state level. If that income tax ballot question passes it's lights out. So I think we just need to [clears throat] um you know, bide our time, find out where everything lands before we entertain something like this. We are molded we need to take care of our own. I appreciate the you know, the the opportunity to maybe raise revenue but this isn't from my vantage point the area to do it. Especially based on the questions that are being asked and the superintendent uh not

032being sure about some of the questions it's just for me it's not the right time. I don't know if it ever will be but certainly not now with the way things are at the state and federal level. Uh let's go to Mr. Piazza and then over to Ms. Betterfora and then we'll see if we can try to wrap this up. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um >> [clears throat] >> Uh you can tell by my line of questioning I'm leaning in favor of of the uh of of um a lot opening ourselves up to school choices. So, what I might say be might be moved based on what you had to share, but I I think of I'm thinking about the demographics, right? That would the demographics of the folks who are most likely to

033take advantage of this. And I think one group is group of low-income residents. The price the the cost of living in Malden is getting higher and higher and the conversation that I alluded to earlier was from a parent who was recently served an eviction notice and really wants to stay in Malden, right? And so, I I I I think that allowing ourselves to be a school choice district allows ourselves to like in a way to take care of our own, right? Because then it's a student who is here already and we're saying you can stay here. And I think that that So, that's one um one one thought in favor. I also think probably the most likely maybe another more likely demographic to take advantage of this are teachers who teach in Malden public schools

034but live in other towns. And in this case, those folks can enroll their own children in Malden public schools. They're coming here anyway for work. I I absolutely hear the concerns about attendance and tardiness. >> [snorts] >> Um and I would want the district if we did vote in favor of this, I'd want the district to come up with plans for getting those kids to school on time. But in this case, for children of of teachers, they'd be coming here already and again, to the to the point about taking care of our own, these are teachers who are teaching in Malden public schools and we're opening our doors and saying your your children can come here as well. >> Ms. Betterfora. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um I think I am hesitant at if we

035were considering opening it at the lower level right now just because we are seeing a lot of issues when it comes to enrollment. We have a lot of requests in for students to transfer into schools that are closer. Some overcrowding at some of our schools, so I am a bit hesitant at that level and that's why I was um more I was interested more in the high school age bracket just because specifically for me it was seeing, you know, somebody in their junior year of school and they happen to have to move out of Malden and now we can say, "Okay, you can now stay here." I know we do have a policy for senior year, but it does back it up just a little bit more. Um and could be, you know, a trial

036for us that um you know, they're only with us for a couple years. Um we're not owning that student from kindergarten on. Um it limits the amount of of seats that we do have open um as a trial and then if next year we say this really doesn't work for us, then we go back to voting no and move on from there. So, um I just wanted to when it comes to siblings, um under it says under Massachusetts General Law chapter 76 12B, any sibling of a student currently attending school in the receiving district receives a preference to admission. So, if it was we don't have to take them. It's not like an automatic in, but they do have a a preference um if we had multiple seats open and then just um to the

037the first question, it says when determining capacity for admission of school choice students by June 1st, school committees may specify the schools and the grades in which seats are available for non-resident students. So, if we were to make a motion here, it would we could make it specific to what we were looking for. >> Mr. Rosenthal, and then we're going to wrap it, okay? Cuz I know we have members from the public here. >> Um just so they can get through we because we do have the policy for 12th graders um we could either look at school choice or we could have looked at sending to policy again that to Right now we only have seniors we could adapt our own policy without needing to go to school choice route and open that up to

038juniors who are moving out of the city. Um is one possibility. Um the same thing you can always revisit as you know I love revisiting policy. Um we have a policy that does actually allow um a certain number of seats to be filled by um Malden employees already that we can revisit those numbers we had just instituted also that it cuz for some reason they um preschool hadn't been included so we had set a certain number of seats available. Uh so again could look at expanding that so we might have existing policies that could be adapted. True. >> True. >> Okay. Um all set? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So what is the pleasure of the committee? We could uh table this. We have to do something before June 1st. So what's the pleasure of the

039committee? You have your light on again uh Ms. Rose-Iversen or was that from previous? >> Uh I I can do Thank you. Um knowing we need to take a vote but also saying that I would also make a motion to send this to policy. To really dig in and find out more of the information. Same thing I just don't feel I have a lot of answers right now that I'm a little bit timid of pushing it forward. Um >> So does it require us to come back then before June 1st with a special meeting? >> take the vote. >> Oh. >> But I don't think that we'd have enough time to find out all the information before June 1st. >> All right. Ms. Betancourt, okay. Ms. Betancourt, uh >> I was just going to make

040a motion um um that we adopt being an inter-district school choice district um for uh Moulton High School with a limitation of I think you put 35 on there. I'd like to be a little bit even more conservative and go with 20. >> I'll second that. >> Okay, any questions, queries, qualms? Okay. Um everybody understand the motion? And what did you say was you throw out 35 and then you went to 20? How'd you get >> rambling. >> What number did you land on? >> 20. >> Okay, 20. All right. Again, it's just my point we're all Yeah. Let's Let's I think we're good with the debate. Everybody understands, right? Do you have a clarifying question cuz I really want to wrap this up if we can, all right? Ms. Houghty. >> I was under

041the impression that we couldn't preface that. Like we would have to say we are accepting school choice and and then we would have to say we're only accepting this amount of students from these grades. Like that they were two separate things. Like not a caveat. >> Okay, Ms. Rosenberg. >> but I just >> Ms. Rosenberg. >> Um clarification, we have the split for where the um availability is from ninth through 12th but just in an overall blanket 20 wouldn't specify how we would be taking them. >> Okay. >> By grade. >> All right, everyone. Do you want to add anything Sue before we take this vote? >> Yeah, just these are projections. And so if it were 20 for the entire high school. I mean, the the projections were not so precise that that they

042wouldn't be workable. >> Okay. Thank you, Sue. All right. Motion's been made. It's been Who's seconding? >> Mr. Bernard. >> Yes. All right. Let's uh let's have the clerk call the roll. >> For clarification, this is a motion by Ms. Battefora to adopt the inter-school district inter-district school choice at Malden High with a limitation of 20 students, seconded by Mr. Bernard. I'll call the roll. Mr. Drummy? >> No. >> Ms. McCarthy? >> No. >> Ms. Battefora? >> Yes. >> Ms. Macklin? Ms. Hoey? >> No. >> Mr. Piazza? >> Yes. >> Mr. Bernard? >> Yes. >> Mr. O'Reilly Berg? >> No. >> Mayor Christensen? >> No. >> It does not pass. >> Okay. What was the vote? >> 5-3. >> Okay. 5-3. That does not pass. Do you need anything else, Sue? Cuz I got to

043get going on the rest of the agenda. >> Just I I I just want to be sure that I believe the committee's pleasure is to withdraw from school choice entirely for this coming year. And I'm not sure that we have something on the record to that effect. >> Motion for that. Mr. Drummy, seconded by Mr. McCarthy. Any questions on that? So again, Ms. Hoey, do you have your light on? >> Yes, I can wait. >> You sure? Okay. So this motion, you want to read it one more time, Madam Clerk? >> My understanding is the motion is not to be an inter-district school choice district. >> So you would vote yes if you don't want to participate. You vote no if you do. >> Make the motion. >> Uh Mr. Drummy. >> Sorry, can you

044say that one more time? >> So if you vote yes, you're not participating. You're not for school choice if you vote no. You're willing to do it. I know. I know. All right, Madam Clerk. Let's call the roll. >> Mr. gummy >> Yes. >> Mr. McCarthy >> Yes. >> Ms. Badafora >> No. >> Ms. Macklin, Ms. 40 >> Yes. >> Mr. Piazza >> No. >> Mr. Bernard >> Given that we can revisit this in a year, yes. >> Ms. Rose Eyberg >> Yes. >> Mayor Christensen >> Yes. That carries. All right. Who decided to start with this agenda item, Madam Clerk? Was this Was this yours truly? Sorry about that everyone who's here for the other items on the agenda. All right. Let's Let's hold the consent agenda. Um Let's bring up safe routes to

045school. You have a brief presentation. Go ahead, Ms. 40. >> Sorry, can we motion to send this to policy? >> Uh sure. I mean, yeah. Go ahead. >> So, motion to send the inter district school choice pop policy to back to policy for review. >> Sure. Second by Ms. Rose Eyberg. All those in favor say aye. Anybody opposed? The ayes have it. That carries unanimously. >> Thanks. >> All right. So, you have a brief presentation, right? At the behest of Mr. Piazza. >> Yes, Mr. Chair. Brief presentation. My name's Tina Hein. I am the outreach coordinator for the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School program for the city of Malden and also the Malden Public Schools. And I'll just check with the clerk that the slides are ready. All right, you could advance that slide, please,

046to the next one. We are a free, federally funded program. So, given the weight of the conversation tonight >> Sure. >> Song and dance? I'll tell you what, while that's pulling up, if I may approach the members I have a logo We got to bring the projector down. Something's happening. >> Thank you. >> Oh, that's fine. No, thank you. It's just It's It's this. I will quickly start over again. >> Please. >> My name is Tina Hein. I am the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Outreach Coordinator for the city of Malden and for the Malden Public Schools. I'm pleased to be with you here tonight to share how the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School program engages with students in the Malden Public Schools. Next slide, please. Again, we are a free, federally funded program offered

047to all schools that partner with the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School program. And I'm happy to say that in Malden, you've been partners since 2009. All of your schools, meaning 6,000 or so students in the Malden Public Schools, I hope I have that number even close to correct, uh, have benefited from Massachusetts Safe Routes to School free programming, education, and grant funding for over 15 years. That is an amazing accomplishment. Next slide. Perfect. In recent years, Massachusetts Safe Routes to School has supported efforts to increase safety and physical activity for students here in Malden Malden, as well as shifting more families to choosing walking and biking to school. However, I'm here tonight to learn how we as a program can better support better assist the Malden Public Schools goals moving forward. Next slide, please. Our

048program works best in collaboration with many stakeholders in the community. And here in Malden, there are great examples of that collaboration, which I'll share in a moment. And I just like to pause and turn to my right to recognize Ally Drach of Malden Safe Streets, who's been a tremendous advocate and support for us as a community stakeholder and her organization as well. So, we work best when there's strong collaboration. Next slide, please. Our program works within a framework of six E's. They're up on the screen there: equity, encouragement, education, engagement, evaluation, and engineering. And when all six are in play in a community, that's where our impact is strongest, where we have the greatest positive change. Next slide, please. In terms of equity, and specific to school committees across the Commonwealth, is the adoption or

049amendment of transportation policies which promote active transportation. With that, and our multiple language offerings on flyers and surveys and other materials we provide for free, Massachusetts Safe Routes to School ensures that every child in a public school district here in Malden benefits from our program offerings. Next slide. A strong focus here in Malden has been around encouragement. Students across the district participate in walking school buses, walk and roll to school days, and submit their creations to the annual Massachusetts Safe Routes to School yard sign contest. This year's theme was no idling on school grounds, and I'm happy to say we got about 40 designs submitted by students at the Salemwood School. Next slide. And one area where Malden takes the cake is crossing guard appreciation. Truly, you do this right here in Malden. Massachusetts Safe

050Routes to School has received hundreds of wonderful comments from families in the past few years nominating many of your crossing guards for our annual best of the best awards. I'm happy to share just a few of those comments. I could not fit them all on a screen and I would have taken much longer than the 8 to 10 minutes that I think I was allowed. Um I also put up there the image of Gina Hayes who won crossing guard of the year in 2025 for her outstanding work to keep your students safe and happy as they walk and roll to school. Again, you do it really well here in Malden. Next slide. Several times a year Massachusetts Safe Routes to School, those are all check marks, not hazard signs. Um several times a year Massachusetts

