Good evening and welcome to this meeting of the Boston School Committee.

I'm Chairperson Jerry Robinson.

We'll begin with the Pledge of Allegiance.

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.

I want to welcome everyone who is joining us in tonight in person on Boston City TV and on Zoom.

I'm going to ask everyone here in the chamber to please turn off the volume on your laptops or other devices so it does not interfere with the audio for tonight's meeting.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Tonight's meeting documents are posted on the committee's webpage, Boston Public Schools.org slash school committee under the April fifteenth meeting link.

For those joining us in person, you can access the meeting documents by scanning the QR code that's posted by the doors.

Any translations that are not ready prior to the start of the meeting will be posted as soon as they are finalized.

The meeting will be rebroadcast on Boston City TV and posted on the school committee's web page and on YouTube.

The committee is pleased to offer live simultaneous interpretation virtually in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and American Sign Language.

Zoom interpretation feature has been activated.

Zoom participants should click the globe icon at the bottom of your screen to select your language preference.

We'll begin the meeting with the approval of minutes.

The parents of twelfth graders will receive an electronic communication from us on Thursday tomorrow, April 16th, with local and statewide resources, as well as information on school counselors and partners available at their home school for support.

The Massachusetts Financial Aid Priority Deadline is May 1st, which maximizes students' eligibility for state aid for those entering colleges in the fall of 2026.

Completing the FAFSA or MASFA by this date is very important and a key step for students in terms of accessing grants, scholarships, tuition-free opportunities, and other supports.

Please email the Office of College Career and Life Readiness at CCLR at Boston Public Schools.org with any questions.

So I'm proud to share the winners of this year's Aspen Challenge.

You may remember that last year, BPS began its participation in this two-year national education program that challenges high school students to design solutions to social justice issues.

This year, teams of eight students from 13 BPS schools, as well as students from Lawrence High and Somerville High, spent 10 weeks developing their ideas, including how to address food insecurity, make resources available to immigrant communities, address the connection between academics and mental health, create more green space for youth, and connect students to work training opportunities.

Those ideas were presented to our panel of judges composed of community leaders, educators, and experts at the solution showcase last week.

Thank you, Chair Robinson, for being there to chair our students on.

The grand prize winners are headed to the annual Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado in June, where they will have the opportunity to learn from global leaders confronting the most pressing issues of our time.

So the drum roll, congratulations to Boston International Newcomers Academy, or BINCA, and Tech Boston Academy on this well-deserved honor.

Additional awards included Brighton High School for Originality, another course to college for collaboration, Charlestown High School for Community Engagement, and New Mission High School was honored with the People's Choice Award.

Lawrence High School was also recognized with the Resilience Award.

For me as superintendent, you know, just to be able to see the talent, the creativity of our young people, I was so impressed with the quality of the projects and just the excitement and enthusiasm of the students.

And I told them the first day when the competition kicked off, it would be a life-changing event if they put hard work into it.

And then in talking with young people the day that before they knew who was going to Denver, they all sort of agreed it was, in fact, a life-changing event.

I couldn't have been more proud of them, as I know Chair was, and so many different people from the city and the district came to chair them on.

Similarly, for the two teams that will go on to Colorado, we'll be doing the same.

This marks this is sort of a tradition, it marks the arrival of spring and the start of the baseball season.

And you can see from some of these photos just the joy, the excitement that happens in this event.

And one of the highlights was seeing all of the kids find out that they were getting tickets to a Red Sox game in the future.

They literally just jumped with joy.

Thank you to Chair Robinson and Member Peralta for helping to disrepe the Red Sox hats to the students.

Also, thanks to our mayor for making all of this happen for us, to Red Sox President and CEO Sam Kennedy, Red Sox partner and Foundation Board Member Linda Henry, and really just the whole organization of the Red Sox.

They show up for our kids always, and on this particular day, it's just one of our best times with Wally and Tessie.

In all, the Red Sox donated 40,000 hats across the BPS to all of our schools, our CAID schools, and we're just incredibly grateful to them and to Jet Blue, who also was a sponsor for making that day such a wonderful day across our district.

Lastly, I was honored to attend the Dever Elementary School's recent digitizing day.

This was a special opportunity for the school community to come together to contribute to an on like our an online archive that will hold many of the school's memories as their last year comes to a close.

Um and really uplifting the community.

The attendees contributed photos, apparel, notes, recorded interviews.

These will all be uploaded to a new collection that's in collaboration with UMass Boston's Healy Library, University Archives, and Special Collections.

The DevRas truly been a cornerstone of the Columbia Point community for nearly 70 years.

The event reflected the connection, the the different kinds of connections and memories that have just been created across so many different people.

It was incredibly meaningful to see and hear from former students and families and staff members who gathered to share stories and really celebrate what the schools meant to them.

By preserving these memories, we're honoring the legacy of the DevO, and we're ensuring that its impact continues to be felt for years to come.

As part of the event, a commemorative City of Boston street sign was unveiled, the Devor School Drive, all roads lead through the Dever.

This was installed to honor that legacy of the Devra's decades long impact to the community.

I also want to extend a heartfield thank you to those who came out to share memories and preserve and make available for the Devers Elementary's legacy for future generations, especially project manager Megan Schroeder, parent leader Cheryl Buckman, and principal Margaret Rearnon.

Going forward, the BPS Capital team will continue working with our merging and closing school communities to determine the best way to celebrate and honor them.

Each school community is different, and many have their own ideas of how to commemorate their story and their history, and just huge applause for the DevOver for really expressing to us the importance of this piece of closure for the community so that we can then take it and be able to build this set of closure for the other communities as they go through closures and mergers.

Later this spring, we'll share an update with the committee on where students from the closing schools are going next year and report on the progress of the long-term facilities plan implementation.

So with that chair, many, many bright spots.

Wanted to call out a few, but um I will turn it back over to you.

Thank you, Superintendent.

Um, I'll now open the floor for questions and discussion.

Please remember our norm is five minutes per person per member per round, not including district responses, and keep questions related to the superintendent's report.

Other topics can be raised during new business.

BPS staff, please keep responses brief and speak slowly to support our interpreters since I know this is your first in-person meeting.

I'll just tell you what I usually do.

I usually look to my left and ask for people on this side if they have something to say and then go that way.

So we're not doing a zigzag.

Okay.

So I'm okay.

Do you have any?

Do you have any questions?

I do.

Um, a couple, I guess uh I can share an announcement for myself.

Um I had the uh the privilege to attend the National School Board Association conference in um San Antonio with uh Jake Lacey from our facilities management uh department.

Um BPS was receiving the Magno Award for its work on the installation of its internal air quality monitors, and that project has been in the work since 2014.

So I think uh being recognized nationally for the work is something that is just a testament to uh what these investments very early on, what they yield and um particularly the the data dashboard that was created as a result of that, and so being able for families to check that dashboard to look at what the air quality is, um, but also how those monitors were able to inform what are the types of renovations and upgrades that each of our buildings need.

I learned a little bit more.

I mean, not just that our average building age goes all the way back to 1942, but you of course we still have some buildings that were built in the 1800s.

So that's just a testament to how much these buildings need upkeep and investment.

Um so it was good to be uh recognized as a district, and it was also good to hear from peers from across the country just about um some of their challenges that they're experiencing um and how they're addressing some of them.

So uh just a shout out to uh Jake for attending and uh the the entire team, uh Catherine Walsh, like like her team as well.

So that I did have a question.

So you mentioned at the at the end of your report around hearing an update around where students are going.

Is it possible to get also an update around how our faculty and staff are sort of faring as well?

Um absolutely we'll make sure that that's part of it.

Because I'm pretty sure we're we're gonna hear like later today or later today around just some shifting in the district around around um particularly like our social workers and thinking really about uh one, those that may not have permanent status but um have been in contract positions.

Um are they going to be offered permanent status and you know, our social workers when we start talking about all the issues right in the district chronic absenteeism from that to academic outcomes, like our social workers are a critical as part of that.

So hopefully we're able to to get some some of your um your thoughts on that.

Absolutely.

It was great to hear about the Aspen Challenge and the um the value of that for participants.

I think it'll be useful to save some of those models and structures for as DESI works through what graduation requirements are going to be for high school students, especially if there's a community component or some sort of portfolio component.

Thinking about the social impact that this has.

It could be something that could be replicated at the district level outside of the national con uh context if it aligns well to anything that they put online.

Yeah, no, I think this is a great point, and I think you know, as uh the graduation recommendations come out at the state level, the idea of capstone is uh you know a critical one.

This is a mini capstone in that it was the 10 weeks, but certainly like I know at Tech Boston, though they did not win last year, they undertook a housing initiative for housing instability, and that team stayed together as seniors, and they actually made it a year-long project where they just launched their own nonprofit.

So I think the agency that it teaches our young people, you can do a lot.

Um, and so we're right now we're we're talking with several partners about how to be able, now that we know what to do, how to be able to take that and continue to build that challenge into the fabric of BPS, and to your point, uh, Member Scarrot, like how to use that as a springboard for bigger things when it comes to our our high school students.

Yeah, it's great.

Yeah.

I also just want to comment on the Aspen Challenge, because you know I'm a big fan of it, and um what I saw in that room that morning were kids from 15 high schools, very diverse kids.

Um, these were not just the best in the brightest, everybody was there.

And not only were their projects incredible in terms of these being clearly examples of strong student voice and efficacy, but all the work that they put into it, how they supported each other.

I mean, we had what 200 kids from every, you know, from 15 different schools across the city.

There was nobody fighting.

They were not, you know, posturing against each other.

There was more collaboration that I've seen in a long time.

They were clearly interested in the projects that each other had done.

And I'm hoping that there will be a way that we can share some of that good news here.

Uh, our media is often interested in what's not working, but those projects and those student voices, as well as the people that supported them, are just prime examples of what students can do when the learning is meaningful to them, and they have the support to actually make the actions happen.

So that's right.

And I was extremely proud that we that our students embraced Summerville High and Lawrence High students who they didn't formally know, um, and they weren't part of the fabric of the city, and yet you'd never know that with how they embraced them and worked with them and cheered each other on.

And that's where when we lay the table well for students, you get great results.

And so that's that's a kudos to all the coaches, the staff.

Ian Clark is here who just does tremendous um work in lifting this up.

Um, and so yeah, so I think there's a lot to build on in this.

And we just thank you for your continued support, Chair.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

I will now entertain a motion to receive the superintendent's report.

Is there a motion?

So move.

Thank you.

Is there a second?

Second.

Is there any discussion objection to the motion?

Is there any objection to approving the motion by unanimous consent?

Hearing none, the superintendent's report is approved.

We will continue with a brief report on the Massachusetts School Building Authority, MSBA Core Program 2026 Statement of Interest for the Melvin H.

King South End Academy.

Due to MSBA's April 17th deadline, the presentation and vote will take place tonight.

Let's aim to keep the presentation within 10 minutes.

I'll now turn it over to the superintendent.

