Minutes
Quincy, Massachusetts - November 28, 2007
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Regular Meeting
A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday,
November 28, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall. Present
were Mrs. Anne Mahoney, Mr. Kevin Mulvey, Ms. Linda Stice, Mr. Jim
Timmins, Mr. Dave McCarthy, and Ms. Elaine Dwyer, Vice Chairman.
Vice Chairman Presiding
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The Superintendent called the roll and Mayor Phelan was absent. Also
present were: Drs. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary, Mrs. Tefta Burrelli
Clerk. Dr. Pattavina, Messrs. O’Brien, Ryan, Walsh, McPhee, Canavan,
Kevin and Keith Segalla, Ms. Powell, Hughes, and Roberts. Mrs. Jo-Ann
Bragg and Paul Phillips, QEA President, were present.
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Reg.Mins Approved 11/7/2007
On a motion by Ms. Stice, seconded by Mr. Mulvey, the Committee
approved the regular session minutes for November 7, 2008. The ayes
have it.
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Mr. Timmins leaves at 7:11 p.m.
Am. Ed. Winners
For American Education Week, this year’s theme was “Great
Public Schools, a Basic Right and our Responsibility.” Ms. Roberts
introduced the top three winners in each category. First place winners
read their essays to the Committee. The kindergarten class winners
from Snug Harbor displayed their poster, Judy Li, 3rd grade at Marshall
School, Maggie Garvey, grades 4-5, at Beechwood Knoll, Mark Hanna,
Atlantic Middle School, and Victoria Wong, North Quincy High School.
The students read their essays, and received a certificate and a gift card to
Barnes & Noble from the Committee.
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Supts. Report
The following events have been scheduled: Tis the Season…. will be
held on December 4 at the Marriott-Quincy. There will be a City Council
meeting on December 17 to update them on the new Quincy High School,
a Partnership Breakfast with State St. tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. at North Quincy
High School. The First Lego Tournament will be held on December 8 at
North Quincy with Robotics partner, Gillette. The Superintendent thanked
Jim Rendle for a successful Thanksgiving Day game. There were about
3,000 people who came to the game. The Superintendent has appointed
Ms. Angela Miller as the new System-Wide Art Department Chair.
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Open Forum
At the Open Forum, Mr. Ed McDonough and Mr. Bob Haley thanked Ms.
Stice and Mayor Phelan for their work with the school system -- the literacy
program, full day Kindergarten, the new Quincy High school. They appreciate
their efforts and the amount of hours they put into their jobs.
Mr. Paul Phillips, QEA President, thanked the out going School Committee
people for all they have done. There is a joint effort by the MTA and
the Reni Center for Education. He went to look at a program that
is being run in eight states. Surveying teachers about working condition
and their affect on students. Working conditions have a direct impact. The
teachers conditions are the learning conditions for students. Governor
Patrick and he talked about his educational preparation for school programs
the first role out from that is going to be a survey of educators in the
state. It has been endorsed and approved by the MASC and MASS. He
wants to make sure that they’re going to be asking educators across the
state about the conditions in which classroom teachers operate in five
areas -- Teacher empowerment, resources, facilities, school leadership
and time. This will give us new data about a whole area of the functioning
of our school system that we have never had in the past. The TELLS Survey
will occur in January and February next year.
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Bldg. Update
Mr. Joe Canavan reported that Maintenance finished floor tile work at
Bernazzani, painting at Snug Harbor, additional lighting outside Quincy
High School East campus, the sewing room has been rewired and the North
Quincy High School gym floor is finished. Mr. Mulvey asked Mr. Canavan
to check out the large tree limbs ready to fall at Atlantic Middle School.
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New QHS
Mr. Ryan reported that he and the Quincy High School staff continue to
meet weekly. Steel is being installed in the new building, and they are
working on Woodward Ave. Gilbane has hired a security guard, and the
guard is posted at the gate all day.
Mr. McCarthy asked if there were any problems with the neighbors and
if we are keeping them updated. Mr. Ryan said he has had no complaints
from the neighbors. Next week he will be updating the website.
With regard to Honeywell, the mechanical rooms have been completed.
All lighting has been completed. Honeywell will be working into
next summer.
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Central Middle School
Mrs. Dwyer reported that we received good news with regard to Central
Middle School. Eighty-three cities and towns made the first cut by the state.
Central was on the list. This does not guarantee we will be funded, but the
State has marked Central at “feasibility study.”
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MCAS
Mr. Rich O’Brien, Mary Fredrickson, Colleen Roberts and Judy Todd reported
on MCAS AYP Data presentation. Over the last few years when the MCAS AYP
results came in, we compared Quincy Public Schools results first with
the state as our benchmark and then we start to look at our overall strengths and
weaknesses. This analysis is translated into our DIP. At the elementary
level we recognize the importance of literacy as the foundation skills for
future success. In the middle school we’ve focused our efforts in math,
and at the high school level, we do all that we can to make sure that our
students meet the local requirements and then pass the MCAS so that they
can get their high school diploma. This information is given to principals
and they focus on the school results for the purpose of identify goals for their
school improvement plan and individual student results. The needs of each
school are then coordinated and become part of the professional development
plan. All of these elements have been tied together. The first look is to look
at all of our students that passed last springs MCAS compared to the state
and in typical fashion mirrors the state averages. We’re more interested in
looking at a particular spike in a particular grade. The ELA is pretty much
on average. Math pretty much a comparison to the state. Ms. Todd spoke to the
sub group for SPED and their results compared to the state. Mary Fredrickson
spoke about the conversion MCAS scores and how they relate to adequate
yearly progress. If one subgroups doesn’t meet the expected progress than
the entire school gets put in that list of “needing improvement.” This is the
way the system is designed.