051Safe Routes to School has encouragement days to both celebrate students already walking and biking to school and also encourage more students to join. Malden's been very active this year and I know that this Wednesday we will see happy faces at all of the schools as Malden joins other schools from across the state on walk, bike, and roll to school day. Perhaps Mayor Christenson may be spotted out there as he has in the past before. Next slide. One of the biggest impacts of the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School program is the DESE approved pedestrian and a bicycle education that we offer. Both teach students critical life skills and safety skills to navigate their environment building confidence to walk and bike around Malden. This is an offering that Massachusetts Safe Routes to School would prioritize moving forward

052with the Malden Public Schools. Next slide. And new this year, Massachusetts Safe Routes to School has worked closely with MassDOT to incorporate e-bike safety in our curriculum. It's another example of where we as a program meet schools, school districts, communities, police where they are. We are hearing a lot from around the state from city councils, select boards, again police departments, school committees, and school administrators wanting students to receive e-bike education and we've again incorporated it into our curriculum updating it this year. Next slide, please. Moving on to evaluation, Massachusetts Safe Routes to School can survey and assess different aspects of procedures, infrastructure, and behaviors around school grounds and offer recommendations that promote safety for all students as well as promote active transportation. Malden Public Schools have used several of our tools recently including family travel

053surveys again offered to families in multiple languages so you get the highest level of engagement, participation at the Linden School and Salemwood Schools this year. Next slide. This The last program framework to mention are the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School grant programs of which Malden has an application that was awarded this year for the bike rack grant and has another Malden application being reviewed by MassDOT and Mary Christensen. I won't I won't spill the beans, but I think you've got some good news today. The Ferryway has a large infrastructure application that as I wrote this this morning was being considered by MassDOT, but perhaps there's an update to share later. Next slide. And the Linden School again received two bike racks through our bike rack grant program. These are big accomplishments. These are competitive grants

054and to have Malden receiving two in one year is is quite an accomplishment. Next slide. So to sum it up, the Malden Public Schools have great engagement in our program and I look forward to working with you the School Committee to expand Malden's engagement particularly if you're interested in including education and policy changes although on all of the E's, we're here to support you. Next slide. As I wrap up, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite highlights from this year working with Malden students. It was a joy to be at Salemwood School on the right there helping students design their yard sign creations submitted into our contest. And I look forward to joining many more walking school buses like the one here at the Linden that's pictured on the left. And last slide.

055So, as the school year comes to an end as we close out this year, Massachusetts Safe Routes to School will continue to work with Malden Public Schools. However you want, but up top of list for me is developing the Salemwood walking school buses and getting that up and rolling. And then the Linden bike safety assembly to fill out the grant application or grant requirements as well as a mini bike rack grant celebration. So, happy to take questions if you have any, but would end by thanking you for the time. >> Other way around. Thank you. Very well done. >> [applause] >> Are there questions or >> Yes. Questions from the team. Mr. Piazza. >> Less of a question, just more of a thank you for for making the time to come out today and and

056also for all the support that MassDOT that you yourself Tina provide to Malden through the Safe Routes to School program. For a district that does not have school buses, but does have neighborhood schools, Safe Routes to School makes so much sense for Malden. And so I'm I'm thrilled to partner on the walk to school events, especially the walk bike to rule rule to school event on May 6th. And just by way of kind of like, you know, sharing more information, celebrating the work that you do, it didn't fit in the in the presentation, but I just want to highlight if we're able to bring up the slide that with the last slide. Um we implemented a survey at Salemwood School that got a 20% response rate from parents. It was implemented in multiple districts for

057and and it mapped exactly where parents live and then their modes of transportation. And And Tina was so kind to then come to Malden. This was in between those major snow storms, so I still don't know how you did this, to come to Malden and map out Do you see an example of a map that Safe Routes to School provided to Malden that has time stamps and meet up locations for groups that want to walk to school together. And so this is a kind of resources that we as a district wouldn't have access to that Safe Routes to School can provide. And now that we have these maps, we can get parents together to to walk to school together. >> It helps with attendance. It's a much more joyful way of getting to school than

058sitting in traffic and trying to find a parking spot. >> So thank you. >> Thank you. Over to Ms. Hordy. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you so much for coming in. I'm just wondering how we can encourage our other K to 8 schools to participate, especially in the walking school buses. Um and does it require, you know, more outreach on their end? How can we help facilitate it so that these walking school buses are happening kind of everywhere? >> Sure. The The biggest issue is is uh capacity on the part of the administrators. It's It's a lift. When I reach out to them to say Massachusetts Safe Routes to School is here for you. So what we try to do best is collaborate with PTOs. So following this meeting, I will send out a

059round of emails to the school administrators and PTO contacts that I have. I don't have um uh what's the word I'm looking for? A magical Rolodex that gives me everybody's contact information. So some of it is just time accumulating and making connections. I have Ali Dirak here who will help me as well. Do you want to say something real quick? >> Well, uh for Ward 5, it's Carrie McDonald. They're leading uh years, right? Forestdale's >> Mhm. >> on May 6th. >> Awesome. Thank you. Good to know. >> So I'll follow up from tonight with a outreach email to all of the schools and the PTO contacts that I have. >> Thank you so much. I appreciate >> Sure. >> Okay. Thank you again. >> You're welcome. Thank you. >> Truly. All right, everyone. Now, we're

060at public comment. This is an opportunity for members of the public to address the school committee. We only ask that you state your name and address for the record. Public comment is now open. >> Good evening, everyone. My name is Muhammad Abu Taha. I live at 190 Mountain Ave. I'm here respectfully to request that the committee adopt a policy of recognizing Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as a no school day for Malden beginning with the calendar year 2026-2027. Uh each year a significant numbers of our Muslim community and Arabs that uh are absent from the holidays from the schools because of these holidays, which impacts attendance and uh instructions. This is fundamentally an attendance and planning issue. A standing policy would provide predictability for families, reduce the need to revisit this each year, while aligning

061Malden with neighborhood neighboring districts. I respectfully ask that this to be placed on the next agenda for consideration before the calendar is finalized. And I emailed all of you guys. You have my email. You can reach out to me and ask any question you want. I'm available. Thank you for your service and time. >> Thank you. Anybody else wishing to address the committee can do so now. >> Good evening, everybody. My >> Good evening. >> My name is Ahmed Said. I live in 40 Cedar Street in Malden. I am also a member of the Muslim community. A Muslim community that is 3 to 4,000 households in Malden and growing and uh maybe over 1,200 students in Malden public schools. I myself have three in Modern public schools, three children. And that's one of them and

062that is >> Oh yeah, I know him. >> Each year many of our community members struggle with the holidays taking the day off from school or celebrating our religious holidays. One of those holidays is a fasting. It comes after at the end of a fasting month. And this kid right here, he's 12 now, but he's been fasting since 7 years old. And we train our children to fast on an early age. Maybe we start 2 hours, 3 hours a day and until they are old enough to be able to hold 12-hour fasting. So it's a big thing for the kids. It's really it's very important to celebrate them. As a matter of fact, 2 years ago around this time I just found a picture of him and Mayor Christenson because he got a new bicycle

063on on that day for for the celebration. And Mayor Christenson was trying it and I don't know how they got they got together. So I I have the picture actually right here on my phone. So we really respect we really to save us the struggle of having taking the kids out of school or celebrate the holidays and it's part of the inclusion as well so they don't feel that they're left out of So I really would appreciate your consideration for that. These holidays are two holidays a year. Each holiday we celebrate three days each one of them, but we only ask for one day, the first day of the holiday. And by the way, this the picture that I have I just noticed it was on a Sunday. So because these holidays come on a

064lunar lunar calendar, they change around the year. They may come in the summer so we don't really have to take any day or they may come on a Saturday or on a Sunday. So the impact is not as big as as it seems, you know, for those two two days of uh and they may fall out of school anyway. Appreciate your consideration. >> Very good. Thank you. Anybody else? Good evening. >> Good evening. My name is Azzam Alhammadi. I live in 39 Broadway, unit 307. Ward 7, Keith Bernard is my representative. So, I second the request. We need those holidays for our kids so we can celebrate with our kids without missing any curriculum during the day. The day they are only two days falling on the on the year. One of them fell on

065Friday, Eid al-Fitr, so we lost that. We have to take the kids as time off. So, I second the the request for the Muhammad and Ahmad both. Thank you. >> Got it. Thank you. All right. Anybody else wishing to address the committee? Good evening. >> Good evening. Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members. My name is Adam Muda. I'm at 138 Pleasant Street and I would just like to add my voice to the request of my respected community members to have holiday for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. I just had my first child so she's not yet in the schools. We can sort of take her out at will, but um I think this is a really wonderful thing. I haven't been in the community very long, but in my short time I have seen

066the impact of of uh of our community on the the broader Malden. For an example, I play basketball at the Y often with a lot of high school students which I wouldn't advise anybody here. It's it's quite taxing. Um and I found some of these students they were they were repeating some Arabic slang that's often used by youth in the the Muslim community. Wallahi, wallahi, you know, this is our ball, you know, don't don't let the turnover go to the other team. So, uh you know, that's that's [snorts] that's an impact I never thought I would see in my lifetime among mixing and diversity. So, I think it's a beautiful thing. If you think it's a beautiful thing, I think it's a wonderful thing to provide to our students to show that they are welcome

067in our community. Uh if you don't think it's a beautiful thing, well, that's one less day that you have kids from our community mixing with with kids outside of it. So, thank you for your time. Appreciate it. Thank you. >> Anybody else wishing to address the committee? Good evening. >> Uh my name is Robert Title and I live at 33 Bowers Avenue. Uh I wanted to give public comment today because I understand you will soon be considering a district AI policy. I work as a software engineer at a medium-sized tech company in Boston. My company is more AI forward than most and I use AI coding tools such as Claude Code every day as do many of my colleagues. These tools are designed to be incredibly easy to use and they work amazingly well for

068some things. We can now outsource tasks to AI agents that would have previously required human creativity, collaboration, debate, and attention to detail. Using AI at work can feel like a superpower. Unfortunately, I have seen firsthand how it shortcuts the learning crucial for deeper understanding and for professional success. At my job, the rapid shift to widespread AI usage has left many people feeling detached. They feel less pride and ownership in their work because it isn't their work anymore. It is especially sad for people earlier in their careers, so I believe are missing out on developing hard-won professional skills like critical thinking and communication skills that they will need in their careers. This all to say this informs my thinking on AI in education. I think that it is likely that the use of AI in professional

069system settings will change rapidly in coming years, and I it would be a better use of time to teach students basic and necessary skills like fundamental math and creative writing rather than forcing the use of chatbots based on a guess about the future. Uh my son is a sixth grader at the Linden school. Uh recently he was showing me on Google Docs some stories he wrote for class. His stories are amazing. They are creative, funny, off-the-wall as only a 12-year-old can be, and best of all, they are completely and utterly in his voice. As an experiment, I wanted to see what would happen if we used AI to refine some of his writing. So, with his permission, I copied one of his stories into my work Google account, which has Google Gemini enabled. We highlighted

070some text and had Gemini refine it. The resulting text was polished, generic, and completely erased of my son's unique voice. My favorite sentence of his, quote, I do this every day in my gruesome life, end quote, was entirely deleted by Gemini in its edit. Uh when I showed Gemini's version to my son, he said, "They took out the parts that make you think." And I don't feel like I wrote this. I'm sharing this story to highlight the risk of adopting AI learning assistants such as Google Gemini and many others, not just professional risks, but risks to a child's confidence and sense of self. I'm so thankful that he does not have access to AI writing assistants at school, and I hope you'll keep it that way. Thank you. >> Thank you. Anybody else wishing to