Wonderful.

Thank you, Chair.

So I'm pleased to share that we plan to submit a statement of interest or an SOI to the Massachusetts School Building Authorities 2026 core program for the veneration of the Melvin H.

King South End Academy.

As a reminder, the MSBA is a state agency that offers competitive grants to municipalities to support school construction and renovation projects.

The core program supports renovations, additions, and new school construction.

The application will be submitted in collaboration with our partners in the city's public facilities department and the mayor's office.

This afternoon, the Boston City Council voted to approve the application following a hearing of the council's Ways and Means Committee earlier in the day.

The next step in the process is the approval of this body.

We are very excited about this opportunity to provide Melvin H.

King South End Academy students with a state of the art therapeutic school building that is designed to meet their academic, social emotional and mental health needs.

This will bring the district another step closer to our long-term goal of giving our students with different abilities the supports they need and the high quality educational experience they deserve.

At this time, I'll turn the meeting over to our BPS Chief of Capital Planning, Del Stanislaus, and Dr.

Assistant and Assistant Superintendent Dr.

Harold Miller Jr.

for the presentation.

And then later this evening, we'll ask the committee for its support of this application.

I would just like to say personally, I am over the moon on this particular project.

It is so long due to our community and our students.

And I just want to thank all those that have supported it thus far and would ask the committee's support tonight.

Dell, Harold?

Thank you, Superintendent.

Um, good evening, Chair and members of the school committee.

Um, I am very excited to be joined here tonight um with Dr.

Harold Miller to present the core application for Melvin H.

King South End Academy.

As the superintendent shared, the MSBA is a state authority that funds public school construction and renovation across Massachusetts through a one-penny of sales stock supported reimbursement program.

It has two programs, the core program for major school construction projects, and the accelerated program for roofs, windows, agevac upgrades.

Over the past several years, Boston has made an effort to increase their participation in the MSBA programs, and we are incredibly grateful for their partnership.

The MSBA City of Boston and Boston Public Schools have collaborated on 57 program projects, sorry, over the years.

Seven core projects, the Dearborn, BAA, JQS, and most recently the Carter are completed.

One school, the Shaw Taylor, is finishing design selection.

The Root Batson Academy will begin procuring an owner's project manager in May.

Madison Park will be starting the eligibility period on July 1st.

Under the accelerated repair program led by our operations division.

34 projects have completed construction.

One is currently in construction, and seven are in design slated for 2027 construction.

And eight projects will be starting design this summer.

These collaborative efforts with the MSBA reflect 696 million dollars in construction costs with just over 263 million in reimbursement coming back to the City of Boston.

We are excited to submit the statement of interest to the MSBA 2026 core program for the Melvin H.

King South End Academy.

If we are accepted into the program this year, the school will be on a path towards a significant capital investment in the future.

I'll now pass it on to Dr.

Harold Miller.

Hello, everyone, superintendent chair and school committee members.

It's a great honor to be here to discuss not only the building project, but just a little bit about the Melvin H.

King.

So the Melvin H.

King Southern Academy is a specialized public day school serving students with diverse strengths and complex needs.

As a special education program, Melvin H.

King Southern Academy supports students from across the city who have not been well served in traditional settings.

As the district has expanded inclusive practices and increased therapeutic supports in traditional schools, enrollment has declined.

Overall enrollment has increased from approximately 300 students in 2020 to 160 in 2023 and 80 students in 2025.

After COVID, the rollout of the inclusive education plan and the redesign of entry and exit criteria to better align the least restrictive environment have also contributed to this decline.

In 2024, Superintendent Skipper establish a moratorium on new placements to initiate a comprehensive reset and restructure of the school's leadership, staff, and support model.

For school year 26-27, enrollment is projected at approximately 65 students.

Melvin H.

King Southern Academy is now in an active rebuilding phase, grounded in the Melvin H.

King way.

Asking ourselves, what would Melvin H.

King do?

And our core values safety, respect, responsibility, perseverance, and kindness, and a clear commitment to equity-driven transformation.

Through extensive engagement with school and district community members, five strategic goals and priorities have been identified.

One being high quality therapeutic and academic programming, second, operational systems alignment, external collaboration and partnerships, especially with interagent interagency collaboration and alignment, physical plant improvements, and clear entry and exit protocols.

This work will be supported by an August institute to align all staff along with tiered home and community visits prior to the start of the school year.

Looking ahead, Melvin H.

King Southern Academy is transitioning to a 5th through 12th grade model with long-term enrollment projected at approximately 100 students.

And I'll pass it back to Chief Stanislaus.

Thank you.

For context, the school was previously split across three buildings, all of which are amount amounts to the lowest quality facilities in the district.

According to the district-wide facilities condition assessment, in school year 25-26, the school vacated the St.

Mary's space, and in school year 26-27, the Melvin H.

King South End Academy will vacate the Peterborough building and consolidate into one building on Warren Aff in the South End.

If this project advances into the eligibility phase, the MSBA will evaluate the War Nav site along with other potential locations.

According to our facilities condition assessment, across every domain, the building at Warren Ave fails.

Falls sorry, well below the district's average.

We are confident in this application to invest in this community.

I'm going to be honest, the MSBA core projects and all construction projects take time.

If we are accepted into this program, there are years of planning and design work with the school community.

Construction likely would not begin until 2031 per the timeline for the MSBA projects.

As with all of our MSBA core projects, this is a multi-generational investment.

And our facilities and operation teams will continue to make all necessary upgrades to maintain a safe, well-functioning learning space for students in the meantime.

For next steps on this application, we are asking for your vote tonight.

The statement of interest is due this Friday, April 17th, and we've been working closely with the school community to prepare it.

We expect to hear about advancement at the end of 2026, and we'll keep you updated.

This concludes our presentation, and I'll now pass it back to the chair.

Thank you.

I'll now open it up to questions and comments from the committee.

Anybody go ahead.

Thank you for that question.

As part of the MSBA design process, the the when we select a design team for the MSBA, it includes a team that focuses on engaging the community.

As part of that engagement work, students, teachers, community, members of the Melvin H.

King community will be engaged as part of that process.

So there's a dedicated team that leads the engagement.

All right, thank you.

You're welcome.

Any questions?

Okay, sure.

Hi.

Assuming that everything goes as planned.

And MSBA approved our project.

The construction will start in 2031.

Yes, 2031.

How come it takes that long from now is 2026?

So the process of getting paper and everything takes about five years?

Yeah.

So we currently have three other projects in the MSBA pipeline.

So currently we have the Shaw Taylor that's heading into design.

We have the Ruth Batson and also Madison Park.

And with that, we will go into the eligibility period for the MSBA if selected at the end of the year.

So usually we'll hear back from the MSBA in December.

So that takes a couple of months.

And it takes about sort of closer to another year to move through the eligibility period.

And then there's procurement timelines to procure an open an owner's project manager.

And once an owner's project manager is on board, it takes like another it's like another like long timeline to procure a designer to go through the process.

It's quite an extensive process, and when we're going into design, um we the engagement piece is really extensive, engaging students and families and staff.

Um, because a part of this is like we want to do it right.

We're building a buildings that will be in our community for generations to come.

Yeah.

So while the construction wouldn't happen until then, there's many other parts that of engagement with the community, um, building out their educ uh our educational vision for it.

Um all of so that the community will be very much involved in all of that over the three years leading up to when construction actually happens.

I see just another um dumb question from me.

Uh even the project of of this size, and uh it takes a while to put together, you know, uh uh the construction uh and and to complete it.

Um during that time, is that any in kind from us or is that uh the the the uh the money comes directly from MSBA?

Sorry, do you mind repeating the question?

What I'm asking is uh the the process is pretty lengthy.

Yep, yeah, and the the there are steps along the line.

Yes, the the final uh budget for the for the construction will it be 100% from MSBA or is there a uh no uh MSBA does not cover a hundred percent of the cost.

Um, when we hear back from the MSBA in December, if we're moving through the eligibility period, we'll go through um we'll go to the city council to request um the first phase, which is a smaller amount of money um to cover like costs through the eligibility period.

Um and um we'll go back to the city council a second time, but this is uh the MSBA and Brian McLaughlin is here.

He can share the percentage in which we we are reimbursed by the MSBA um on projects, so it's not a they don't fully cover the cost.

Um there's a certain percentage that the city is like reimbursed on all of on all of the MSBA projects.

Sure.

So uh Brian, can you come up to the mic just because the people at home needs to be the calculation rate for the MSBA projects are calculated on an annual basis for 2025?

Um the reimbursement rate will be just over 61 percent.

61% um but by the time we enter into the feasibility study agreement with the MSBA, it it may change.

They usually don't fluctuate that much, so it'll be probably around 60% of eligible costs of the project.

So the changes maybe increased in terms of uh reimbursement or is there a likelihood of of that um being somehow decreased?

Yeah, it will likely be right around that 60% over the past several years.

We've seen it fluctuate from high 50s to the low 60s, so it's usually right around that.

I see.

And of course we have legit for that.

So this will come out of capital, um, capital dollars.

Uh, but again, with capital, because we have three large projects that are over the course of the next five years, this is a little bit more forward-looking.

But in order to be considered, we have to enter eligibility now.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um this might be I'm sorry, do you um this might be too premature as we're not talking about breaking ground until 2031.

Um, but has there been any consideration around the particular staffing model that might exist, like at this, like at this school.

So Dr.

Miller um and the staff uh leadership at Mel H Melvin H.

King has been doing a lot of work around this as part of the rebuild.

Help you want to speak to that?

Yes, uh, what I'll just say is that um right now with the student population decreasing, um, we have had cuts, but we were at a three to one ratio with staffing.

We're at a one-to-one ratio right now, so we still do have enough staffing to support the project to 65 students.

Um I could break it down by teachers.

I mean, we have a lot of different roles, but um, staffing-wise, we're in a good place.

Yeah, they've come up with a um a true therapeutic design so that it's teams of teachers that are supporting and grade appropriate.

So instead of stretching across, you know, a second or first grade to graduation, they're really focusing on grade appropriate five through twelve, particularly with the high school component of building out the things that high schoolers want and need.

Um, because for too for too long we've asked students with the highest level of need to trade off, getting that need fulfilled for sacrificing these other things, and we cannot do that anymore.

Right.

And and I would also just add that aligning to MassCore and making sure that we have, you know, we offer Spanish classes, we offer instructional technology, we offer cosmetology, um, are and just making sure that students have a full experience.

I think that um connects well to um one of my questions, which was around the ultimate enrollment goal uh goal.

I think Dr.

Miller, you said that for um the longer term, it's at 100 students, and I'm curious um whether that's because of the narrowing of focus to grades five through twelve, whether that's because we're coming down to a single site, or whether that's actually the full need of the student um fit for that level of therapeutic care.

Um, just transparently having a building that's going to receive that level of investment and will have the academic program to match.

I think the natural question is why not more than a hundred if it serves the the students well, and so I'm just curious on on where that number comes from.