Ms. Roberts talked about the system response. The no child left behind law
mandate requires schools in all state to notify parents of student achievement
on their states comprehensive testing results. It is also a requirement that
districts in schools notify families of the AYP of both the school and the
district. In response to the ratings the Superintendent’s Leadership Team
has met with administrators and staff members to review and analyze these
results. By working with the schools’ administration and teachers, we are
beginning the process of rewriting the school improvement plans at the
schools where this is necessary. These schools are in the process of addressing their performance or improvement concerns in the SIP which
will be presented to the Committee this January. Staff and administration
are working together to revise site professional development opportunities
for staff.
Ms. Stice asked if any parents had requested their children be moved to
another school? No one has asked for that as yet.
Mr. McCarthy asked of the four schools and two schools that declined, is
there anything we’ve done differently? Mrs. Fredrick pointed out that
the decline is all about the improvement. We have so many schools that
already have a very high rating. Once you get a high rating and you’re above
the target, it’s hard to stay there. If you are achieving a score above the
performance target that’s very high, it’s hard to continue that pattern of
improvement so every school will go back to the same starting point.
Mayor Phelan asked if the specific strategies using to improve the special
ed MCAS scores in elementary schools. Ms. Todd answered that we have
turned our sped teachers into interventionists. All the training we’re doing
for literacy teachers, we are doing for SPED teachers.
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Gifts: Sterling
On a motion by Ms. Stice, seconded by Mr. Mulvey, the Committee accepted
a gift of $2,500 from the Rural Masonic Lodge to Sterling Middle School.
The ayes have it.
Dictionaries to all 3rd. Graders
On a motion by Ms. Stice, seconded by Mr. Mulvey, the Committee accepted
the donation of 600 dictionaries from the Quincy Lodge of Elks. These
dictionaries will distributed to all third graders in the school system. The
ayes have it.
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QHS to NY City
On a motion by Mr. McCarthy, seconded by Mrs. Mahoney, the Committee
approved a trip for Quincy High School students to go to New York City.
The ayes have it.
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Budget Subcommittee
Mr. McCarthy reported that the Budget Subcommittee met on November 27
where Mr. Mullaney presented the Quarterly Budget report. A review of the
payroll and expense budget accounts show that most all lines are in agreement
with budgeted figures for the first three months with one major exception -- the
“Reserve for Negotiated Increased” account. There was a 1% retroactive
payment made to the QEA members for FY07. This amount was not included
in the budget. This has resulted in an anticipated deficit of $492,988. The
members discussed ways of addressing this deficit. An additional meeting
is being scheduled to go over this and other financial matters.
Quarterly Budget Approved
On a motion by Mr. McCarthy, seconded by Mr. Mulvey, the Committee
approved the Quarterly Budget Report. The ayes have it.
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Mr. O’Brien appointed Asst. Superintendent
On a motion by Mayor Phelan, seconded by Mr. McCarthy, the Committee
approved the Superintendent’s recommendation to appoint Mr. Richard O’Brien
as Assistant Superintendent of Schools for School System Operations and
Student Achievement. On a roll call vote, the motion passed 6-0. Mr. Timmins
was absent.
Mr. O’Brien has been in the school system for over 30 years and has held
positions as teacher, coach, Asst. Principal, Principal, Professional Development
Specialists and currently is in the position of Director of Information Technology
and Media Services.
The members said they were very pleased with the appointment and Mr. O’Brien
accepted the position.
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SPED Subcommittee
Mr. Mulvey reported that the Special Ed Subcommittee met with the parents
of QPAC along with Mr. Timmins, the Superintendent and Mr. McCarthy. They
had a successful meeting and discussed issues of transportation and involvement
in decisions on various in-house programs.
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North Quincy AFJROTC
Mr. McCarthy commended the North Quincy AFJROTC who received a letter
of recommendation from the Department of the Air Force. The North Quincy
AFJROTC earned an overall unit assessment score of “Exceeds Standards” the
highest rating attainable.
Progress Reports to Policy Subcommittee
Ms. Mahoney spoke to student progress reports in middle and high schools.
She would like us to regroup to come up with better idea. On a motion by Mrs.
Mahoney, seconded by Mr. McCarthy, progress reports was put into the Policy
Subcommittee to be revisited. She would like a better system of communications.
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Resignations
The Committee noted the following resignations:
Café Helper: Claire Maloney
Sr. Custodian: Kevin Burke
Appointments
The Committee noted the following appointments:
Teachers: Matthew Reggiannini, Michael Hanson
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Adjournment
On a motion by Mr. McCarthy, seconded by Mr. Mulvey, the Committee
voted to adjourn at 9:40 p.m. for the evening. There was no executive
session. On a roll call vote, the motion passed 6-0. Mr. Timmins was
absent.