071address the school committee can do so now. We only ask that you state your name and address for the record. We have just a few more minutes, everyone. Good evening. >> Hi, I'm Andrew. I live at 481 Pleasant Street in Ward 3. Uh I'm the parent of first graders at the BB school, and I'm speaking today because I want to share my concerns over a seeming lack of clear direction and intent in how technology has been deployed in our schools. I already had some apprehension with the screen as an always-on focal point in classrooms and the heavy use of Chromebooks at such a young age, but my discomfort is ramped up significantly over the course of this school year. Increasingly, when asking my kids about their school days, rather than hearing about time spent with

072friends, classroom lessons, or activities, they talk about their time playing computer games or watching YouTube. Two examples just from this past week that illustrate this are that in a classroom activity following the recent break, one of my kids listed that the thing he missed most about school was Prodigy, which is one of multiple game applications available on his Chromebook. This is in stark contrast to the same activity where he listed his favorite spring break memory as playing board games with his grandparents and brother. The other my other son, when heading out the door to school earlier this week with a forecast of rain, he expressed excitement over having more inside time to watch YouTube on one of his classmates' computers. We've reached out to school administration to try and understand the expectations for screen time

073during the day and rationale for direct student access to platforms like YouTube. The inability to get clear responses or policies back, combined with our conversations with our kids and sharing of our experiences with other parents, has made it clear that much of the deployment seems unguided, inconsistent, and without clear purpose in enhancing instruction or access to education. I'm concerned about the impact of this deployment without the explicit framework and clear empirically backed purpose. The quick hits of dopamine that these platforms deliver undermine the joy in discovery and curiosity and teach that boredom and frustration are things to be escaped. This not only does a disservice to our children in impairing the development of key life skills, but it also sets our schools up for greater challenges and costs in the future as students lack the

074proficiencies to access more rigorous curriculum. Hearing from my first graders about the ubiquity of videos shown throughout the day and the general availability of Chromebooks during unstructured times makes me wonder, what are the values that we are trying to give our children? School is not merely a place to gain book knowledge. It is a place where our children should feel safe and supported as they learn to work through things that are hard to navigate and the complex and nuanced social interactions that define our lives. The environment we create in our schools is a big part of normalizing for our children how we want them to move through the world. Are we telling them that we want them to fill every moment with a screen in lieu of personal connection? And that just a few more

075points or one more level in their game is more valuable than being present. There's a difference between digital literacy and surrendering the education and development of our children to screens. When used intentionally as a tool with purpose, technology enhances our lives >> 10 seconds. >> for things that would have once seemed impossible. I challenge all of us, and this committee as our representatives, to ensure that our schools are taking a thoughtful and intentional approach to technology that empowers our children to the heights we know they can achieve. >> Thank you. >> All right, we have uh two left. We're going to go online and then I think we have my friend that's going to speak. Uh we have one online. Let me do that. And then we'll come to you and then we'll end with

076you, okay? >> Iman, we have Elijah Mike. Come on when you're ready. Hi, can you hear me? >> Yes, I can. >> Hi, good evening. Uh my name is Iman Bouzeiane Saidi. I am one of the special education parent advisory council advisory board member. I'm asking that CPAC to be included in the interview process for the upcoming special education program manager role. This position is centered on specially designed instructions in our CPAC end-of-the-year survey, shared with this body tonight in December directly aligns with the district's tentative fiscal year 2027 goal to strengthen instruction, especially for high need students in substantially separate programs. I would also hope that this rule reflects real collaboration between teaching and learning and special education and also includes educators who are already doing this work really well at the BB and

077the high school. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right, please. Good evening. >> Good evening, everyone. My name is Jennifer D'Angie at 19 Forest Court, part of Ward 5. Proud Forest Dale parent of a second grader and rising kindergartner. And I would just like to echo my fellow neighbors' comments tonight with regards to unstructured and unnecessary use of tech and screen time in the schools. So far, I'm lacking as as much experience as other neighbors with older students, but from what I have seen and hear on a weekly basis from my student is more and more experiences and stories of more screen time being added at snack times, indoor recess times, and other unstructured times in the day, which could be used for many many other opportunities of growth, social emotional development, and education. So,

078I would just like to ask consideration as we go forward into another school year upcoming for how how nice would be for teachers to have support going forward, possibly in policies, when thinking about these unstructured times. I can only imagine and would only hazard to guess all the brain breaks everybody needs during the day, students and teachers alike. However, the use of such examples as perhaps ASMR videos at snack times, even for short periods of time, doesn't give anyone screen time brain break. Um speaking to frustration tolerance or the use of boredom as a tool for growth could be highly highly utilized in such times even for short snack times. And if teachers had um support and policies in place to look for to look for help in such moments, I could see that is

079so very valuable. And thank you for your consideration. >> Thank you. Bring it in. Bring it home. This could make or break the policy, you speak. >> [laughter] >> Come on up. Yes. As-salamu alaykum. >> Alaykumu s-salam. >> All right, your name and address for the record. >> Abdul Latif, 114 Cedar Street. >> Okay. And tell us why you're here. >> I'm just here to tell you that like there's we're not like we're the only city around here that we don't like we don't have a day off for Eid. Like we have about like around Massachusetts, there's about like five or 10 this is cities that take the day off for two for two just two of the holidays which is Eid and the other Eid. And I think I would like to take it

080off too just to like not miss any work. So we so I don't when I come back to school, everybody's on the same page. >> Very good. Shukran. Ma'a s-salama. >> [applause] >> All right, that's the end of public comment. We will look into this and we will circle back, okay? Just give us some time. Um all right, so that takes care of public comment. Let's take a look at this consent agenda, everyone. Uh first up, March 2nd School Committee meeting minutes. Motion by Mr. Drummy, seconded by Mr. McCarthy. Any questions, everyone? Uh Mr. Spadafora, you have a question on these minutes? >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh the March 2nd minutes do not reflect a letter that was emailed by Council President Lenehan who had technical issues during that public comment. That letter was

081circulated to the chair, myself, and the clerk on the day of the meeting and should be reflected with the other written public comments. >> Sure. Anybody else? All right. So, noted. Motion's been made. All those in favor, say aye. >> Aye. >> Anybody opposed? The ayes have it. That carries unanimously. Next up, April 6th. Motion by Mr. Drummy, seconded by Ms. 40. Any questions on these minutes? Hearing none, all those in favor, say aye. >> Aye. >> Anybody opposed? The ayes have it. That carries unanimously. Next up, April 2026 warrants. Motion by Ms. Spadafora, seconded by Mr. Drummy. Everybody's had a chance to look those over. Any questions? Hearing none, all those in favor, say aye. Anybody opposed? The ayes have it. That carries unanimously. All right, everyone. Now, we're going to go to our

082superintendent for his report. In just a moment. Okay. And we we understood that last meeting we did have a technical difficulty with the slides, so we're hoping that uh we're able to everyone's able to see tonight. Great. Well, thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Chair, and members of the committee, and members of the public who are here and watching online. Um want to thank you um for this opportunity to give this report. We uh are going to be focusing on uh two things tonight, the strategic plan and also sharing an update regarding our competency determination assessments. Um both of these uh are examples of out our core values by including and collaborating, embracing growth, and doing right by all kids. Um the um agenda the strategic plan that I'll be sharing with you that that

083at a high level tonight um comes the priorities were established after the input of hundreds of of educators and parents and caregivers and other members of the of the community over the course of my first 2 years here as superintendent. And in collaboration with educators and leaders to articulate key activities that we're planning to enter into moving forward. Um we have a commitment, excuse me, a commitment to high expectations for all of our students and a strong belief that our schools and community can deliver breakthrough learning and opportunity for all of them. And then lastly, as I always stress, we are committed to preparing all of our students to have the broadest set of options when they graduate. We don't believe that every student has to go to college or university, but every student should

084receive the preparation to make that decision for themselves. And lastly, we're committed to serving students with disabilities and those learning English that they would have the same options as their peers. Tonight's the strategic plan also, what I'm sharing tonight, relates to three of the goals that you approved for me back in the fall. One is the actual development of the strategic plan itself. Um along with preview of next steps. The district strategy for improvement, our learning goal for this coming year. For this year and then also the goals for next year and the metrics that we'll be using to measure that. And then lastly, the special education program review, which of course you heard in detail about last time. But this is the first installment, if you will, of plans for adjustments to the program

085with related staffing and professional development in order to move on recommendations from that plan and chart our course forward. So with that, you will you may recall back in January that I presented an outline for the strategic plan with five priorities. And what we have what you have before you tonight are some more uh defined proposed metrics. Some more explicit strategies for each of the priorities and then a vision of where we where we're going to be in uh 5 years. And then for each of the five priorities also uh just sharing with you uh in this report a sample of the activities that we have identified as being critical for the first year, for next year rather, um of this of this 5-year plan. This one, uh priority one, is by far the most

086important. And again, it relates to high expectations with support for students uh to meet students with diverse needs. Every student, including students with disabilities and multilingual learner, receive must receive an an inclusive instruction in every classroom preparing them to meet or exceed grade level expectations and succeed in a wide variety of post-secondary options. This is and this is framed in the in the present tense as what we want to be the case in 5 years' time. We had some discussion, if you recall back in in uh January, about some potential metrics. And um we heard from the committee an interest in not just one number, um and also not just a an achievement metric, but also growth and whether students were were making growth towards those metrics, uh towards those outcomes. And so, the proposed

087metrics that we're looking at are certainly MCAS uh ELA, math, and science across grade levels. And we're very interested to see that we're making we're hitting the targets that the state sets for us in each in each grade. We're also wanting to call out grades 5, 8, and 10 as what we're calling benchmark grades, which uh you know, 3 years in and then 3 years beyond and then uh halfway through high school, whether students are indeed growing to a higher degree towards wherever they started showing that they're growing at a at a very high rate. Generally speaking, the state looks for uh something called a student growth percentile 60 or higher, meaning that they're well well beyond their peers in other districts um in terms of their growth. We also have for grades 4, 8,

088and 10 English language arts and math specifically for students with disabilities. And the reason for grades 4, 8, and 10 4, 8, and 10 rather than 5, 8, and 10 is that these are the grade levels that the state uses for our annual local education agency determination of whether our students with disabilities are are making the achievement rate gains that are expected. We want to see an increased percentage of multilingual learners achieving their individual targets on the annual ACCESS test that assesses their proficiency and progress towards proficiency in English. And then lastly, significant growth in our grade 1 DIBELS results was it which is an annual literacy literacy assessment actually that's given at the beginning of the year, middle of the year, and the end of the year um to make sure that our students

089are are learning to read as we think as they are all able to do. There are >> [snorts] >> you'll notice that there are not specific targets for these um and we are uh proposing to wait and get our spring 2026 results for these uh these various uh metrics. We just received this past week our ACCESS results initial ACCESS results for our multilingual learners for 2026. And so we're anxious to dig into those as a as a baseline for what this plan would look like going forward and have targets set for every year thereafter based on those results. And we'll in the fall, we'll receive our results for for these various state assessments in English language arts, math, and science across grade levels. And then we would set targets in line with with the targets