Well, obviously, we've had a lot of data over years where we're looking at enrollment patterns as well as with our inclusive education plan.

So schools are building capacity to um you know keep students and not just move them, and then at the same time, we're looking at the Melvin H.

King as a sort of a bridge in a way that when a student comes to Melvin King, if they're referred to Melvin King, one, what is the support that the school needs to refer a student?

How are we um transitioning a student?

But also how are we um making sure that students don't just stay at the Mel King and they can actually go back to a traditional setting.

So that is a shift as we know for many years, students would go and too many would just stay for many years, and we're trying to look at if a student does enter, how long does that need to be?

And um using the expertise of the sending school, the expertise of our current um staff to really look at a lot of data to determine how long a student needs to stay.

Yeah, and I also I think that Dr.

Miller and Principal O'Shea have done a really good job with staff of establishing clear entrance criteria, which I don't think was in place.

And so what you actually had were students being assigned to a more restrictive setting than they needed.

This is the most restrictive setting we have in the sense of much like the Carter, it is a particular profile of student that needs the therapeutic component.

Um this would be a step even beyond a self-contained program.

We just need to make sure that students are appropriate for that setting.

And to Dr.

Miller's point that we are building up for students and stabilizing students and giving them the skills and supports and so that they can re-enter a less restrictive environment with the right supports.

So that's much different than what has happened over history with Melvin H.

King School.

And so the hundred is a fluid number, right?

Not the goal that might like other schools, you fill it a hundred and you keep the hundred.

The hundred students today are gonna look different than the hundred students next year, they're gonna be different kids.

That said, are is the plan to still ensure that it's a diploma granting institution?

Yes, absolutely.

Yes.

And with you know, the narrower um criteria, as are you imagining potential out of district placements as well as a therapeutic day school?

I mean, meaning receiving from other districts?

Yes, potentially.

So Melvin H.

King always had a history of when a student come from another district or come from another district school, if the IEP were appropriate and the services needed, they would um they would be able to attend Melvin H.

King to get those needs met.

That would continue.

I think the the main uh point with that Dr.

Miller made is that the goal here is mass core for our students at Melvin H.

King going forward.

Um, and so that is the academic and the rigor of the academic will be there, but with therapeutic support.

That is the goal.

So whether a student is there freshman year or sophomore year, and they're attaining their credits and then going back into another high school, that student can take those mass core eligible credits with them.

Right.

Um last question was just um where this falls kind of in the larger long-term facilities planning in terms of how was Melvin H.

King's South End Academy going to be modernized and addressed without MSBA, or was the plan always for MSBA, but the opportunity has come earlier than expected.

Um, just where does this fall in our larger view of of plans for for schools across the district?

Um so on the for the Melvin H.

King and where it falls into sort of like the broader investments across like um capital.

So um there is um as I think everyone probably knows there's like a list of schools, right?

Um that we have or made commitment to, so mayor superintendent has made um sort of like capital commitment to and one of the things that our team does um year over year, as we're looking at mergers and closures, right?

We have we do sort of like a comprehensive look across all of our schools, high schools, elementary schools, where we can do either larger investments or smaller investments.

Melvin H.

King is one of the schools back in 2022, um, what where a commitment was made um for a new building for that school community, some vision and work started then and it ended at vision and work.

Um so this is like a next step forward in the process.

Um, I think all of the schools that we have moved forward with some sort of vision and work and or commitment was made to communities.

And I think one of the things that was really essential before we could move forward with any of that work, we had to do the facilities condition assessment to understand buildings, and we had to have a long-term facilities plan and also look at data to think through how are we how are we sort of like right doing some right sizing work in the district and where we should actually be investing year over year.

So is this some of the work that the um our team has been doing?

Thank you for your presentation.

Um very excited to see this coming before us and not only just about the building itself, which, as you said, going back to 2022, there was a promise, but the fact that this time, as we move forward, we're taking a strong look at the overall programming to make sure that the programming for this group of students is what it needs to be.

Um, many people have said that the school has just been a landing place disproportionately for black and brown young men.

Um, and that the fact that we are going from 300 to 80 to 65 to 100 means that we are taking a look at these young people as individuals and looking across our district to create the better kinds of opportunities for them.

So looking forward to seeing what this school can become as a model for us as we think about some of our most vulnerable students in terms of creating a wide range of opportunities so that they can get their needs met.

So thank you, and we look forward to taking action on this later this evening.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, team.

Thank you.

Okay.

So we will move on to general public comment.

Ms.

Parvex.

Thank you, Chair.

The public comment period is an opportunity for individuals to address the school committee on school related issues.

Questions on specific school matters are referred to the superintendent.

Questions on policy matters may be discussed by the committee later.

The meeting will feature two public comment periods with the first comment period limited to one hour.

After one hour, anyone who hasn't testified will have the opportunity to do so at the end of the meeting.

We have 20 speakers this evening.

Each person will have two minutes to speak.

And I would remind you when you have 30 seconds remaining.

Please feel free to email your comments for distribution to the committee.

Speakers may not reassign their time to others.

The time that an interpreter uses for English interpretation will not be deducted from a speaker's allotted time.

Please direct your comments to the chair and refrain from addressing individual school committee members or district staff.

Please note the comments of any public speaker do not represent the Boston Public Schools or the Boston School Committee.

Please take your name, affiliation, and where you live before you begin.

Please sign in on Zoom using the name you registered with for public comment and be ready to unmute and turn on your camera when it's your turn to speak.

Please raise your virtual hand when I call your name.

And to support interpretation, please speak slowly and clearly.

We will start with our in with our in-person speakers.

John Mudd.

On an issue I have testified about repeatedly, it establishes a priority for the significant expansion of bilingual education and the development of long-term plans with clear goals and timetables to guide the growth of bilingual education programs for multilingual learners and the recruitment of bilingual educators.

As policy, all of this is admirable and should be adopted.

But as long-term observer, we all know that the critical issue for overcoming opportunity and achievement gaps is implementation.

I hope you adopt the plan and policy, but I also implore you to follow up with urgency to monitor programs, to insist on change where it is necessary, and thank you.

Our next speaker is Gillian Lirani.

Juliana Lurian Lirani.

We will continue with Julia Morales.

Betsy Santana.

Good evening, members of the school committee.

My name is Betsy Santana.

I'm a BPS alum and licensed independent clinical social worker in Boston Public Schools with nearly two decades of experience serving students and families in high need communities.

I'm here today not to criticize, but to bring clarity to a critical gap that directly impacts student care, staff safety, safe safety, and district liability.

BPS social workers are being asked to provide clinical services, including IAP counseling, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed care, yet there is no consistent district-wide structure for clinical supervision to support the work.

In any other clinical setting, this would be not optional, it would be required.

Without supervision, there is no standardization of oversight of clinical quality.

Social workers are left personally liable for complex clinical decisions.

Staff are navigating trauma-heavy environments without adequate professional support, and ultimately students receive inconsistent levels of care across schools.

This is not just a workforce issue.

This is a system and risk management issue.

We cannot define this role as clinic as clinical inconvenient and then fail to provide the clinical infrastructure that sustains it.

That silence is now breaking, and what is surfacing is concern, confusion, and in some cases, harm.

We have an opportunity right now to correct this.

My ask is simple and actionable.

Establish a district-wide clinical supervision structure for social workers aligned with licensure requirements, compensate and utilize independently licensed clinicians to provide supervision as a standard across all clinical fields, create a clinician-led advisory group to help design and implement this structure with fidelity and sustainability.

We are not asking for anything extra.

We are asking for alignment between what is expected of us and what is required to do that work safely and efficiently.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, the next group of speakers, um, our next speakers are Anne Hernandez, Julie Valencia, and Pete Mullen.

Good evening, Chairperson and members of the school committee and superintendent skipper, and thank you for the opportunity to speak.

My name is Ann Hernandez.

I'm a BPS alum, a Boston resident, and a social worker for the last 26 years.

I want to put a human face on what it means to four district social workers, which includes a SLIFE DSW from next year's budget cuts.

Cutting three district social workers from next year's budget is not a small adjustment as it directly affects 37 schools, over 13,000 students, and 71 school-based social workers who will not have who will have to be redistributed to the six remaining district social workers.

These roles are student-centered, positions that anchor safety, stability, and coherence across our systems.

The district social workers currently lead high-level case consultations, provide ongoing mentoring and clinical support to school-based social workers, train staff in de-escalation, safety care and trauma responsive practices in 2024-2025.

We trained 329 BPS staff and 179 to date the school year.

We are also the district's crisis response team.

We coordinate safe supported placement and transitions for vulnerable students and strengthen student support teams.

To make this more concrete, one of our district social workers who is currently not on the budget for next year.

30 seconds.

Trained 140 staff members in safety care, provided 68 instances of clinical support and mentoring to school-based social workers, completed 96 high-level case consultations, coordinated support for 45 students in transition to ensure they landed in safe supportive environments, participated in 49 student support teams.

Eliminating four of these positions does not cut extras.

It dismantles a critical safety and support infrastructure that holds our schools together on the hardest days.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Julie Valencia.

Hello, chairperson and members of the school committee.

I'm Julie Valencia.

I'm a district social worker.

I live in West Roxbury.

I am speaking tonight about the three district social worker positions being cut for the upcoming upcoming school year.

This is a third of our team, as there are 10 of us this year to support the nine school regions as well as the SLIFE programs.

I urge you to reconsider this decision in order to provide the support that BPS students, families, and school communities deserve.

While some aspects of the DSW role are systemic, there are also pieces of our role that include direct work with students and families.

Most of our role, including both systemic and direct work, is done inside school buildings and in collaboration with school-based staff as well as with students and families when needed.

In terms of direct support with students, we assist with crisis support and stabilization, risk assessments and safety planning.

We make up the crisis team that responds to school crises across the city.

The crisis work includes supporting schools in the aftermath of school-based or community-based emergencies, often for days after the event.

We also provide the de-escalation and physical management training for BPS schools.

This decrease in our team will affect our capacity to train school-based staff.

Direct service work also includes IEP counseling, home visits, and parent interviews as part of the IEP evaluation process.

These home visits with both school-based and district staff further fills the support gaps that schools struggle to meet, especially when there are barriers that impact students getting to school, such as chronic absenteeism, school avoidance, mental health needs, and other factors in the community that may impact students and families and their movement within their communities.

Systemically, we work on lots of systems like school culture and climate, coaching, leading professional development, collaborating with student success teams, and streamlining resources across the city.

Thank you.

If you if we weren't able to finish it, to speak because you can always send the testimonies to me.

Okay, and then I will send it to the members.

Good evening.

I'm an educator at the Curley School and a member of the Boston Teacher Union working group on multilingual education.

I would like to comment on the opportunity and achievement gaps task force policy.

As an educator for multilingual learners, I can speak for many of my colleagues when I say that this policy represents a welcome shift in our goals for multilingual learners.

