Minutes
Quincy School Committee
Teaching & Learning Subcommittee Meeting
Monday, November 2, 2015
A meeting of the Teaching & Learning Subcommittee was held on Monday, November 2, 2015 at 5:00
pm in the Coddington Building. Present were Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Ms. David McCarthy, and Ms.
Barbara Isola, Chair. Also attending were Superintendent DeCristofaro, Mrs. Mary Fredrickson,
Deputy Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Mrs. Maura Papile, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, Ms.
Judy Todd; Quincy Education Association President Allison Cox; Citywide Parent Council Executive
Board Member Kristin Perry; and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.
Ms. Isola called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm and reviewed the purpose of the meeting, to discuss
and approve a School Committee Resolution that can be introduced at the Massachusetts Association
of School Committees (MASC) Conference. Mrs. Hubley will be attending the MASC Conference and
representing the Quincy School Committee as a delegate at the General Session on Wednesday,
November 4. Two versions of a resolution were drafted for School Committee consideration. One
version proposes a delay in implementing any new high-stakes standardized testing, while the other
proposes a moratorium. After a brief time to review the two resolution options, Ms. Isola opened the
discussion. Mrs. Hubley asked if the delay option was approved, should it contain a specific length of
time. Mr. McCarthy asked if other School Committees have specified a time frame. Deputy
Superintendent Mulvey said not that we have seen.
Ms. Isola said that moratorium expresses School Committee’s belief that PARCC is not viable for
Quincy Public Schools, there are too many unknowns, especially as it pertained to graduation
requirements and the technology infrastructure issues.
Mrs. Hubley made a motion to accept the moratorium resolution as presented:
Quincy School Committee Resolution Calling for a Moratorium on High-Stakes Standardized Tests
WHEREAS, our future well-being relies on a high quality public education system that prepares all students for
college, careers, citizenship and lifelong learning; and
WHEREAS, our school systems in Massachusetts and across the country have been spending increasing
amounts of time, money, and energy on high-stakes testing in which student performance on standardized
tests is used to make major decisions affecting individual students, educators, schools and districts; and
WHEREAS, the overreliance on high-stakes and standardized testing in state and federal accountability systems
is undermining educational quality and equity in U.S. public schools by hampering educators’ efforts to focus on
the broad range of learning experiences that promote the innovation, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, critical thinking and deep subject matter knowledge that will allow students to
thrive in a democracy and an increasingly global society; and
WHEREAS, it is widely recognized that standardized testing is an inadequate and often unreliable measure of
both student learning and educator effectiveness; and
WHEREAS, the overemphasis on standardized testing has caused considerable collateral damage in too many
schools, including narrowing the curriculum, teaching to the test, reducing a love of learning, pushing students
out of school, driving excellent teachers out of the profession, and undermining school climate;
WHEREAS, high-stakes standardized testing has negative effects on students from all backgrounds, and
especially for low-income students, English language learners, children of color, and those with disabilities;
THEREFORE, let it be resolved that the Quincy School Committee supports locally developed, authentic
assessments and more time for educators to teach and students to learn;
THEREFORE, let it be resolved that the Quincy School Committee calls on state and federal education
policymakers to adopt a moratorium on the high-stakes use of standardized tests so that educators, parents,
and other members of our communities can work together to develop assessment systems that support positive
teaching practices and better prepare students for lifelong learning.
Ms. Isola seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Mrs. Hubley made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:15 pm. Ms. Isola seconded the motion and
on a voice vote, the ayes have it.