090that DESE sets for us, as well as internal targets for the following 4 years uh after after this year. These are the strategies that we uh are that again should sound very familiar um because they are very very consistent with what we've been working on for the last 2 years. Providing all students with access to excellent core instruction, using high-quality curriculum, ensuring instruction is effective for all students and all classrooms, confirming all students have access to intervention and supports to meet their needs, ensuring that students with disabilities also receive high-quality instruction, and then establishing high-quality interim assessments and assessment strategies that allow us to regularly monitor and improve student achievement. For next year, these are just examples. They're in the full draft plan, there are there are even more strategies, and I should say that

091even if something is not listed here as an activity, uh that doesn't mean that it's not happening. But I wanted to draw your attention to these in particular because they are very related to our um special education program adjustments, as well as our um district strategy for improvement. We've done We did a lot of work last year, and we've seen some results from uh designing student schedules to ensure that our students with disabilities and our multilingual learners have access to core instruction, while also receiving the needed services that they require. Um and this is particularly for true for all of our students with disabilities who are in the general education environment, which is the majority of them. Um for students with uh I'm sorry, for professional development, we another schedule innovation that you've heard a

092lot about this year, these PD blocks that provide educators with the opportunity to work with one another with facilitation by administration and coaches to really work together on evidence-based strategies uh to support their students. And we would see that as being something that would carry forward to next year. Again, those PD blocks um include teachers of English as a second language as well as uh students with disabilities. To focus instructional coaching to support effective inclusion of students with disabilities and multilingual learners. That infrastructure that we have and that the the consistency that we're building with our site administrators and our site building coaches working to support our teachers. Um we next year will see a focus on students with disabilities and the strategies that they need to make sure they're being able to access uh

093the content in their classrooms. Evaluating intervention strategies across schools and MTSS. These are very very related. Uh MTSS, these multi-tiered systems of of support, involves having a system where we're monitoring students' growth, monitoring their achievement from month to month, from and from year to year, and making sure that uh in real time we're able to make adjustments to the program to give students access to the um the help that they need. And then lastly, to develop a coherent professional learning plan. Um this was something it was specifically recommended by our special education program review. Um we want to make sure that students with disabilities, their instructors, um, uh, the the general educators, as well as the special educators, uh, have the support of a coherent plan, um, for the next several years. And in particular,

094uh, there was, uh, we've heard, um, concern or, uh, a need to give special attention to co-teaching. We have a lot of co-teaching that's happening both with ESL teachers as well as student as well as special educators. Um, and in some cases, uh, it's going really well, and in other cases, um, there's a need for attention to better clarify the roles of those people so that, um, there's not one teacher that's, uh, more of a a lieutenant or a a junior role within the classroom, but they're both equal in their standing in the eyes of the students so they don't know who the special educator is or the or the the general educator is. Um, I was in a a one of our classrooms today, um, in, uh, an elementary classroom and saw a multilingual,

095um, um, teacher working in, uh, a third grade classroom, and when I first walked in, wasn't easy to say, um, that she had more students around her in her group than the than the regular, uh, general educator did, the classroom teacher, the homeroom teacher, and they were both very much engaged with the students, um, and I saw something similar, um, in another classroom. There was an actual education support professional, um, who was there from, uh, pushing in with some students from a sub separate classroom, who was working with, uh, two or three students on um, while the the teacher was working with another group, and there were several other students working independently, and, you know, if I didn't know, if I hadn't asked the principal who was who, I wouldn't have known. And that kind

096of dynamic and that kind of partnership, is something we want to see more and more of. And I think our teachers, they they appreciate the support, they appreciate their colleagues being in the room with them, and they also want more guidance, and more practice, and more dialogue about how to make those partnerships more effective for students. I won't go into as much detail for all of the strategies, but this next strategy, a priority rather, this next priority is also important. Fair access to opportunity. That all students Sorry, I'm just going to move this out of the way. Try. Or not. Oh, over here. There we go. Thank you, Mr. Watson. Thank you. Thank you. Now we can all read. All Portland Public Schools system structures and programs will ensure that rich and varied learning opportunities

097are accessible to every student, regardless of which school they attend, so that each of them is prepared to pursue the broadest possible range of post-secondary options. So, here are the proposed metrics. One is an increased percentage of high school graduates across all student groups will meet math core requirements with a minimum 3.0 grade point average. I know when we adopted the the competency determination policy last year, and again this year, there was concern that passing English 2, math 2, US history 2, and I believe it was and and the science, that merely passing that with a with a D essentially might not be the most rigorous expectation. And we certainly agree with that. And you'll see that there is a on a future slide or one of the strategies has to do with ensuring grading

098assessment practices support access to opportunity. But the Massachusetts State University system, UMass and the state universities, generally speaking, they look to a 3.0 GPA. So it's not merely having Mass Core, not merely having 4 years of English and 4 years of math, and the science required, and the 2 years of world language, and the 1 year of fine art, etc. It's also that they have taken those courses with a 3.0 GPA. And if we are just saying, you know, celebrating that our students have met Mass Core by taking the courses that are required because they coincide with our graduation requirements, well, that's not really preparing them for the full range of opportunities that we want for them. And again, we're not saying that every student has to go to college or that that's the only

099thing that's worthy as far as a post-secondary goal. However, we have to ensure that every student has that option. And so that's where this this metric of really measuring what percentage of our high school graduates across all student groups have that requirement is is geared to to address. Similarly, if if those students are prepared, then we'll see a higher percentage of students across all student groups who actually matriculate to a 2- or 4-year college after 16 months after graduation. We had the rate for this in Malden Public Schools in 2015 was approximately 74%. And the rate for the class of 2023 or 2024, as in 2023 we have it for 16 months, was um about 52%. And so that's there definitely has been a drop in the statewide um from COVID, but we are the

100drop that we've experienced here in Malden has been greater than that of the state overall. And we want to definitely see over the next 5 years to see that rate of students who are going to a two- to four-year college, which is still a very, very, very important uh step and right of passage for students to have wider opportunity in life, um that we see that reflected in that data. We also, uh as you know, since almost the first day I got here, there's been concern about K-8 students having access to world language opportunities, performing arts, uh sports opportunities, particularly at the middle school level, across uh schools and student groups. So, making sure that those opportunities are comparable across all of our schools, that we reduce disproportionality uh in advanced coursework at the high

101school or in middle school honors pathway at middle school, and that we have establishment of effective use of technology plans informed by stakeholder input. I'm going to jump to uh activities in year one for these uh to move us towards these outcomes. We want to review engagement with families regarding the whole course recommendation and selection processes. Um I had the pleasure of being at Malden High School last week when uh Assistant Superintendent Pam Pam McDonald and our director of uh school counseling Aaron Craven uh met with uh a group of high school parents um as they were beginning to um think about the next step in their their children's journey, um their young people's journey. And um it was clear in the audience that some some parents had very very clear understanding of what honors

102and college prep meant. And there were other folks who were like, >> [snorts] >> "Can you repeat that? I'm not truly sure what that is." Because those terms aren't used in our K-8 context. And um we want to make sure that we really look at the engagement that we have with families to make sure they understand what those things mean. Um reviewing performing arts and world language offerings across all of our schools and what that experience looks like. Look at uh participation criteria and programming models from peer districts for uh challenging opportunities for all students. Coherent guidance for the use of technology, including screen time, across all of grade levels. And then, as you know, we've had a an artificial intelligence and learning working group that um member Bernard has been the liaison from the

103committee for, and um there we're expecting some um recommendations from that group in the next month. Um there are some things that will be informing ways that we can revise existing policy. And then, potentially uh additional policies that might be needed if um if the the committee believes that to be the case. So, those would also be things that we'd be looking to accomplish in year one of the plan for fair access. >> All right, we're going to stop there, Superintendent. I know you have another three priorities. Plus um we have to go over a competency determination. So, any questions on the first two priorities? Any questions on what you've heard so far? And then, what we'll do is we'll go over the remaining three priorities, we'll take questions there. Competency determination will take questions

104then, all right? >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> let's start with uh Ms. Houghty and then we'll go to Mr. Piazza. So, just everyone knows, you can't ask questions again about the first two priorities after the presentation's over, right? This is it. >> [laughter] >> All right, Ms. Houghty, take it away. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um couple questions. This might be a little too specific today, but I just want to put them out there. For um priority number one, when we're discussing um PD blocks for teachers, that because, you know, there's only so many hours in the school day, um I'm just making sure that we're within that accounting for that we're accounting for the fact that there are times for co-teachers to plan as well. So, PD for training versus time to plan.

105And we all know that gen education teachers and special education teachers often are not free at the same time because when one group has the students, the other doesn't. So, I I had a question about that. Do you want me to keep asking the questions or do you want me to answer? >> Let's do one at a time. So >> So, thank you for that question. And I would say that what we're what we've been able to achieve at the high school is different from what we've been able to achieve as far in our K8s. Um and this is a circumstance where last year in the development of the master schedule, we were able to ensure that uh the teachers who were uh co-teaching, whether they be an ESL teacher, an English teacher, or an

106English, math, or science teacher with a special educator, that they had a duty period in common. >> Mhm. >> Um so, and this was separate from the PD block, separate from their prep. Um so, that that time at the high school is time that we've we've created and we've protected. Um what we're looking to do um going forward in the next year is to provide more um facilitation and support to make sure that it's it that they're getting as much out of it as we would like them to. >> Okay. >> And then at the at the K8 uh level, I'd say that's that's um we're we're looking at ways to accomplish the same thing, but the the schedule doesn't lend itself to um the same way. >> Um staying in priority number one, my

107my question is always the same. I'm a broken record. Um intervention, math intervention, and MTSS supports. Um I you don't necessarily have the answer to this right now. If you do, that's great. I want to know more about what that's going to look like in the actual practice. We, I think, have a good picture as a committee about what ELA intervention and um multilanguage learner intervention is like. I don't have a good picture about math intervention, so if you can shed some light on that now, great. If this is a work in progress, that's also fine, too. >> Super. Thank you for the question. Um so, I think uh as we shared last last meeting, I believe was the the time that I shared the video from the Fairway. >> Yep. >> And um that

108certainly the Fairway is not the only school that's I I saw some math intervention in uh at Linden this morning. Um I would say that um I wouldn't say that the literacy intervention is 100% figured out, either. It's It's It's cuz this is the the first year that we've attempted to do uh either of these things on on such scale, but definitely there are schools and teams that have uh have a a rhythm and found some success in being able to build intervention for math in addition to literacy into their schedule and we're wanting to learn from those experiences like the ones from from Ferryway that we heard last last time and to make sure that the um that the coordination between the math assistants that we have in the building and and the teachers

109uh across content areas are such that that um that support is also being for math. >> Okay. >> I'll say this one more. >> One more actually. Yes. Um I'd like to hear more like about that as it rolls out. Um last question. Um in terms of priority to accessing non-gen ed basically. Um I wonder if there's a move for um language acquisition in terms of a foreign language or sorry, world language, pardon me. Um so that all students can at least have the opportunity to be put on equal footing when it comes into the high school when they come into the high school cuz my understanding right now is that students have varying levels of exposure and learning with their world language. So some students come and can test in and begin Spanish two

110as freshman. Some folks don't quite pass the test, but then that also puts them in a they're attract then and can only go so far. So um I'm wondering if there's a plan specifically for language in terms of even a curriculum used at the 5 to 8 or anything like that at this point. >> Sure. I would say that on the Thank you for the question. Um the this doing a review of our current world language offerings our performing arts is what we're we're getting at with that. I think it um in the next year it will be difficult to um achieve that consistency that you're looking for. But certainly over the course of 5 years that's what we'd like to to achieve. >> Thank you, Mr. Piazza. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. One question