We're especially grateful to see the language that explicitly names that the cultural and linguistic assets of multilingual learners should be valued.

We also appreciate the commitment to move with all deliberate speed to strengthen bilingual education and expand access to high quality programs that develop academic English while sustaining students' home and native languages, as well as the creation of a long-term plan with clear goals and timelines.

In the BTU working group, we discuss what we see as best practices and challenges to ensuring multilingual learners have the best possible opportunities.

We hope that the following ideas can also be considered going forward with this policy.

Provide full libraries of home language books, not just translated copies of English language titles.

Provide meaningful teacher professional development for targeted language instruction and for language acquisition.

Hope that supporting and preparing teachers to acquire all the licenses and endorsements they need.

Recruiting and retaining bilingual teachers requires clear, accessible pathways to licensure and endorsements, but currently dual language bilingual teachers are expected to pass four MTELs and get two endorsements at a minimum.

But currently, dual language bilingual teachers are expected to pass four Mtels and get two endorsements at a minimum.

Lastly, a program review of inclusive SEI to ensure that multilingual learners are truly being provided with the best possible options for high achievement.

Multilingual learners being included in the same way as students with disabilities fails to value their cultural and linguistic assets, which is something this task force and educators of multilingual learners agree is incredibly important.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We will now transition to our Zoom or speakers on Zoom.

The speakers are Councillor Julia Mejia, Laura Lara Soto, Kenneth Francisco, and Dora Sandoval.

Councillor Mehia.

Good evening.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can hear you.

You can start.

Today I just want to quickly uh speak on the impact of the district social workers' cuts will have on Boston Public Schools as a city councillor who represents all of Boston, the families and the faculty and staff.

Right now, four positions are being eliminated, including three regional district social workers.

These roles have supported 37 schools and over 13,000 students, and they provide guidance to more than 70 school-based social workers across those schools.

Their work includes um crisis response, staff training, and helping schools navigate complex student needs.

They also pay play a role in supporting the school climate and making sure that uh the teams have what they need to respond effectively.

With these cuts, the number of district social workers goes from nine to six.

The responsibilities do not change, but the capacity does.

Schools will be reassigned, case whole clay caseloads will increase, and there will be less availability for training, crisis response, and the day-to-day support.

We're also hearing concerns from staff about feeling um limited in their ability to advocate, which is something that we should take seriously.

I'm asking that these positions be reconsidered and that these core supports for students and school communities and reducing them and the real impact that they have.

And I'll just end with you know, at a time when we're dealing with so much on the national level, and families are dealing with a lot of crisis now more than ever.

We need to make sure that at the very least in our schools are we're equipped to be able to support the social and emotional um well-being of all of our students, especially in this moment in time.

And I ask the committee to reconsider these cuts.

Thank you.

Thank you, Counselor.

Our next two speakers are not signing to the meeting, so we will continue with Dora Sandoval, and she will be and we need a Spanish interpretation for her.

Dora Sandoval.

Okay.

Hello, my name is Sonia Sandoval, and I live in the when uh good afternoon.

My name is uh Sonia Sandoval, and I live in the community of Roxbury, and I am also I serve as a coordinator at the program at St.

Stephen's.

I want to begin by sharing a personal story, um, which I feel very proud of.

So madre de those niños, uno de ellos assistue a Hearley y el otro in el grado doce.

La semana pasada recebemos una noticia donde me hijo was Easter con una beca del 100% que cover todos sus studios.

Como madre, este fue un momento que representa años de esfuerzo, sacrificio y esperanza.

Um so last week.

Um, so about this personal story.

I am a mother of two children, and one of them attends the Hurley School, and my other student attends 12th grade.

And actually last week we received the wonderful news that he got accepted to the university of Norristo, and he actually received the full scholarship that is going to cover tuition and other expenses 100%.

And this is just an example as a mother that I'm very proud of because this represents the years of hope, sacrifice, and also hard work.

And this story is an example of what is possible when given real opportunities for families, and it is not a coincidence, but it is a result of hard work and also programs, educational programs, bilingual programs that support students.

For instance, these programs that supported my son in being able to develop trust in himself.

And also for him to value his identity and also fight for his goals.

Because this policy is strengthened the equity and to be able to appreciate the different languages of students.

Thank you so much.

Hi Daden Chernoff and Gimaris Matias.

I feel this information is critical, and it really should be provided.

This evening I wanted to speak about charter school students.

So charter school students, some of them receive standards-based grades.

These are the grades that BPS fifth graders receive.

But BPS fifth graders, because the district understood that these grades were a barrier for these students to get into exam schools.

They devised a special process that would allow BPS students only to receive a bit of a boost when converting those grades to the A to F or the I don't know one to eleven scale that is used for calculation for the composites for Boston Collegiate is a charter school.

Boston Conservatory Lab is another charter schools that uses standards-based grades with four inputs, just like Boston Public Schools do.

And my understanding that Excel Academy, a charter school uses standards-based grades, but with only three inputs.

So I would like the school committee to look into why there isn't this process allowed for these um charter school students.

I wanted to remind people that these are examples seats are publicly funded educational opportunities, and there shouldn't be a special process for BPS students that is not allowed for non-BPS students.

This is not equitable, and something should be done to fix it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Ari Brands.

Good evening, everyone.

My name is Ari Brands.

I'm a resident of MATAPAN and the co-executive director of St.

Stephen's Youth Programs.

However, tonight I'm here representing the Multilingual Learners Alliance, or the MLA.

The MLA is a broad coalition of parents, teachers, education experts, and advocates who are committed to improving the education of multilingual learners in the Boston public schools.

We have some core principles that we're advocating for.

Add languages, don't lose them, substantially increase access to bilingual education programs, meaningfully engage families, develop a citywide asset-based mindset on multilingualism, recruit, develop, and retain bilingual staff, spend Title I funds equitably and with accountability, and provide appropriate services for multilingual learners with disabilities.

We are so glad to see these policies reflected, these principles reflected in essential ways in the revised policy of the opportunity and achievement gap task force being presented to you tonight.

It calls for expanding access to bilingual education with a long-term plan that has explicit goals and timelines, a long-term plan to expand the number of bilingual educators, encouraging the use of home language by parents, and recognizing the importance of home language in the education of MLs with disabilities and so much more.

We urge you to make this the official policy of the school committee and implement it.

It's time for a fresh start on this issue.

It's time to have a policy for MLs that we can all join hands and rally behind.

Oh, two seconds.

Since our inception, the MLA has been anxious to work with the district in joining together with our mutual resources and energies to improve the education of MLs and MLs with disabilities.

This new policy presents us with that opportunity.

We strongly encourage you to approve the revised OAG policy.

Thank you so much.

Thank you very much.

Our next speaker is Haydn Cherno.

Hi, my name is Hayden Chernow.

I am a Boston Public Schools alum, class of 2023 and the current community liaison for the Center for Law and Education or CLE.

At CLE, we work with families and advocates to help students, especially students with disabilities, access to education they are entitled to under the law.

We are a legal resource and advocacy organization focused on ensuring that all students, particularly those from low-income communities, can learn to high standards.

I'm here today to speak about the MCAS alternative assessment or MCAST ALT.

Well, passing MCAS is no longer graduation requirement.

All students are still expected to learn grade level content.

But students identified as having the quote most significant cognitive disabilities may be placed on the MCAS alt.

And in practice, once students are placed on this track, they can be taught to lower standards and to lower expectations.

This has serious consequences.

Through our work with families, we've seen that some students can be placed on the MCAS ALT inappropriately and are not fully informed about what that placement means.

And that's where we see CLE's work come in.

We offer trainings to help families understand what the MCAS all is, what their rights are, and how to best advocate and prepare their children for success.

We would welcome the opportunity to partner with the district and community organizations and making sure parents understand how the system works and how to support their child in a pathway to success.

For more information and interest, please reach out to the Center for Law and Education.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi, good evening.

My name is Irmari Matthias, and I live in South and I'm a single mom.

I'm a Sigomamus too.

My son attended an O'Brien Mass Math and Science High School.

And I was and as well, I'm a former BPS graduated and uh paraprofessional.

And I would like to uh to thank the dean to their works so hard on the 2026 policy to promote the academic excellence and eliminate opportunities and achievements gap by considering the families and the community and your sujections.

I would like to tell you a little bit about my story.

When I was uh a youth, and in the when I was a youth, when I came to this country at 13 years old, I came with um not but not knowing any English and not understanding anything at all.

I was lucky enough to came to a high school, which I had um vocational program and also a bilingual program.

Thanks to my parents to enroll me to the school.

I'm a I'm proud to say that I'm bilingual right now and graduating high school.

And thanks to that, I passed my paraprofessional exam.

I'm ready to go back to BPS to become an established thanks again to the team for your hard work in creating it and to keep advocating to creating new bilingual programs and the opportunity to new students that like me come to this country not knowing English and having this program accessible for them will be great addition to their education.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speakers are Katie De la Rosa, George Physic, and David Dave Edwards.

Katie de la Rosa.

Good evening.

My name is Katie De la Rosa.

I'm the inclusion liaison at the Boston Teachers Union, and I'm a Boston resident.

Tonight I'm representing the BTU Inclusion Done Right Committee to speak in support of the opportunity and achievement gaps policy, specifically objective 3.9, advancing inclusion and accelerating learning for students with disabilities.

We believe that the policy correctly centers equity for Black, Latino, and multilingual learners with disabilities to have full access to inclusive settings and grade level curriculum.

We applaud the goals of reducing the disproportionate placement of Black and Latino boys in substantially separate settings and reducing the concentration of students with disabilities in chronically underperforming and transformation schools.

As a committee, we have an urgent ask, which is to pair the policy's commitments with fully funded implementation of evidence-based models and resources.

We ask for the school committee and the OAG task force to include the following recommendations to the policy implementation.

One, appropriately value the role of the paraprofessional as an essential member of the inclusive instructional team.

Two, adopt and scale proven inclusive instructional models and ensure that classroom teams receive sustained collaboration time and professional development.

Three, require fidelity checks for IEP referral processes and resource allocations to ensure the necessary supports are consistently provided for students with disabilities to have access to grade level standards.

We urge you to pair the priorities of closing opportunity gaps and reducing disproportionate restrictive placements with the proven tools, sustained funding, and accountability needed to implement at scale.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Our next five speakers are not signed into the meetings.

So we that concludes public comment.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Probex, and thank you to those of you who spoke this evening and shared your perspectives.

Your testimony is very important to us.

Our two first action items this evening are the grants for approval, totally 478,158.82 cents, and the in-kind donation for approval, totally 1500.

Now I'd like to turn it over to the superintendent for any final comments.

Wonderful.

Thank you, Chair.

So as Chair said, nine grants for your consideration tonight, totaling more than 478,000.

The largest grants are a 200,000 Massachusetts Department of Education Playground Earmark increasing increase, which then serves 1,068 students at the O'Donnell and Hale Elementary Schools and English High School for the redesign and rehabilitation of outdoor recreation spaces for students of varying abilities, including multi-sport courts and playground and exercise equipment.

Second is a more than $66,000 community biodiversity grant serving 2,339 students at the Curley, Hurley, and Higginson Lewis K28.

So Baby Higgy and the 3 to 8.

Lee Academy and the Manning and King Elementary Schools.

The funding will be used to restore degraded urban habitat by removing invasive species and restoring habitat for pollinators and birds that will serve as both a hands-on classroom and community garden.

Next, there is a nearly 49,000 Aspen Challenge grant that will serve 112 students and 28 coaches across 14 schools.

The funding will support the Aspen Challenge, a project-based program where students develop solutions to social issues in their communities, as you saw earlier in the presentation.

And finally, every year, BPS receives a mid-year adjustment to our main federal entitlement grants that may result in an increase of funding to the district.

The district will receive approximately 162,000 in addition in additional Title I, II, Three, and Four funding from our federal grants through the state.

These increases will fund academic instruction, student opportunities, family engagement under Title I, educator effectiveness under Title II, English language acquisition under Title III, and college and career readiness, social emotional wellness and technology access under Title IV.

There is also before you an in-kind donation.

This is from the Friends of the Rafael Hernandez dual language school who have donated kindly an outdoor storage shed to the school valued at $1,500.

We would ask the committee to vote in favor of accepting this donation as well as our grants.

Thank you.

I will now open it up to questions and comments from the committee.

Anything?

No.

Okay.

There's no further discussion.

I will now entertain a motion to approve the grants as presented.

Is there a motion?

So move.

Is there a second?

Is there any discussion or objection to the motion?

Is there any objection to approving the grants by unanimous consent?

Hearing none, the grants are approved.

Okay.

And if there is no further discussion, I will now entertain a motion to approve the in-kind donation as presented.

Is there a motion?

So thank you.

Is there a second?

Second.

Is there any discussion or objection to the motion?

Is there any objection to approving the in-kind donation by unanimous consent?

Hearing none, the in-kind donation is approved.

Our third action item this evening is the approval of the MSBA core program 2026 statement of interest for the Melvin H.

King South End Academy that was presented earlier tonight.

Are there any additional questions or comments before we move to a vote?

No.

Okay.

If there are no further questions, I will entertain a motion to approve the MSBA core program 2026 statement of interest for the Melvin H.

Ken King South Bend Academy as presented.

Is there a motion?

So move.

Is there a second?

Second.

Is there any discussion or objection to the motion?

Ms.

Provex, will you please call the roll?

Thank you, Chair.

Dr.

Alkins?

Yes.

Mr.

Peralta, Ms.

Polanco Garcia.

Yes.

Ms.

Torres.

Yes.

Mr.

Tran.

Yes.

Ms.

Garrett.

Yes.

Ms.

Robinson.

Yes.

The motion is approved.

Thank you.

Our final action item this evening is the Mass Core Graduation Requirement Policy Amendment.

As you might remember, this was presented at the March 25th meeting.

I will now turn it over to the superintendent for final comments.

Wonderful.

And congratulations to the leadership and staff of the Melvin H.

King, South End Academy.

In addition, we are asking members to approve our recommendations for alternative measures to address rare or extenuating circumstances.

As we reviewed last week, Mass Core was first adopted by this committee in the spring of 2021.

Over the past several years, we've been working to ensure that the course coding standards, credits, and schedule alignment in our secondary schools meet the BPS Mass Core requirement.

Over the past five years, we have made real progress in supporting our students toward mass core completion, including the use of high quality instructional materials, equitable literacy implementation, a review of the district's course catalogue, 1800 courses, early college and CTE pathway expansion, and AP, IB, art and music classes, collective offerings, and course schedules to support Mass Core.

Our school teams continue to work directly with students and families to ensure they are on track to meet the requirements of Mass Core or graduation in general and to help them get back on track if they're behind.

Last week we shared the details on the acceptable replacements and comparable alternatives for different student groups.

Many of these situations are addressed through DECI guidance.

We ask for the committee's support of this vote tonight.

Dr.

Wright, Deputy Superintendent of Academics, Brett Dickens, Assistant Superintendent, College Career and Life Readiness, Dr.

Angela Hedley Mitchell, Chief of Teaching and Learning, are all here tonight to assist with answering any remaining questions that members may have.

Back to you, Chair.

Thank you.

And now open it up to questions and comments from the committee.

Thank you.

Um I think that this is um an important carve out for special circumstances as we've discussed in detail in previous meetings.

Uh really understanding that mass core is the standard and the bar for the vast majority of students.

And I think it's well timed that we are talking about strategic planning this evening, uh, which we know will lead to some outcomes and measures discussion about what our set of metrics are going to be that will be examined every year and improved upon every year.

Um, and so I don't have a question, I just um really look forward to the percent of students graduating with mass core as an annual measure that has an ambitious five-year target, um, and that continues to increase every year, just so that it's clear to us and to the public that this is really a special circumstance um and that we are still seeking for the very vast majority of our students to earn um a mass core diploma.

Absolutely, absolutely.

Ms.

Blanco Garcia, thank you, Madam Chair.

Um los estudiantes apprendices del idioma inglés que presentan esta vulnerabilidad quando llegan de su paese.

I'd like to echo what my colleague is saying here regarding the vulnerability that our students, the ELL English language students show when they come to this country.

So as well, without the proper support, we might be incurring in not promoting the equalities that should exist in our learners with our learners.

Because we have to consider that there is the language vulnerability of this population.

Thank you.

Also building on that and what we heard from public comment today about really having an asset-based approach.

And also appreciate just the framing of the exceptions as being in the realm of similarity to the already existing alternative school requirements, just as a frame for where that leniency might be, and that there is kind of a floor that we're still expecting in situations that are exceptions.

Yes, I would echo that.

And we want to make sure that all students can thrive, whatever their post-secondary path.

And that's really why we do what we do.

I just want to thank everybody who has worked on this over the years.

But as the work moved forward, we saw that there were many, many disparities and issues that needed to be approved in the 1800 courses that needed to be aligned and everything.

So I really want to thank the district for getting us thus far.

Um knowing that there still is work to do, but that we are we are on our way, and that I think our students will be better off for it with the opportunities.

Absolutely.

Right.

So thank you.

So I will now read the motion language so that all members are clear and public too on what we'll be voting on.

So it's ordered that the Boston School Committee hereby reaffirms their commitment to the 2021 mass core graduation requirements policy, including the 2025 alternative education amendment with additional flexibility for individual student circumstances.

There are student situations that may require different but comparable alternatives to courses determined to meet mass core graduation requirements.

In alignment with the alternative education requirement, all students must successfully complete a minimum of 18 credits across the four core subjects of English language arts, mathematics, history, and science in order to graduate.

Is there a motion?

So thank you.

Is there a second?

Thank you.

Is there any discussion or objection to the motion?

Ms.

Parvex, will you please call the role?

Dr.

Alkins?

Yes.

Mr.

Peranta, Miss Polanco Garcia?

Yes.

Ms.

Torres?

Yes.

Mr.

Tran.

Yes.

Ms.

Garrett?

Yes.

Ms.

Robinson.

Yes.

The motion is approved.

Right.

Thanks.

Um because we have a long evening ahead of us with a couple of pretty significant um presentations.

We're going to just take a five minute break so people can uh take care of their needs and can come back.

Now will we now we will transition to our report.

Our first two reports tonight are the presentation of the 2026 policy to advance academic excellence and eliminate opportunity and achievement gaps, followed by an update on the 2026 to 2031 strategic roadmap.

Let's aim to keep each of these presentations to 15 minutes.

And I'd like to remind our presenters to please speak at a slower pace to assist our interpreters.

And I want the to invite the superintendent to give introductory remarks.

Wonderful.

Thank you, Chair.

So very special night.

Um as a district, we strive to put the opportunity and achievement gap policy into practice every day, you know, decision making in our goal setting and in our strategic planning.

And you'll hear this shortly.

Uh to bring the updated OAG policy forward for the committee's consideration.

With the OEG policy as our North Star, we have developed a strategic roadmap that will guide our mission into the next decade.

Tonight we will also present an updated update to our draft plan, our vision to unlock and support the brilliance and potential of every BPS student in clear actionable steps that will guide us to the end of the decade.

After they present the OAG policy, Dr.

Rose will walk members through our work to date and lay out the next steps in the strategic planning process.

We are so excited for today's presentation.

As Superintendent Skipper said, I'm also joined today by our co-chair, Dr.

Stephen Alkins, uh, who's also a member of the Boston School Committee, and by Dr.

Colin Rose, who is senior advisor for strategy and opportunity gaps.

This policy represents two years of focused work and nearly two decades of commitment to ensuring every student in Boston has access to an excellent education.

So let's start with why this policy matters.

As Superintendent Skipper said, this policy is intended to be the North Star for the district.

It defines who we are accountable to and what success must look like.

It centers the students who make up the majority of BPS, students of color, multilingual learners, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students.

These identities are not separate, they overlap.

Many of our students sit at the intersection of multiple systems of inequity.

That means this policy is not about a subset of students, it's about the core of our district.

The policy is meant to be revised every six years.

We are presenting today after 10.

And as Superintendent Skipper said, there have been delays due to COVID and leadership transitions, but the urgency has only grown.

The data continues to show persistent gaps, particularly for black and Latino students, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities.

That is why this work is not optional, it is essential.

So let's give some historic grounding in terms of how we got to this point with the policy.

The OAG policy has deep roots in advocacy, particularly through Black Educator's Alliance for Massachusetts, also known as BEAM.

The policy was first adopted back in 2006, updated in 2016, and now strengthened in 2026.

This is legacy work, and we stand on the shoulders of advocates and leaders like Barbara Fields, the late George Cox, Janet Williams, and Nora Tony.

The task force itself was created to ensure this policy remains a living, breathing accountability tool.

I want to acknowledge the advocacy of Chairman Michael O'Neill, who was the one who actually called for the creation of the task force back in 2015, and then the 2016 policy was adopted a year later by the Boston School Committee.

And then that brings us to the role of the task force.

We are not symbolic.

We are active partners in accountability.

Our role is to monitor progress, provide guidance, elevate community voice, ensure this policy translates into real change in schools.

I co-chair alongside Dr.

Stephen Alkins, and we work closely with Dr.

Colin Rose, as I mentioned before.

And we want to give a shout out to Chair Robinson, who was the prior co-chair for the task force and served for a period of 10 years.

So thank you so much, Chair Robinson.

I want to transition to Dr.

Alkins, who will share a little bit about why we are here and what the data shows.

Sorry.

You said Dr.

Alkins.

I'm sorry, Dr.

Rose.

Dr.

Rose.

Good evening, uh school committee members.

Um the urgency of this work is self-evident.

Um here you have a literal illustration of the problem.

This is a graphic showing fourth grade ELA and eighth grade math scores from the start of MCAS through today.