111on priority number one. I'm noticing that the metrics are are uh like whole at the grade levels. I'm wondering about subgroups underneath those. So for example, if a grade level as a whole makes a progress but a subgroup of students, whether it's ELL students, multilingual learners, etc. aren't making progress, will we have will we be attuned to that in measuring priority one? >> So yes, and I believe in the actual draft document that wasn't trying to fit everything on a slide that it does get to that nuance that it's not just grade levels in aggregate but also student groups. >> Great. Priority number two, two questions. Did I I want to just restate this that the graduation rate went from 74% to 52%? >> No, that's that's incorrect. >> I'm sorry. >> That's Thank you

112for clarifying that. This is the This is the percentage of students who matriculated to a four or two-year college. >> Oh, okay. Okay. >> So our graduation rates were in the 80s. >> Yeah. >> But this is the percentage of students who after 16 months >> Yeah. >> were their their enrollment in a four or two-year institutional higher learning was confirmed. >> Yeah, I just wanted to make sure that that was clear on the record. Do we have a sense of why that number declined so dramatically? >> Again, the the the the rate for the state of Massachusetts in that same period went from 76% roughly to 66% roughly. Ours has just declined further and so we're that's one of many things that we're going to will diving into. >> Great. The last question priority

113two K to eight students, I see language performing arts and sports opportunities. Very predictable comment from me. I'm wondering about literacy opportunities and I'm thinking specifically about differential access to the public libraries in the K to eight schools. Libraries are obviously a valuable resource for student learning, for student reading comprehension and enjoyment of reading and I'm wondering if it's possible or if you if we thought about including library access as part of the that third bullet point in priority two. >> Thank you for that question. We had not considered that. Um and again I would say that if something's not listed explicitly in writing doesn't mean that it's not being done or that it's not being considered. Um but would welcome more conversation about that. >> Thank you, Ms. Bettencourt. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair.

114Um on priority one we talk about the proposed metrics being MCAS, DIBELS, etc. How are we going to measure beyond those? Specifically, um are special needs students in sub separate classrooms um that they are receiving specifically designed instruction? Um beyond the DIBELS and the the standardized testing. >> Right. Thank you for that question. Um so and again, just because it's not listed explicitly here doesn't mean that it's we're not uh attentive to it or that we're not accountable for it. Um the the each student's individualized education program and the services that are to be delivered is a contract that we make with that student and their family and we have we're obligated to follow it. Um so, I don't know that that following that delivering services per se is the the outcome um that we're

115looking for, but certainly um students' progress towards the goals that are established in their IEPs and percentage of students who are meeting those goals, I could see something along those lines. Um this is why we're we're presenting this as a draft uh member spotter for us so that we can get that feedback. I I think um the challenge is is is having metrics and I I again to Mr. Piazza's point earlier, we do have uh the the the important the important consideration and attention to uh not just looking at a grade level as a whole, but looking at each group within that grade level both by their race or ethnicity, but also by um their disability status or by their status in terms of language proficiency. Um those tend to encompass a large large majority

116of our students, but then there were our students who might be not be taking those exams because they're on an alternate track and we want to have a measure that doesn't leave them out is what I'm hearing. >> Exactly. Thank you. >> Mhm. >> Thank you. All right, Superintendent, let's uh do these next three priorities, okay? And pause for questions. I see that we have counsel here. >> [cough] >> You okay on time, Mr. Greenspan? >> Yes. >> All right, let's do this and then we'll take questions, Superintendent. Let's get through that last section. We'll do questions and then move on to the rest of the agenda. >> Very good. Thank you. Um so, deep partnerships 5 years out, families, caregivers, and the community receive consistent, transparent communication, participate in authentic engagement opportunities, and develop

117meaningful partnerships with schools, ultimately feeling increased levels of trust towards our district. Proposed metrics in this area relate to percentage of caregivers who are satisfied with their student's school and the district, measured through caregiver surveys, an increased percentage of students who self-report a sense of belonging at school, um making progress on our on chronic absenteeism targets established by DESE, on terms of our students' attendance, increasing the percentage of students transitioning from grade 8 to grade 9 who remain with the Malden Public Schools, and finally increasing community understanding of preschool access options, including all of our partner schools through the Commonwealth preschool partnership initiative. The strategies related to these, again, many of them will seem very familiar because these are things that we've talked a lot about over the last the last many months. Um but

118we talked about building durable structures for authentic family engagement and two-way input in decision-making, um engaging families across schools to ensure students successful transition to Malden High, um those attendance teams that member Hoardy mentioned a few minutes ago, and making sure we have increased access to quality preschool education for all children, not saying that that we can provide that, um but that we are in partnership with other with all of the the preschool providers to make sure that quality options are available to all of our students. >> Okay. >> And then, uh these are again just a sampling of the the activities in year one. Um we spend time and engage with the leadership of our school councils, our district PT our PTO leaders, CPAC, LPAC, and other existing advisory bodies, and we want to

119assess what additional structures might elevate voices not currently being heard. Um we have an opportunity to partner with CPAC and community members to strengthen parent leadership through a a DESE-sponsored program next year. Um we also want to review attendance improvement strategies from this past year and update update our existing playbook to reflect those most effective strategies. Moving on to strat priority four. The Malden Public Schools recruits, develops, and retains a diverse and talented team of educators and staff committed to a professional culture of growth, collaboration, and respect. We would see this through improved teacher retention rates, including those for educators of color, increase the percentage of teachers reporting that they receive valuable feedback on their practice, and increase the percentage of teachers reporting that professional development is helpful in improving their practice. We've seen good

120uh metrics and good results of the last for this last year plus and we'd like to see that um continue to grow. For year year one activities in this area, um we want to continue to review our contracts for peer districts to ensure our compensation remains competitive and compelling. We want to sustain our early recruiting timeline uh to make sure that we're getting out uh into the marketplace early uh, for especially for high, uh, hard-to-fill positions, that our professional development calendars are aligned with our district priorities, and, um, any gaps in mentoring supports, particularly those in those, uh, classrooms that are, in some cases, um, extremely challenging. We want to make sure those teachers have the support that they need. Lastly, uh, um, Malden Public Schools manages its resources strategically and transparently invest in the

121infrastructure that supports high-quality teaching and learning, and builds the partnerships and revenue streams needed to sustain and strengthen the district over time. This is all about financial and operational sustainability. That our annual budgets will have clear alignment with district priorities, and meet state net school spending requirements. That our we will have fewer instances of unexpected, uh, facility issues requiring costly repairs. We've been doing pretty well with that. Want to keep that up. Increase effective use of available space, and develop additional revenue sources that strategically support district priorities. And on the strategies here, uh, one thing is just expanding and diversifying revenue opportunities, uh, through partnerships with the city, state, and Philip Therapeutic, um, entities. And the final slide here for this section is just the activities, a sample of activity, uh, activities in year one,

122um, to review strategic priorities and ident- identify potential facility and infrastructure investment needs, and then identify opportunities for additional grants aligned with our strategic priorities. Not going after any old grant out there, but after those that are aligned with what, uh, with our strategic priorities overall. >> All right, let's do this. Questions from the team. Uh we're going to start with Ms. Houghty. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh Dr. Sibal, for priority three with partnerships, uh increase the enrollment for the high school transition from 8th to 9th grade knowing that we're losing students there. Um over this school year, we there has been a lot of just different discussion about it. Also, I I think some of that discussion came in part as that as a part of the principal search process as well. I'm

123wondering um if anything, what might be different about that transition that's already in place or what is the thinking going forward? I think that this is a should be really very top priority. Um I hear from a lot of the middle school-aged student parents that they don't know enough about the high school don't feel connected, their students don't go there, you know, I mean, all of these things. And I know that in years past that there, you know, as a parent, the transition for my students from 8th grade to 9th grade was a Zoom meeting with two administrators. No offense to them, but that did absolutely nothing for me as a parent in terms of providing information um in any way. So, if you have anything that you're already putting into place or any specifics

124regarding that, I'd love to know. >> Okay, before you answer that, Superintendent, after Ms. Houghty, we're going to go to you, Ms. Rose Eiberg, and then over to Mr. Bernard. Superintendent. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, I I heard some of the same comments that you're referencing during the principal search. Um and uh one of the activities you'll notice um for this this priority has to do with um identifying more opportunities to welcome um elementary and middle school students and their families to the high school. Um the those opportunities certainly exist, but want to identify more of them and to to support those that engagement and that interaction. And then I want another activity uh identified and planned is uh identifying opportunities for high school students to be more visible in our K8 buildings as

125well. Um so that students begin to see themselves um as a Maldon High student and be able to see the desirability of that in a more consistent way. Um through uh students working in through service learning and through other opportunities as well. And I saw at Ferryway, I was just there on Thursday morning and saw one of our high school students um working as a TA as a part in conjunction with the class that she's taking. Um and it was very very engaged and the students love her. So, there's there's precedent for this and we want to expand on it. But I think going back to the other um piece you were talking about just that transition overall, um there's a lot of hard work and a lot of thought that's gone into those transitions

126and we just want to be able to take a step back and assess what's gone well and what are the opportunities to really strengthen. >> Thank you. >> Ms. Rosa Eiberg >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um my questions are about priority three and I would like to know um how are we measuring the impact of the CPPI program? >> Super. So, we have an annual report that we provide to uh the Department of Early uh education um and so that is a report we can provide to the committee. Happy to do that. Um What it What a lot of it could invite perhaps the Assistant Superintendent McDonald briefly to speak to it? >> Briefly. >> Thank you. >> So every year we do meet with uh Department of Early Education and they review all of

127our staff. We invite our partner districts to come and talk as well. We have that um at the end of every year in the spring. We usually host it um somewhere in in our schools and they go through all of the requirements and what we're doing and what's working well. Um we have some incredible partners. It's a great program um and I think what we really Andie um who is our grant coordinator for this does a really nice job and she's really looking to expand this. She um tried She partnered with CHA. Unfortunately, we didn't get that grant, but she was partnering with CHA to sort of get more grants funds on board for our preschool and our partnerships with other preschools. So this is I think um sort of an untapped great resource for

128us this partnership as well as um you know, anytime you can bring our kids together. They're all Most of them are going to end up with us anyways. So even um you know, if they're at a different preschool, it's a great opportunity for us and there are more funds and grants coming available because this is a priority of the um the governor I think at this point is you know, going towards universal pre-preschool. So that money's starting to come out and we're really looking to expand those programs. >> So have you noticed any differences or done measures where children who did Do you see anything with kids who have gone through a CPPI preschool and kids who were ones that were not? >> It's It's interesting because all of the kids that are in the

129CPPI program, mhm, if >> they're at Cheverus, My little best friends, love bugs, they all get a sassid then. They have to be assigned one in those schools. So, we haven't delved into that, but I'm sure that with the help of our data specialist as well as Andy Wakefield, we could get some of that data. Um but I do think like they're we're working really hard. Um they use the same early literacy program that our kindergarten uses. So, we're working really hard to have them use that as well so that they have a coherent experience as they come up to us. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Mr. Bernard. >> [clears throat] >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um just two questions. One was mostly answered um by Ms. Wardy's question about the 8 to 9. Um

130I do want to go and and just um historically, we've seen a drop-off of uh students at grade 10. And I'm sure part of that is affected by kids coming into ninth grade not having a great experience and then possibly dropping out. Um do we have a And I haven't to be perfectly honest, I haven't really dived into the numbers to see if that has been a continuing trend or not. Um and I plan on doing that. Do we have a Do we have any um plan in place if we go and we happen to go and see that drop again or to try and get kids that may have gone through that initial period to try and get them re-engaged or get the families re-engaged? >> So, thank you for the question. So, I