Between the dotted lines, you'll see uh PARC testing, which was used in between the old and the new generation, MCAS, um, and the blank state space is a time we would all like to forget the pandemic.

Um, as you can see, performance has ebbed and flowed, but gaps towards proficiency remain similar across time and have been extremely large for the group's ILA outlined above.

Even as we see a bit of an uptick now, we need to find the conditions and support them that allow those lines to consistently rise towards proficiency for these measures and all others.

As we begin the close of the chapter on the 2016 policy and the version of the policy, we want to acknowledge the many steps forward that came from that work.

Um this includes everything from CLSP, which brought form and definition to cultural responsive practice in the district to the opportunity index, which created a tangible and scientific way to measure student need outside the context of schools and everything in between.

Much of what you see here was part of the bright spots uh in DESI's 2019 review of the district.

Thank you, Dr.

Rose.

And so, in terms of the policy that we are about to discuss today, there are a number of stakeholders who provided feedback.

We had extensive meetings with Superintendent Skipper and her leadership team, the division of schools, academics, the inclusion planning team, instructional leadership team, student input from Boston Student Advisory Council, and various members of the OAG task force who are listed here.

A 15 member task force representing parents, school leaders, teachers, Boston Teachers Union representatives, community advocates, people with expertise in black student achievement, multilingual learners, as well as students with disabilities and sense of belonging and wellness.

Those task force members were served as co-authors together with members of the district and the broader community.

So here are the six goals that are outlined in the policy.

Notably the 2016 policy also had six goals, the same six goals, although we've added more form and structure to each of them.

The first goal, goal one is really about accountability and systems.

And this goal is really designed to provide a clear outline of how accountability begins with those members here on the bench, with the school committee, then flowing to the superintendent, the superintendent's leadership team, the role of the task force and the designee of the superintendent, all the way down to the school building level and what happens with our schools.

It also includes the accountability, how the policy will be measured and evaluated over time, a dashboard, the metrics, and so forth.

Goal number two is really designed to give the uh conditions under which closing achievement gaps would need to happen, because we know that mindsets are important, that everyone at all levels in BPS needs to understand culturally and linguistically affirming and sustaining practices, and that includes professional development at all district levels, so that everyone in BPS is holding high expectations and high standards for our young people.

Goal number three is around advancing academic excellence, and this is the goal where achievement is fully centered.

Here we have focused on schools as the unit of change.

This is where the magic happens on the front lines with our teachers and our young people.

So here we focus on the importance of strong school leadership, high quality teachers in every classroom, the importance of literacy and academic rigor, student wellness and belonging, and inclusion and supports for diverse learners.

As you heard from many of the people during public comment, we also point out here the importance of bilingual education, bilingualism, and home language.

And we talk about inclusion, making sure that we are looking out for this disproportionate placement of Black and Latino students and in substantially separate environments, and instead making sure all young people are getting the supports that they need to thrive.

If we get this right, students will experience the policy in their classrooms each and every day.

Goal number four is really about education and leadership diversity.

Our young people deserve to see teachers who look like them.

They deserve to have teachers that reflect their languages and their lived experience.

And so, therefore, we really want to focus on the recruitment, the retention, and the support for teachers of color.

Um, and this is actually again one of the priorities that's been with us from the very beginning, back in 2006, when Black Educators Alliance of Massachusetts drafted the very first policy.

Goal five is really centering our families, our parents, our partners, our students themselves.

And so this is the one that's really looking at reciprocal partnerships with those members of our community.

It's about shared responsibility, because we know that schools cannot do this work alone.

So here we're elevating student voice agency and leadership, looking at families as true partners, and looking at the importance of community partners, higher ed and industry partners as well.

And finally, goal number six, which intentionally comes last, really centers on the role of central office.

Because we need central office to exist to support schools, not the other way around.

And so here the goal is focused on equitable and transparent and efficient operations, and we're looking at things about how funding decisions are made, transparency and school closures and mergers, capital investments and facilities, and so forth.

I've already outlined some of the things that are different in this policy, again, centering schools as that unit of change, having more rigor here around accountability and reporting, stronger focus on academic excellence, and really we centered joyful learning, because at the end of the day, if the classrooms are not joyful places, we will not be able to close achievement gaps.

Because at the end of the day, if the classrooms are not joyful places, we will not be able to close achievement gaps.

And then finally, I'll turn it over to Dr.

Alkins, who will talk about the connection between the policy and the strategic plan that you'll hear about next.

Thank you.

So on the left, you see a flow chart demonstrating how this policy connects to and informs other key levers for change within our district.

So for context, throughout several conversations with the task force, uh I myself was able to explore uh and learn the history around the 2016 policy and how it has been taken up by the district and how it's been operationalized over the past 10 years.

So, in short, alongside with its many accomplishments, the sense that I got was that sometimes the policy was seen as either operating in parallel uh with the BPS strategic plan and with certain components and tasks being assigned to either individual groups or departments.

In many cases, this led to misunderstandings and a lack of clarity around accountability structures.

But as you can see, as it's described as our North Star, this policy aims to create better alignment, and that this policy should inform school committee priorities, our questions and the presentations that come before the body.

These priorities will in turn inform the development of the strategic plan and have, which will then be carried out by an implementation plan with key performance indicators.

Our hope is to create a feedback loop of communication around data that will result in elimination of these gaps permanently and give our students pathways to unbridled success in BPS and beyond.

This means that as a school committee, we must be proactive in asking for key data updates at critical junctures to inform our decisions.

The elimination of OAGs is not just support for our most vulnerable populations.

It will result in a removal of barriers for all students.

The work of this task force represents a collective viewpoint that we are not just an external arm of the school committee, but we are thought partners intimately involved in this work and equally committed to the success of our students.

In that sense, the structure of this policy that will support monitoring and implementation aims not to silo the work, but create cross-collaborative teams to address its goals.

The task force will work in partnership with district representatives to ensure that goals, allocations, and implementation efforts align and progress with cohesive strategy, consistent monitoring, transparency with the public, and urgency.

And now I'll pass it over to Dr.

Colin Rose to talk through more about the strategic plan.

That's the next presentation.

So you want me to pause or you want me to go directly into the perfect.

Let me see if I could get the tech.

So for our public, that concludes the presentation specifically on the policy.

But again, as Dr.

Alkins just explained, the strategic plan is really how the policy is implemented.

So that's the next section.

Perfect.

Good evening again.

So today, uh, alongside the OEG policy, we want to give an update uh to the burgeon strategic planning that's going on in the district.

Um, as the OEG policy is touted as the North Star of the district.

We believe at an appropriate an appropriate time to bring this upstate update forward as we're bringing forward the policy.

During the last iteration of the OEG policy, there was an implementation plan created, which was under my purview at the time.

Uh part of the reason I came back was to support this endeavor, but an opportunity arose.

In the past, the OAG implementation plan was a separate implementation plan from the district implementation plan.

Uh now that we have uh we are embarking on a strategic plan as a district.

Um, the thought was to create a plan in alignment with the OEG policy so that we don't have two separate comprehensive implementation plans, uh, and one can serve both.

So tonight we'll provide an update on the development of our strategic plan.

Uh the goal of this presentation is to share information and invite school committee to give input on the strategic roadmap.

And we'll stay kind of at a high level at uh next to the objectives.

This slide shows our vision for every student in our district.

And I'll read a quote that comes from the 2016 version and still finds its way into the 2026 language.

Uh this is credited to Sam Acevedo, who was one of the chairs.

Reverend who's one of the chairs of the task force at the time.

Every child in every classroom in every Boston school has the same opportunity to achieve the greatness as anyone else, with the same unfettered access to excellent teaching, joyful learning, and every conceivable tool needed to unlock their brilliance.

We want that to be true for every kid in BPS.

Below we have a graphic for the high quality student experience that was created a few years ago with a massive amount of community engagement.

The four components include rigorous and culturally affirming learning experiences, supportive network of caring adults, wellness and enrichment undergirded by physical spaces that support learning.

The thought being that the closer we are at creating this type of experience, the closer we can get to our vision.

As leadership started thinking about a new strategic plan and the high quality student experience with it, we wanted to leverage multiple foundational building blocks that have been built over the past few years under the current strategic plan.

These include the regional school model with academic and wraparound supports for schools, high quality instructional materials and equitable literacy, it was a lot of the academic work that was going on, the MTSS framework, both thinking about the core instruction that happens in the classroom, but also those tier two, tier three supports that students need to be able to be regulated and ready for class.

Inclusive education, making sure that we provide the least restrictive environment for students, long-term facilities planning, which is changing and shifting the footprint and hopefully providing better spaces and support for our students.

Language access, so the increase of bilingual and dual langual programming, as well as clearer exit and entrance criteria for students who are learning English, career pathways, so expanding asset access to college and career pathways and post-secondary partnerships, and community hub schools, right?

How do we embed community resources and coordinate with the communities to make our schools better?

From these foundational elements and the definition of the high quality student experience, as well as the school committee priorities, as you all worked on last year and the OEG policy, leadership decided to create three buckets to organize the current impactful work and also identify improvement and new elements to ensure student success.

These buckets are high-quality instruction.

This is a category in which Dr.

Simone Wright had great influence in shaping as a leader of the academic strategy.

This speaks to how we improve teaching and learning for the diverse set of learners we have in Boston, and especially those who have historically been under or misserved by our instruction.

Holistic student supports is the second bucket, which speaks to the conditions and support students need to be in school and ready to learn in our classrooms.

And then we have high quality programming and facilities, which speaks to the programming and physical plant we need as a district, as well as as well as throughout the city to be able to support the teaching, learning, environments, supports student need students' need to be ready for college, career, and life.

The thought here is that if we align the resources and energies between schools, central office, and the community towards these three focus areas in an aligned and coherent way, we will make major strides towards our vision for all students.

To start drafting the raw materials for objectives and goals, we enlisted the support of numerous members of our BPS community to work together by topic in cross-functional groups.

These groups included folks from different perches, perspectives in the district that have strong connection to relevant topics connected to those three bucket areas.

Members of the team might work in family engagement.

They might work in operations, they meet might be part of our schools team.

The thought was that they can bring their particular perspective, their experience, their wisdom to the table as we envision, and then work to improve that particular phenomenon we were looking at in that group.

To do this, we utilize the racial equity planning tool, especially steps one through four, uh, which I'll go into a bit detail in the next couple of slides.

Step one of the REPT process is connected to understanding the general context and coming to consensus on what improvements the group would like to see at the end of the day, especially as it relates to equitable outcomes for students.

That included understanding the current research in the area.

So there's an image here around the NCLD report on disproportionality.

Disproportionality was one of our groups.

These readings grounded groups in a shared understanding of the issue, so that we had a solid foundation.

Groups also talked about the current and past initiatives and district context connected to the topic, as well as any connect connections to the OEG policy that was burgeoning and the school committee prior priorities before identifying some broad desired outcomes.

Step two of the RAPT asked groups to dig into the BPS context a bit deeper through data.

All groups were aided by a dedicated member of the data and accountability team, which brought specific data connected to the issues they were exploring.

Through this data, groups identified trends and key takeaways.

Step three, each group was given a detailed report built from numerous focus groups conducted across the BPS community.

I would like to acknowledge Tamika Buckmeyer, Dr.

Tunji Adamande, Stacy Stacey Guerrero, among others who organized engagements, connected the sessions and collected data, as well as the Office of Data and Accountability, who helped synthesize and provide themes across those focus groups.

Cross-functional team members also conducted empathy interviews with stakeholders from their particular area of the organization to get even more detailed information connected to the current context.

Groups created takeaways that, in tandem with steps one and two began to identify some root causes and clear opportunities.

In step four, these groups started refining objectives, defining broad goals and core actions, taking in the current context, root causes, while also reimagining what improvement would look like in five years.

These raw materials from these groups continue to be refined.

Today we are bringing forward some solidify high-level objectives in each focus area.

These would be the anchors for discrete goals and action steps for implementation.

So in the first focus area, high quality instruction.

There's really two objectives.

One around systematic effectiveness of our instruction, so increasing the effectiveness of high quality teaching at scale by leveraging high-quality instructional materials, integrating high impact literacy practices and other evidence-based practices that support high levels of student engagement and learning for each student across BPS and especially Black, Latinx, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities.

And the second sentence there deals with how we need to share that work across our full broad community.

Jumping the gun there.

So how do we match our professional development to ensure that teachers, instructors, and everybody within the district can actually do that?

Focus area two, holistic student supports, has three objectives.

One around attendance and engagement, right?

So increase student attendance and engagement in school through aligned school, central office, and community-based strategies.

In order for students to take advantage of high quality instruction, they need to be in school.

And so, how do we bring down even more of the barriers?

We've done a good job over the last few years in lowering chronic absenteeism, but continuing on that road.

And also making our schools places that are so engaging that if there are barriers, families and students will jump over them to get to our schools.

Second, student readiness to MTSS, right?

Increase student readiness to engage with grade level tasks by growth growing clear, aligned and effective MTSS, including academic and whole student supports, right?

So making sure that students are regulated and ready in our classrooms.

And then third, equity and accountability, and this is a topic that's been brought up multiple times tonight.

How do we reduce disproportionality and increase accountability for students in sub-separate settings, especially black and Latino boys, who often are those in that gap.

This to me is a pressure test really of all of our systems because those.

Oh, sorry, I'll slow down a little bit.

Black and Latino boys are have historically been stuck in the disproportionality gap.

And if we truly have the MTSS, those systems, and the core teaching happening in classrooms that we that we really want, this should decrease.

And finally, focus area three, high high quality student experience through programming and facilities.

So one is really just access to high quality student experience through those uh through that programming in school buildings that align to HQSE.

Um this is why we're doing all that work around long-term facilities planning.

Hopefully, students are landing in spaces where they have the programming in the building to support their learning and growth into their life uh their life and career and college.

Transition supports, so increased supports for students and communities who are directly impacted by grade reconfiguration, school mergers and closures.

So we know that our footprint's gonna continue to change.

How do we ensure that we are increasing the supports for individual families and students and also school communities that are taking in students and families?

Uh and then finally community integration into all our strategies, right?

So, how do we coordinate and utilize community resources to extend access to a high quality student experience, both bringing partners into our schools, but also using the spaces in the city as our classroom?

When thinking about objectives, it's not only important to identify shared priorities, it's also important to discuss conditions necessary to effectively execute and hold ourselves accountable mutually to those priorities as an entire community.

Um this is key for alignment and coherence.

We call these enabling conditions.

Uh there are three areas we'll need to explicitly focus on.

Uh one creating and maintaining equity-centered culture and practice, two, strengthening the system structures and practices for collaboration as a district, and three aligning resources to our priorities and ensuring structures for continuous improvement and accountability.

Moving forward towards implementation, we'll continue to use uh the RAPT process as we refine and create SMART goals and action steps for our objectives, as well as build out the overall metrics for student success.

Finally, um our next immediate steps.

Um there are a few discussion points for tonight, namely, are these the right focus areas and objectives?

Uh, and to a bit of a start to a discussion around goals and or metrics um we will use to measure progress.

Um as we continue to develop the plan through the spring, there'll be opportunities to collaborate with you all as school committee and the OEG task force.

Uh this could include that working session that you have on May 20th.

Um, and then below you see our timeline for bringing forth the full plan this summer and into next fall.

Um with that, that's me.

I'm under 15 minutes by 30 seconds, so I made it.

Uh and I open up uh for for discussion uh for both presentations and especially those uh two key questions that we asked in this slide.

Yeah.

Thank you both.

Um and I will now open it up to questions and comments from members.

Go ahead.

Um, first of all, thank you so much for the presentations.

And um my question is more towards um how you said that you want learning to be more joyful.

So how will like schools make learning more joyful while still focusing on some of the academic goals that we have?

I think that uh that's a good question.

So it our policy is calling out the importance of joyful learning.

I think some of that is going to come through professional development for our teachers, understanding that when you are working with students of color, multilingual learners, students with disabilities, really all students.

Um it has to be engaging and fun.

And so I think there's ways that that can be done through project-based learning, music, getting kids out of their seats, getting them to be interactive.

I think that type of professional development is is as important as other types of PD.

And then it's also listening for young people, right?

I think young people know what's exciting to them, and it's important that you know that's why we really put so much energy into goal number five, where it talks about student leadership, students having a role on their school site councils or in their school leadership at their sites, um, and really just listening to what young people want to bring the learning to life.

I think we had a great example with the Aspen Challenge.

When you give students real world learning, it feels connected to their lives and communities.

That's really the things that really make them most excited.

Yeah, I'll piggyback.

There is no learning without engagement.

So I totally agree with that.

I totally agree.

Um, my second question is related more to where it's school number four, which says um increase educator and leadership diversity across the district.

So um what are like some of the changes that students will notice in terms of like teacher diversity or staff diversity?

And do you guys have like data?

Are you guys collecting data from eight schools and then like seeing like who to recruit or something like that?

This has been a really challenging area for the district.

As you know, there um as some of you know there is a Judge Gardy order that goes all the way back to the 70s.

There's supposed to be 25% black teachers across the district.

Um at the time that stat was based on the student enrollment.

Now we have you know, significant number of Latino students.

Uh, we have all sorts of languages across the district.

So it needs to be racial diversity and linguistic diversity in terms of the languages as well.

Um, unfortunately, because of union rules, we know that there's been quite a few teachers that are like sort of the last hired who are now in in danger of losing their positions.

That's something the task force is focusing on and that we'll really ask this body to really take up because you know, just as quickly as we're bringing diverse teachers into classrooms, now we're starting to lose them at the same time.

Uh but what it should look like is every young person has a chance to experience not all of your teachers, but there's a good much a healthy mix of teachers in your schools.

So that you know, we've had some students who say they've gone all the way through BPS and never had a teacher of color.

Like that really shouldn't be the experience.

Um go ahead, Dr.

So something I think I would add on to that um is the also the licensure process that also exists.

And um, I think we already do have some data that's around sort of the differences that like we find from uh some of our more underrepresented demographics in terms of educators and how they're able to get through those MTEs.

So I think part of what our role will be as a as a body will be asking for that data so that we can say, like, oh, we should be investing more in support for those licensure preparation supports um for those.

Um you know, like for those for those teachers as well.

Um, also um I'm not quite sure what the data is around mentorship uh programs that exist for our educators and for our school principals, like as well, because it's not just about um recruiting, but it's about retaining um like our our educators and our and our school leaders.

So that's all just relevant things that we're gonna have to look at as a school committee and um and really think about just the data behind it, um, which is especially relevant now that we've just passed the budget.

So now looking at what is the impact um that first data set that we're going to receive around what has happened to our underrepresented educators, right?

Yep, thank you.

Hi guys.

Uh thank you for the presentation.

This is my first time here.

So um one of my questions is around I read the preamble.

Yes.

And I think it was fantastic, it was a great thing.

And one of the questions that I have is about uh clarifying accountability, and uh is this um is gonna be always updated, and what information will be in the dashboard for our families and communities and um to see, yes.

Um so the policy is supposed to be updated every six years.

Um, and so there will it will move in a cycle with the strategic plan as well.

I think we actually looked at five years, so it is as the strategic plan is being updated, the policy will be refreshed.

It's not designed to be completely rewritten, but at least we will take a look at it to see what might need to be revised.

Um, in terms of the dashboard, there will be a data dashboard.

The task force is deciding like which data would be maybe shared in more internally versus what would be the public-facing dashboard.

And at our next meeting in May, we'll be deciding on the key performance indicators, so a set of like five to ten key things that we'll be monitoring from one year to the next, or even on a quarterly basis.

So that will be shared with, of course, with the school committee.

So you all are also being able to sort of follow the progress as we go.

Do you want to address it?

Yeah, I think the that second question around goals and metrics, you know, the I think the task source are gonna want to see certain metrics.

I know you all are gonna want to see certain metrics, there's certain metrics that are important to us internally.

I think it would be good to align those in a way.

So we again we're not looking at five different data sets, but there is a core group of data that we're looking at disaggregating and making sure that that all bodies are paying attention to.

So I think that would be one of the hopes this spring to try to get us aligned.

And to clarify, the task force will make a recommendation, it will then come to the school committee and superintendent, and you all will whittle that list down.

So because we can't boil the ocean, right?

We have to make sure we're focusing on a key set of indicators, and so you know, we're looking at trying to keep that narrow to about.

And I think Dr.

Rose's position is a really important one because it is the linkage between the district and all of our teams and the task force to make sure that we're all s rowing in the same direction.

That's right.

So uh to continue with that question, will the dashboard include uh information about the schools?

That's yeah, that was a question that we discussed at length with the task force.

We would love to see it be school by school data.

Um, for some of the metrics, it might be by region as opposed to by school.

So I think that would be one of the things that we will need to decide, certainly with guidance from the school committee.

That's right.

That's right.

Find it.

Yeah, there's likely this there's likely um quite a bit of data that can be disaggregated to the school level if it's not already.

There would be some things that um we would not want to uh put out there because it could be personnel or it could it be more sensitive data, in which case we would do it at a more aggregate level.

But we'll work together to make sure that that data's available.

Yes.

And my other question is around staff training.

I know that uh you talked about the culture and linguistic and uh sustainable practice.

Yes.

So will BPAs but what measures will be actually have in classrooms so we can see the impact.

Yes, and I will say the CLSP is one of the things that Dr.

Rose brought to us back in 2016 and is I really been rolling across the district, but why don't you speak to how you're measuring that?

Yeah, I think any tool that we're using around classroom practice um should embed CLSP.

Um when we think about climate and culture uh in our spaces, um, we that should be reflected in kind of what families feel, what students feel when they come into the buildings when they come into bowling.