131mean, the the annual dropout rate and the annual graduation rate are both things that we pay attention to because they're included in our accountability measures. Both for the high school, but also for the district overall. Um that that could dropout rate is not as large as you might think. It is single digits. Um Um however, one is too many, right? Um the work that uh Assistant Superintendent McDonald has been leading um in partnership with the educators at the high school around the the the Rise Network is really about making sure that students are on track as ninth graders early on and that the at the first sign that there's uh an issue or a concern that they might not have succeed that year, that it's there's an intervention um early. So that um because students

132who finish that ninth grade year successfully have a much much stronger um likelihood of graduating and a much more uh much stronger likelihood of uh persisting on to um education beyond high school as well. >> Thank you. And then um just the other thing again direct to the deep partnerships, um you had mentioned going in possibly going and establishing other groups like CPAC, like GLPAC. Um has there been any thought on uh I having certain groups that you know, I'm sure that that the mayor can probably speak to where we've had uh you know, some of the affinity groups that exist uh maybe some of the student affinity groups that are after school. Um to maybe go and use those as kind of models or um maybe some place to go and reach out so

133that we go and we can maybe hear from uh like like the gentleman that came before us tonight to go and maybe go and address something before it has to go and get brought to us or at least going and having a being able to have an open conversation with them. >> So. So uh would I wasn't I think in that in that uh the activity that's mentioned there and that strategy that's mentioned. It's not necessarily about establishing more advisory committees as much although it could be that but rather just to um explore what other structures whether it's listening sessions or whether it's a you know, a town hall meeting that's held in a community center or or other other venues focus groups um to make sure that we're giving more parents the opportunity to

134give input. >> Yeah, and and and don't misunderstand me. I'm not I say affinity groups and I say, you know, advisory but listening groups anything that kind of goes and falls into that that realm cuz I do think we've got a lot of groups that first of all, they don't know who to go and address and so as many times as I go and I put myself out on the doors or in public spaces, it's always better for I think all of us to kind of go and be willing to walk into spaces where we might be a little uncomfortable and also to um go and have those those moments where we can go and get that trust building where someone can say, I have a problem. Who do I talk to? Let me introduce

135you to the superintendent or the mayor or your city councilor or let me see what I can do for you. >> Okay. Very good. Just to wrap this up then um want to invite you to continue giving me feedback um other questions and other ideas that as you have a chance to review the draft document, we'll be having that draft document on our website for members of the community and caregivers to review also. Um we're planning community gathering on the 19th of May. Location to be announced soon. Where our community members will be able to have sessions where particular parts of the plan that they have interest in, they'll be able to give input and have discussion about that. And then we'll be refining the the document based on your feedback and the feedback of

136others. So that we'll have a a document for you to to approve in June. All right, let's finish this up. One more, right? Yes. And I'm going to invite Assistant Superintendent Colleen Besnard. She was dreading coming after all of that. I I can assure you. So she has a a brief presentation related to our competency determination. Um progress. >> Well, good evening and thank you for the opportunity to speak to you tonight um early in this meeting uh to present an update on the assessments that we've developed towards Malden's competency determination policy. So this is a follow-up to our December meeting where the committee passed a policy on this topic. And just for members of the public who might be watching who may need a quick refresher on the details of this policy, the quick

137headlines is that the state law says that in order to graduate from high school, students must attain a competency determination. And that requires two things. The first is that you have to pass certain classes. And then the second is you have to meet a definition of mastery in in those classes, in math, English, US history, and science. And this definition of mastery was previously defined by the 10th grade MCAS. Um but as we know with question two, the public in Massachusetts voted that the 10th grade MCAS would no longer count for the definition of mastery in the competency determination. And so DESE let us know in the fall that as a district, like all other districts in the state, we would have to identify a new assessment to replace the 10th grade MCAS in defining

138mastery of content in English 10, US history, math 2, and science. And for most students in Malden, that's a biology test. Um but for the it could be others. Um and for the student competency determination, this is a graduation requirement. So, in December, the committee voted um on a policy that gave the district some time, thank you, uh to develop and validate those assessments. And it prevented our current seniors from having their graduation requirements changed for the third time in their high school tenure. And so, we said that for current high school seniors, uh their definition of mastery would come from passing those aforementioned courses. Um that was not the definition that DESE recommended, um but we implemented this as a temporary measure to ensure that valid assessments could be developed, could be tested. And

139so, the class of 2030, our current eighth grade students, would be the first class for which the new suite of assessments would take place. Um and they would take this when they are in 10th grade as part of their graduation requirements. So, on the next slide I can show you, we fleshed out what that looks like specifically. And so, the best way to read this is um do you see where it says like school year 25-26 in that table? Um so, if you look there and then read vertically downward. So, using the color coding, right, in this school year 25-26, that's this year, um for each of the graduation classes, the definition of mastery is just that they pass the courses that I mentioned previously, math 2, English 10, US history, and in most cases

140biology. Now, let's go to the next column, school year 26-27, that's next school year. For our juniors and seniors, again, it's whether they passed these courses when they were sophomores. Um but for our sophomores, again still, it will be whether they pass the courses will count for their competency determination, but our sophomores next year will actually be the first class to pilot the new assessments. So again, they'll be held harmless on this, but this allows us a year to pilot these assessments with our students and to look at the data, specifically to look at the performance of specific student groups to see what disproportionality might be there, to look at the performance of our students with disabilities, of our English learners, um and to really just um look at that to determine what adjustments we

141need to make either to our instruction or to the assessments to ensure that they're valid and truly giving students every opportunity to show what they know. Um so this was the timeline that we have worked on. Um and also in December when the policy was passed, the districts committed to determining what assessments would be given, whether these assessments would be portfolios, whether they'd be cumulative exams, or the ever popular other option as defined in the DESE policy. Um and we committed to returning in May to share these for the committee's approval. So, it is May. Um so without On the next slide, you can see um sort of the steps that we've taken towards uh being able to bring this uh something to you for a vote. Um and so this is an overview of

142our process, and I really want to thank uh Director Christina Scarlatos who has led this work, a huge team of educators who have really contributed to this work, um down to writing assessment questions, as well as Director Carmen Livsey and Livsey and Program Manager Tanya McDonald who have also done really meaningful work on assume ensuring that assessments will be accommodated appropriately for our students with disabilities and our multilingual learners. I also want to thank Directors Jared Tonetta, Christina Bakken, and Megan McCormick for support in content areas. So looking at this process, it was really important to us that there be a high degree of educator voice in the development of the assessments. Starting in the fall, we surveyed educators in addition to getting family input on the types of assessments by content area that they

143would recommend. Once the new policy was approved this winter by this committee, uh we put out a stipended role for educators to take the lead on developing these assessments in their content area. So, these educators met regularly uh to sort of discuss the pros and cons of very various types of assessments. They developed a criteria for success, which you can see here on this slide, that includes things like the first bullet are just the DESI guidelines, right? Um but also some district-specific best practices, such as including assess activities in the assessment that students are exposed to in the courses. So, it's not the first time they're seeing those things. You can also see in the nice-to-have column we include multiple measures to sort of avoid this idea of one test being this high-stakes experience that

144you either pass or fail. Um so, after developing this overview a lot an overview of each assessment at each content area aligned to this criteria for success, our educator team went back to their content area departments at the high school to get their edge their colleagues um other educators' input. Then they revised that assessment overviews based on the educator input. They also put their proposals through rounds of peer feedback with content directors. So, throughout this process, in addition, we had a team of educators working on accommodation guides for students um who are multilingual learners and for students with disabilities. You know, as you know, it's not as simple as saying, "What is the accommodated assessment?" There should not be one accommodated assessment. Accommodations need to be specific to the student's level of language acquisition or

145the specific um notes in their IEP. And so, what we created was an accommodation guide and the specific resources particular go the content areas that will enable us to create accommodated assessments based on student needs. Um so on the next slide you can see the proposals that are developed through this work. In English language arts our proposal is for a portfolio and a reflection essay. Um this is timed unless a student has extra time in their IEP. In math, this is interesting. So we are legally required to assess the content that is assessed on the MCAS. And the MCAS assesses content in math one and math two. And so we propose to use components of the midterm and final from both math one and math two. This allows students multiple opportunities to meet the competency

146determination and an opportunity to recover later if they have say a rough fall freshman year. Um science would be an end of course exam. We're proposing that. Most of our students take biology. Um however, a student does have the option per DESE's um requirements to choose another course to take for their competency determination, whether that be physics, chemistry, the combination of intro to engineering and engineering for our community, engineering for our future, or creative design and engineering. And so due to the large number of courses, the idea of spanning multiple measures felt a bit logistically infeasible. So for that we're proposing the end of course exam. And for US history, um this is compiling multiple measures. Um each quarter students would take a document-based question. So this is when we really test their historical thinking

147skills by looking at, you know, sort of uh editorial cartoons, documents, for example, the Constitution, right? Looking at different um documents collected from a time period, and um writing a historical um essay ref- uh in response to a prompt. So that would assess their historical thinking skills. And then in addition, we would take questions from the midterm and final exams to reflect their mastery of historical content such as you know, important events and their understanding of their significance. So, this is our proposed set of assessments by content area. And then again, we've created um an accommodations guide which should help each student receive the accommodations that they need per their individualized education plan or their level of language acquisition. Again, I just want to be really clear that there's not a one-size-fits-all like accommodated assessment

148that we would hand out. These need to be created based on the individual student needs. I also think, you know, one of the features of most of these assessments is that we've tried to avoid a single one single high-stakes test in most cases. Um and so I think this also is a form of meeting individual student needs by giving students many opportunities, sort of at bats, towards um the competency determination and giving students sort of this cumulative opportunity to recoup points if they have a bad testing day. Um on the next slide, um as you can see, just a lot of work has been done to develop these assessments. We're pleased to bring you these recommendations for your vote. Um and, you know, if approved by the committee, our next steps would be to finalize

149these assessments, to develop common scoring uh rubrics and exemplars for our educators. Uh we would roll these out with educators giving them a preview of them this spring, um communicating with families um about next year's pilot, and then a lot of work next year to validate um the assessments, to review student performance, and then to edit them before they go live as a high-stakes assessment. Um so, the vote um that we are requesting today um is the assessment type, the committee's approval of the assessment type. So, whether it be a portfolio, the final assessment, or that sort of um compilation of multiple measures um that uh that we proposed on the previous slide. >> Thank you. Questions from the team. Any questions? Ms. Spadafora and then we'll go to Mr. Piazza. >> Thank you, Mr.

150Chair. Um and thank you for clarifying what we're approving. Um I I because I think my question well, we'll get into it first. When you [clears throat] talk about um the ba ba ba ba I'm on the wrong page here in front of me. I'm sorry. Families in specific groups such as ELPACs, school councils were also surveyed. Did we include SEPAC? >> Um we put outreach out to multiple groups. I think there was some scheduling challenges with all of them, but we're happy to come back and get more input as as needed. >> And then in regards to the um high school educators that were a part of that, how many of them had um a special ed background or came out of sub separate classrooms? >> Um so I I'm happy to get those

151specific numbers for you. This was a big um sort of focus for the work um and our program manager Tanya McDonald was actively involved in the process as well. >> Wonderful. Um I did notice a few things and we talk about um accommodations and modifications and looking at other um policies for surrounding districts, they do speak to alternate methods for demonstrating mastery specific um for students that are on an IEP or 504. I wasn't sure, are we just sticking with modifications or are are we able to based on the student's IEP be able to have an alternate assessment? >> So everything should be based on the student's IEP and the foundation of our accommodation guide is again, there's not a one-size-fits-all accommodate as assessment. So, if a student's IEP sort of spoke to the need

152for them to present something verbally, that would be an acceptable accommodation for their IEP, but not all students might need that. And so, I just want to be really clear that the guide for how these assessments will be accommodated will be following what's written into that individualized education plan based on the need of the student. Um because what one student might need, another student might not. And so, not I wouldn't want to sort of suggest that all students would be explaining something verbally rather than in writing. That would be based on what is um what is written there. >> I think I just wanted it to be clear and and what was given to us, the the CD assessment memo, um specifically to students with disabilities, it says students with disabilities will only have their

153testing accommodations apply to testing within the student's academic areas impacted by the student's disability. So, does that mean this it will only be based on what they're receiving in their B grid? Because there's a lot of students that don't have academic disabilities, however, they have maybe anxiety, depression, cyclo that does affect testing. So, they might not have and Miss McDonald's is behind you going, wait. I have an answer for you. >> Sorry. So, I think what they mean by that is that there are certain students who may have a reading disability and their IEP would outline during tests that require it, these are their accommodations. A child that has a more anxiety with a disability um goes across academic domains, their IEP would specify that. So, I think the bottom line is it is whatever

154their IEP says is where they would get those accommodations and modifications. I think it's the old plep A and B, which is no longer with the new MCAS. >> I'm I'm still going by A. Sorry. Uh old school here. >> Yeah. >> Um but that makes complete sense. And then I just wanted for clarification purposes, students that are out of district, they still belong to Malden Public Schools and they should be following our competency determination requirements. Correct? And do we have that? Um >> So students that are out of district, they have a choice if they want to >> Can you just speak into the microphone? >> Students that are out of districts generally have a choice. They can receive their diploma or their certificate of completion from the school that they're attending or they

155can or they can apply to also have a Malden High um graduation and diploma. And I think that is all very much under review right now legally um between DESE and what DESE is putting out and we're waiting for some more guidance with that. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Over to Mr. Piazza. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um Ms. Fassino, can you um go back to the proposed assessments by content area, the slide? Uh there we go. Um especially since this will be the focal point of our vote. Uh I I want to um hear more about uh the decision to include or not include performance-based assessments as part of uh the menu here. Um and I just by way of background, this is something that I've spent a good deal of my professional career

156working on, developing performance-based assessments that are aligned to Massachusetts state standards and supporting supporting teachers in the implementation of those. So, I see something related to performance-based assessments in ELA. Great. But when I look at math, science, and US history, I see more traditional exam and less and and and less room, especially in math and science, but also in US history, less room for something performance based. Even in US history, it's an individual writing assignment and then and then an exam. Um I So, I wonder about I'd love to hear more about the decision or the conversations about the inclusion of performance based assessment in the team that was developed to to to bring these recommendations to us. So, that's that's mainly my my question here. The reason [snorts] I bring it up is that

157the research does indicate that, right? That performance based assessments are accurate ways, in some cases more accurate ways, of measuring what students know and can do, especially for English language learners, which is of course a high population in our district. Also, the state has worked in some and and organizations have worked to develop performance based assessments that are aligned to standards in math, science, and US history. So, there are existing resources out there for us. And so, anyway, this is again, given a profession given that it's a professional, um you know, interest of mine, I'm also interested to hear how it played out for you all in that in in the decision-making process. >> Absolutely. And I I think uh I agree with you on the research on this and I think there are some

158really promising methods that are um that are um arising. I think a couple things like really governed our decision-making and first and foremost, desire to be able to roll out something within our district that was fair and valid and that we could feasibly um roll out in the time that we have. Um realistically, what we've heard from the state is whatever policy we put in place is likely to be in place [clears throat] for only a few years before the statewide graduation council's recommendations come in, which we have heard signals that they these may also include um some performance based assessments. Um and so, you know, with these assessments really needing to be developed this spring, the place where we thought, you know, just to give you a preview, that science might actually be a

159place where, you know, could it be a lab practicum? Could this be something that we could >> [clears throat] >> roll out? Um, however, with science, there is this requirement, um, with all of these, the requirement that we cover the content that is covered on the 2023 MCAS. And so, in trying to develop a lab-based performance assessment for, uh, biology, chemistry, physics, um, intro to engineering, you know, all of these different, um, content areas that are equally valid and measure it, sort of, um, reliable measures of mastery across all of these different subject areas, we sort of ran into, um, questions about what skills were being assessed and are these actually the same skills assessed on the 2023 MCAS. And so, um, I I think it's a real I'm happy to speak more about it.

160Ultimately, we went to really trying to develop questions that we felt could be fairly applied across content areas, um, within our content areas and give students, um, sort of, allow us to really calibrate among educators to make sure that, you know, with 15 teachers in the math department, we were all scoring in the same way, um, starting next year. >> I have a quick follow-up question. When we say that we're required to measure the same content as what was on the MCAS, if I if I rephrase that question as we're required or rephrase that statement as we're required to measure the same, uh, learning standards, like state standards, as what's measured on the MCAS, does that change at all the meaning of that of that sentence? That makes sense. Like, when you say content, do

161you mean state standards? >> Um, yes, the link I'd have to make sure I get you the language of the guidance that DESE put out. Um, so, I don't want to put words in the Department of Education's mouth. [laughter] Um, but our understanding is that these have to be comparable to the 2023 MCAS. >> Right. Okay. Okay, yeah, I just wanted to make sure if we were talking about the standards or the specific content that's on the MCAS, right? >> It's the assessed content. So, for that reason, were sort of thinking about math one and math two are both assessed in different proportions. And so, you know, there's there's a guide that says the percentage. So, when we are creating these assessments, we are we actually matched up, okay, this is the percent that is,

162you know, geometry standards and this is the percent that is systems of equations so that we could make it comparable to the 2023 MCAS. >> Super helpful. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Rosaio. >> On the English language arts assessment with the portfolio and time reflection essay with the portfolio, would that how often would it be assessed? >> Um, so the port- This is a great question. Thank you. The portfolio would pull work from um, the entire year. And so, um, we're working to align that with the fish tank curriculum um, that we recently adopted. Um, and so students would be selecting um, essays or components of work um, from the entire year and then would have opportunities to reflect on them. Sort of to say, you know, in this essay um, this is how I

163performed, I would revise it in this way. Or this is how I've grown as a writer in this in this um, over the course of this year. So, with this knowledge that I have now, I would reflect on this essay differently. Um, so it is it's a year-long endeavor. >> Thank you. >> All right, thank you. All right, everyone. Home stretch. So, why don't you stay here? We're going to uh, take this competency determination policy recommendation up. Ms. Rosaio, what is your recommendation? >> Recommendation to um, approve the presentation. The um, the proposed assessments under IQA. >> All right, is there a second? >> Seconded by Mr. Bernard. Any other questions, everyone? Any questions? Let's call the uh, let's call the roll. >> Mr. Jarmey? >> Yes. >> Mr. McCarthy? >> Yes. >> Ms. Battefora?

164>> Yes. >> Ms. Macklin? Ms. Wordie? >> Yes. >> Mr. Piazza? >> No. >> Mr. Bernard? >> Yes. >> Ms. Rose-Zeiberg? >> Yes. >> Mayor Christensen? >> Yes. It carries unanimously. Not unanimously. What was the vote? >> Sorry. >> Huh? >> Eight to one. All right, everyone. Let's keep it going. Let's stay with you, Ms. Rose-Zeiberg. Let's talk about policy DD, funding proposals and applications. >> So, we have to do motions where we're skipping subcommittee reports? >> Yeah. I mean, you're going to cover this through the motions, right? >> Yes. We just did Yes. So, policy DD Um policy DD has been funding proposals and applications is how is our current policy. And under that, um one of the parts was that all applications for grants has to come before us before submitting to the

165awarding authority. So, the um motion is to adopt the proposed policy that everybody got um DD grants proposals and special projects, which would amend the current language so um that we that requirement doesn't go um it no longer exists. Um this is a sample policy that is provided by MASC. Um in part, obviously, because just when there are um grants and things that come up, sometimes the turnaround time is really quick. We would not actually have the time to call a whole meeting to have us approve even just the um submission of that um grant application. Um MGL it does have um chapter 44 section 53A does spell out that we do accept grants once we receive them. That part would stay in um in place. So, this would basically be changing it that we

166do not have to give permission for them to apply for grants if we accept the proposal. So, the motion is to adopt proposed amendment to um DD policy DD. >> Seconded by Mr. Drummy. Uh Superintendent, is this good with you and your team? >> We welcome it. >> Okay. >> [laughter] >> Um Madam Clerk, let's call the roll. >> Mr. Drummy? >> Yes. >> Mr. McCarthy? >> Yes. >> Ms. Badafora? >> Yes. >> Ms. Macklin? Ms. Wordie? >> Yes. >> Mr. Piazza? >> Yes. >> Mr. Bernard? >> Yes. >> Mr. Rose-Iversen? >> Yes. >> Mayor Christensen? >> Yes. That carries unanimously. All right, Ms. Rose-Iversen, one more it looks like and then there'll be a joint one. >> Thank you. Um this would be a motion to um follow we actually is the current procedure

167which is in place but be to be following policy DI until further review of policy DGA. So, what ended up coming this has to do with um the signing of warrants. We had started talking about this in in prior committee meetings. Um we have two policies and they sort of they conflict. Um policy DGA authorized signatures that says that for warrants submitted for payment must be signed as approved by majority of the school committee. In meeting we did find out that this actually had been the policy. It had been the procedure. Mr. Drummy said, "Yep, they would be laid out and you'd have to come in sign all of them." Um I keep forgetting the name the correct name of it the municipal >> Municipal Modernization >> modernization Act. Um tried to streamline things because

168obviously that can be cumbersome to have that many people come in through. We could not really find we we started looking and trying to find the actual policy change with dates and things could look through minutes couldn't find it. I did find though policy DI controller of accounts in the line and that that says all warrants drawn by the controller of accounts for the payments of money from the treasury shall only be valid when it countersigned and approved by the mayor. Um so the motion that we uh in subcommittee we did decide to we we we want to continue looking at DGA and looking at this issue but for now the motion was to follow the current procedure um of the mayor signing the warrants as supported by policy DI until further review of policy

169DGA. >> Okay, what was the vote? >> That's that's what we had yeah that's what we all voted. >> What was the vote of the committee? What was the vote? Unanimous? >> Unanimous, yep. >> Soup >> Uh Mr. Bernard was not there but that was our unanimous. >> Soup you and your team? >> This uh also very very workable. Thank you. >> Motion by Ms. Rosenberg seconded by Ms. Hordy. Any questions everyone? Any questions? >> I have a quick question. Oh. >> We'll see about that Mr. President. >> [laughter] >> It's a 17 part question. Uh um what will happen to DGA under the motion that we're about to consider? Will will any language be changed in DGA? Will DGA simply go back to the policy committee for further review? >> Ms. Rosenberg? >> Yep

170um DGA is actually tabled so we do plan on revisiting it. Our goal that I was going to bring up in the um the report from the subcommittee. We are extremely hopeful and recommending that all of our policy manual >> Yeah. >> gets reviewed with um MASC the outside agency that can come in and go through and our recommendation when we do that would be that we start with our section. I did speak to um MASC and that is you can jump around, you can decide and prioritize which sections of the manual you think need to get the most attention. I think this one definitely is top priority I know for me to get these all squared away, make sure that all the references stand up. Sometimes when you look at some of the old

171ones um I believe the different like the MGLs have changed. It needs to be updated. So yes, it would be continued and looking at the sample policy seeing what other ones are doing basically they work that they will take a look at it. Um I did ask they will look at your charter they will look at other things to see and then they will come back with recommendations and then we would vote on whatever the recommendations are. So DGA is not sitting there with nothing to be done. We will obviously be looping back because it has to be done. >> But for now we're simply voting on whether DI takes precedence over DGA. Got it. >> DI which is and that is actually what we have been doing. It does not change that they would

172be still included on the agenda that the warrants that we would still be looking at them and part of the discussion with having that with signatures and things like that. Um Part of the discussion was just having a second set of eyes because when someone is you know making a vote for you was part of the discussion. So we want to see how other cities are doing it and also see what recommendations there are from if we hopefully get the entire manual reviewed. >> Great. Thank you. >> Yep. >> Let's call the roll. >> Mr. Dummy? >> Yes. >> Mr. McCarthy? >> Yes. >> Ms. Batafora? >> Yes. >> Ms. Macklin? Ms. Hordy? >> Yes. >> Mr. Piazza? >> Yes. >> Mr. Bernard? >> Yes. >> Mr. Rose Iberg? >> Mayor Christiansen? >> Yes, that

173carries unanimously. All right everyone, this resolution in support of a financial management review. I don't think anything needs to be said further about it. This is a item that was discussed at our last meeting. We just need to formally vote it at this meeting. So, this is uh Miss Rose Aiberg, Miss Spadafora. Maybe not. >> Nope. Thank you. So, I I just want to thank you, Chair, cuz I think it was um the next morning after our meeting you emailed um Miss Rose Aiberg, myself, uh I think Council President Linehan saying that the request had gone through um to the uh ba ba ba ba the financial management division of local services and that they had agreed to um do it come the fall. So, I thank you for that follow-up the next day. I

174think we did go through it at the last meeting, so I don't think there's a need to reread through it. >> Nope. >> Um so, I'd just like to make a motion that uh we adopt the resolution in support of a financial management review of the city of Malden. >> Seconded by Miss Rose Aiberg. Any questions, queries, qualms? Let's call the roll. >> Mr. Drummy? >> Yes. >> Mr. McCarthy? >> Yes. >> Miss Spadafora? >> Yes. >> Miss Macklin, Miss Worden? >> Yes. >> Mr. Piatelli? >> Yes. >> Mr. Bernard? >> Yes. >> Miss Rose Aiberg, Mayor Christenson? >> Yes. It carries unanimously. All right, Mr. Bernard, uh technology subcommittee, really brief. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will keep it brief. Uh we met last Wednesday. This was an informational meeting just to go

175and get the other members of the uh tech subcommittee on the same track because I've been uh running as the liaison for the uh the working group. Um basically just went over what we had been already been doing at the meeting at the working group meetings to give them an idea. Um there's not going to be any recommendations until the last meeting, which is of the uh group at which is May 11th, I believe. And we will go and hold a meeting after that. We also went over and I was hoping some of the people in the audience would still be there, so hopefully they're watching on TV. That we went over uh another another tool that we were going to be going and using GoGuardian or we're piloting right now to go and take

176control over what students can go in one number one watch or what they're doing with their Chromebooks. Just to make sure the teachers are aware uh and the report from the superintendent and and assistant superintendent Kamal was that the teachers were very excited about this. They were climbing over themselves to go and volunteer to go and do this. Obviously, they see it as a great advantage. Um and sometime in the future we'll be going and looking at that and getting some responses. And that's it. >> Okay. Mr. Bernard, if I might from the chair, could you look into what it would cost if it were successful and we wanted to implement it throughout the district. Cuz as you know right now All right, thank you, Mr. Bernard. No other questions. Let's move to personal privilege.

177Left to right. Mr. Drumney. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Class pictures are tomorrow at the Ferryway. Fourth grade field trip is coming up on Thursday. Walk, which we saw earlier, walk, bike, and roll is coming up on Wednesday. There are two um rally points. One is Lincoln Commons and the other is 72 Ashland Street, which sounds really really familiar. Um Tuesday is the PTO meeting uh and the SSO meeting that'll be on Zoom. Go to the uh Forestdale School PTO webpage for the uh connection or the link, I should say. Uh there is a middle school dance coming up on the 15th, which is a Friday. Uh Next on the 15th also, it's uh ice cream Fridays are coming back at the Forestdale for those of you that get hungry. It's $1, $2 an ice

178cream and it'll be in the courtyard section of the school. And then there's an afterschool uh a short one, 20 minutes give or take, an afterschool musical theater at the on the 21st um as well. Uh eighth grade field trip on June 1st. And last but not least, happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. And if you're looking for a cheap breakfast on Mother's Day, Ward 1, thanks to uh Counselor Peg Crowe, is uh going to have the annual Mother's Day breakfast at Anthony's from 9:00 to 11:00. So, I hope to see everybody there. Hopefully, maybe, maybe, possibly. We'll see. Uh and thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> And uh will the raffle of the day be repeated? >> Uh if it was, it's um I haven't heard anything. She hasn't mentioned it, but

179it could be. It very well could be. >> All right. >> And you're going to be there? Uh then I will be there. >> All right, Mr. Drami, thank you very much. Let's see, Mr. Piazza. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh last uh Friday, May 1st, was Principal Appreciation Day. So, I just want to recognize all of the principals across Malden Public Schools for the outstanding work. Yeah, we can give a round of applause >> [applause] >> to them. Uh all the principals are fantastic. I have the uh the closest uh relationship with the principal at my kids' school, Principal Van, and I just want to briefly highlight how valuable she is as a resource to our school. When uh when I am meeting with her, she is detailed and thoughtful about everything that she

180does. When there is a long line getting into a school event, she will put on the shark costume and go out there and entertain the students who are waiting to get into that event. There is nothing she will not do for the students of Malden. So, I just want to appreciate again all the principals, especially the one that I that I know most that I know best. Also, it's staff appreciation week and speaking of speaking of Ms. Van, she sent this message. We'd like to thank all of our staff, teachers, ESPs, nurses, custodians, administrative staff, and support staff for all they do for each and every day for our students, each other, and our Salem Wood community. Another round of applause is warranted. They will be celebrating everyone this week with sweet and salty treats,

181breakfast, and a lunch each day of the week. My last note is that on Saturday, May 9th, it's the Salem Wood Walk-a-Thon. And so, there is still time both to sign up your child for the Salem Wood Walk-a-Thon and to raise money. You'll get an online link that you can send out to your family members and they can donate to the Walk-a-Thon. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next up, let's go to Ms. Spadafora. >> Excuse [clears throat] me. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um the budget subcommittee, I did not have a update on the docket, but we will be meeting on May 14th and May 20th, both at 6:30 p.m. to go through our FY 2027 budget. You can join me this Wednesday at 7:48 a.m. right here at City Hall to walk to Beebe for

182the walk, bike, and roll to school day. May 8th, I don't know if anybody remembers Mr. MHS. It's kind of coming back, but it's going to be senior spotlight. May 8th at 7:00 p.m. in Jenkins Auditorium. Come cheer on our our cheer, laugh. I don't know. The seniors for a talent show. May 28th, prom red carpet. Be at Malden High School at 4:00 p.m. to see these amazing seniors off. Special Olympics, I believe I have it on here, Ms. McDonald, May 21st. It's a Friday. So, if you're driving past What's that? Thursday. But if you're driving past the stadium, you can see all of our amazing special needs students competing. And then just a congrats to Malden High baseball today on another win tonight against our rivals Malden High School with a final score of

1837 to 4. Thank you. >> Ms. Hordy. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Forest Dale is holding a PTO censoring night this Friday, May 8th from 5:30 to 7:30 in the cafeteria. They will be making bubble dough. I don't know what that is, but it sounds interesting. Spring picture day is next Monday, May 11th. The 7th grade is hosting a trivia night for families on Wednesday, May 13th from 6:00 to 8:00 in the cafeteria. For more information, see Mr. Weldy's message on Parent Square. I have to say that the 7th grade does an amazing job with fundraising for Nature's Classroom and DC and all that stuff. So, please attend if you can. And finally, Mr. Weldy, who also must be recognized for Principal's Week because he has a special place in a lot of our hearts

184for all the things that he does for his Forest Dale students. But he would like to shout out his amazing staff um for Educator Appreciation Week as well. >> [applause] >> Thanks. >> Okay, next up Ms. Rose Aiberg. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to give my own thanks to all the educators and teachers in all of our schools. Um I know that the work that they all do is amazing um and they need a lot of support and I never underestimate even sending in a small note or anything like that to um your teachers and your ESPs. I know I got a little one today from a student that is proudly already on my refrigerator. Um They do mean a lot um just those little on I mean you're having a rough day

185sometimes you just take a look and go, "Okay, I've actually um touched a life today." That's um a mentor of mine who said, "Just remember you can touch a life today." Um so thank you for all of the teachers in our system who do that on the daily basis. Um at the Linden um there is a cookie class on Saturday, May 9th from 1 to 3. It's a $10 cost for three cookies. The sign-up for that is tomorrow. Hard hard hard hard core has to be done by tomorrow because they have to order supplies. I was asked to stress that so they don't want people to show up and they have to feel bad and say, "No, you can't come." So I was asked to stress that. Um Popsicle and ice cream carts after school

186on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays will be starting up. Those will be um $2 per item. On May 6th, walk bike roll to school. Um they meet at Steve's Corner and at um Eddie's Garage at 7:35 a.m. May 15th from 6 to 8 is the Multicultural Celebration. May 19th um there will be more details coming up on this. Um it will be the Linden Carries the Arts STEM Showcase. So it is they're waiting to get some confirmation from um the art teacher and also that everything will be displayed at the school. But the details they think roughly it's 4 to 5:30 May 19th for that. May 29th is movie night for grades K to 4. That'll be from 3 to 5 p.m. Details coming on that. On Saturday, May 30th, this sounds like a very fun

187event. I know they've done it before. Foam and tie-dye party from 1:30 to 3:30. So, you tie-dye a shirt for field day, and that is $10. You do need to bring the shirt. So, you do some tie-dye, and then you go and have the foam party and dance in that, and then you there's going to be opportunity at the end of that also so for some more tie-dye. Because it is it's also the teacher appreciation week they should have done with spirit week. On Wednesday, students can wear neon. They said the brighter the better. And on Friday, it is a '90s theme. However you take that, dress as is you whatever in the '90s. And that's all I got. Thank you. >> Okay, thank you. Mr. Germi is attempting to speak for a second time,

188and I will grant that so long as he makes the motion for executive session. You want me to do that? >> I will do that. >> Okay, then here you go. >> Thank you. I just forgot international food night is coming up, and that'll be Thursday the 14th down at the Fairway from 6:00 to 7:30. And I'd like to make a motion to go to executive session. >> Okay, second by Mr. Bernard. >> Clerk will call the roll. >> Mr. Germi? >> Yes. >> Mr. McCarthy? >> Yes. >> Ms. Spadafora? >> Yes. >> Ms. Macklin, Ms. Horrigan? >> Yes. >> Mr. Piazza? >> Yes. >> Mr. Bernard? >> Yes. >> Mr. Rosenzweig? >> Yes. >> Mayor Christensen? >> Yes, that carries unanimously. School Committee will now be in executive session. What were you looking for?

189Is that it? >> Mhm. >> All right, the school committee is back. Uh we have a motion to stay the night, Mr. Drummy. >> [snorts] >> Motion to adjourn. >> Second. >> By Mr. Bernard. You have that? All right. All those in favor say I. >> I. All those opposed >> Okay. Say nay. The eyes have it. School Committee is hereby adjourned.