Um so I think we have existing some existing measures that already do that.

Now training is another thing that's got to be embedded in our professional development at all levels, uh so folks are prepared to really in a in a real way live that value out so that we can see improvement.

I think it's also embedded in quality school plans and performance evaluations and so any any major measures it should be embedded.

Yeah, yeah.

So that way we can see if the implementation is working, and uh and if it's not, what will be in place to support yes?

Yeah, that is a that's a good point.

Okay.

Because it's not always working.

So we have to be able to monitor that as well.

So my other question, I don't know if I go into the strategic plan.

Sure, yeah.

Sure.

Okay.

Yes.

So in the equity impact statement, it was like um there was uh a statement in the last page that talked about a tracker and the development of the implementation of that tracker.

And they said designated owner of that tracker.

So my my question is what is the intent of the tracker?

And how do you imagine this will roll out?

Yeah, so the original implementation plan in 2017, we had a tracker.

So it really tracked where we were in our goals.

So we we had put out what the goals were to the community, and you could see kind of our progress as goals were being met.

Um if they were overdue, if they were kind of late.

So it gave the community uh a chance to see where we were in progress to the things that we committed to.

Uh and so the hope would be to have a similar process with our goals at the strategic plan level.

Um, you know, that's separate from the met like the the main metrics of the of the district, but it would be just a way to hold ourselves accountable to doing the things we say that we're gonna do in the plan.

And then just as the way that actually played out, I mean, there were the departments would come and really present on progress towards goals, and we would look at the original goals and sort of track as green meant they were on target, yellow was like, yeah, that's in progress.

And then red meant like this is like we're not seeing the progress we needed to see.

So I would imagine there'd be something along those same lines.

Yeah, there was a it was like an internal, there was an internal way for us to figure out like where people were, but it was it was a dashboard connected to the actual goals to say where we were.

So when you talk about a designated owner, what does that mean?

Uh in the district?

Well, yeah, I said that there will be a designated owner for the major step, like designated to follow up on the oh, you're talking about the actual goals.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

So like action steps and goals would be owned by folks, right?

In in offices, so that it's not just this ambiguous, like, hey, we have this goal around something.

Folks need to own goals.

Right.

Yeah, I think this was one of the challenges from before that it didn't filter beyond the highest levels.

And this has to be the core work of every person in the district for it to work.

And that means every department, department leads, the deputies will all be taking this and internalizing this.

And it comes out in the prioritization of and their own kind of goals.

How are they going to be measuring it?

In what order are they doing it?

What's the resources they're going to be using?

So this is really to go across the district.

And I just add to that point.

When we back in 2016, each department had its own goals, but now it's cross-functional teams, so it's no longer being siloed like one department's doing this, another department's doing that, whereas now it's it's cutting across departments as it needs to.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Mr.

Trent.

Um thank you for developing a very thorough and uh well-dailed uh policy.

Thank you.

And I noticed that um, well, just a comment uh that um I know that you you you gauge your expectations in developing this depending dependent upon the percentage of students meeting or exceeding uh MCAS MCAS is no longer part of our equation.

But looking at the graph on whatever page that is very depressing, you know.

Um the policy uh exists since uh 2006, now 2026.

I know that we we we've continuously uh revised it every six years, except for for those two years I I was here too.

So I uh except for those two years of um COVID, but still I'm hoping.

I I'm really hoping that with this thoroughly planned, uh particularly on I I stress as um member mentioned professional development uh one way or another, students achieve them depends on the the the teachers uh emotional intelligence and other intelligence relating to his or her teaching capability that below 50 percent since uh I don't know since 2006 until now.

Hopefully with what you are doing right now.

The next time that we have some raphical data, it shows a little above 50 percent.

Right, yes.

Uh I I don't know, but uh that had to be the reality of of our situation.

Otherwise, we'll keep divide develop developing it, keep putting it together another six years.

We've come up with other plans, but the reality is there.

Opportunity uh and achievement gap has been the controversial issues uh, even before I I get on what here.

Yes, it was one of the major questions when I was interviewed.

So eight years down the road, it's still here.

That's right.

Twenty years down the road, it's still here.

So we have a lot of work to do, and I think that there has been just a lack of coherence and alignment in the strategies.

Um we have seen in past iterations where you know there was a strategic plan sitting, there was a uh the policy sitting on one shelf, and as Dr.

Rose said, a different strategic plan with a different set of goals over here, and then the school committee would go set a set of priorities over there, and none of those documents were speaking to each other, and so really what we tried to do here with this policy is is create that line of coherence.

This is the first time in the district's history where the policy and the actual implementation is strategic plan is being connected through the same person to the superintendent's designee, which is Dr.

Colin Rose.

So that's a huge change in the way this was implemented, where you had different people sort of running different pieces of the strategy.

And of course, leadership matters.

We've got Superintendent Skipper, we've got Dr.

Rose, you got the task force monitoring.

You've got now the school committee where you all have weighed in on the policy.

We've got Dr.

Alkins.

We're going to ask for a second school committee member to also serve on the task force, and again, that just creates more of that alignment.

It has to be one set of sheet music for the district.

The too often the district is moving to multiple pieces of sheet music.

It's all playing wonderful songs, but none of it's coordinated, right?

It's just sort of it has to be everyone moving in that same direction.

I think we have the shot at this based on the players and the policy and the strategic plan being aligned directly to the policy.

I would say you have deputies in chiefs that need to be highly involved, obviously.

And then I think for improved, like I talked about ebbs and flows.

I think we're trying to see steady improvement, right?

Not some miracle, but that are these lines don't ebb and flow that we are.

We have a strategy that has continuous improvement throughout the years that is steady.

I don't see it.

I see some of the and the boots on the ground.

I do I want to reinforce the school is the unit of change.

So this policy is really trying to focus more heavily what's happening in our schools with strong leaders, strong teachers, and student engagement and joy.

Yes.

I I I do appreciate that.

Hopefully the graph regarding those um category will somehow fluctuate.

Upward.

Thank you.

Yes, thank you.

No, I was just gonna say just one quick clarification.

We we still are using MCAS, right, as part of the benchmark, but not singularly.

Right.

This is also where like map and some of our internal um assessments are really important.

And I think that's one of the great things that's come out of um working together with the task force is it's not just one measure, it is multiple measures, right?

So I just want to like give you a shout out for staying focused on that as well.

Yes.

Thank you, Madame Chair.

Um I want to say thank you, uh thing.

Excellent job.

Thank you.

I think it's really, really, really good.

Uh to the team as Rafa said I was able to notice that you really identified what the problem was.

You identify the problem, you heard the community, and you proposed very solid solutions.

So you did designate and you created a strategic plan that is connected to the policies that were to be implemented.

I also believe that the language that you use in this process is very important as well as we're trying to convey what we're trying to.

Which indicates that we can we have the ability and the potential to become a very solid district.

There's so many things that are happening.

There's so many people doing great things, but sometimes we are not aware of this because they do not align these things, they're not communicated.

I do believe that the solution is in being aligned.

The solution is in alignment itself.

You also mentioned about the fieldwork that you were going to go directly to schools to be able to monitor the progress that was embedded there.

So that will be critical in terms of determining what is it to be improved and what is that we can improve as well.

I do not have a question per se, but I would like when you guys should look at objective number one in one of the slides.

We're talking about alignment and the sustainability of structures in the district itself across the district.

And supervision as well.

And at the same time, the policy implementando that are being implemented.

I believe I heard that there is a team that will be in charge in doing this.

Is that correct?

Or will be an assigned team of doing this?

Well, it's really up to the superintendent's team, her leadership team, all of the different deputy super regional superintendents and so forth to carry out the work all the way down to the school leader level and to the teachers on that front line.

Our job as the task force is just to monitor to be critical friends, to really just make sure progress is being made.

And also to provide uh recommendations.

I think one of the things we didn't necessarily go into was actually the breadth of expertise that is sitting on the task force and the different sectors that they represent.

Um and so hearing much of the feedback around the development of the policy.

Um just very reflective on the the amount of time that we went back and forth on just the verbiage of every single section, and so that has come out.

Um but really I think where the task force also has that power is in coming with recommendations that are coming from a range of just different expertises and then sectors, and so in that sense um it can be collaborative with the district, like there is flexibility within the policy to understand that the district has to be able to figure out how to best implement this.

Um at the same time, the task force like does have a lot of wisdom to offer in that regard.

Yeah, thank you so much.

And recommendations that are also listed in the policy.

Um I will also just add for goal number one.

I'm I'm so glad that you you pointed out goal one, uh Miss Garcia, because the task force at one point felt like if we had goal one, we didn't need the other goal.

So it was really focused on how are we aligning this work.

And so I think as the school committee, as you all think, like where should you as a body really be focusing your energy, like if you're really focused on how is goal one flowing from the school committee to the superintendent to the leadership team, all the way down to those school letters school leaders.

Um that's really where you know we tried to put a lot of energy into that first goal.

Okay, thank you.

And the last thing I will say about that, and I that was why like my last statement was around for us.

I I think as a school committee, it's going to be critical like when we receive updates on certain pieces of data and also what we're asking for, right?

And so as we for example enter into the budget season, for example, this conversation might have been better prior prior to having the budget season, right?

Um so that's also something for us to keep in mind as we're going through the academic year to say, wait a second.

I would love an update on the state of our diversity of our teachers.

I would love an update uh of map uh of map goals where we are, where have we grown, where have we not grown, um, what are the factors that have gone into that?

So I think everything is going to depend on us in terms of what we're specifically asking for, and um and then also just the schedule of presentations that we'll have over the next or the years to come, really.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, team.

Um, you know, this OAG policy is described as a North Star, but it really has an incredible amount of detail and the thoroughness and and thoughtfulness uh created by committee.

I can't even imagine the amount of time um required to do that um to get to this point.

So tremendous appreciation for a team of volunteers who are just really unified by their commitment to the students of Boston.

So a lot of gratitude there.

Um I think building off of where um Member Polanco Garcia left off and what you were just discussing, Dr.

Elkins.

I think we are eager to dig into that goal one and think about how our oversight can move this work forward.

And so a lot of my questions are maybe a little bit more technical about how we can get to that point that Dr.

Alkins described in terms of having the policy and the strategic plan really dictate our cycle of presentations, our expectations of interim data throughout the year, our determination of what you know what work is for year one, year two, year three of the plan.

And so that's kind of where because I think what I might suggest to Dr.

Alkin's point that it would be on us to determine the right agenda for that time.

Really, I think the plan should have the level of detail where it's really dictating to us what the work is of that time frame, so that it's really um like informing the whole year at a glance in terms of what we need updates with.

So I think a question I'm maybe getting to by the end is when will that level of detail be completed to really have this work sequenced?

Because this OAG policy is has a lot of longevity to it.

You know, there is multi-year work here, um, and the superintendent can't be expected to take up every recommendation immediately next year.

Um but I think it would be fair to the superintendent and to us to know which of those things is being taken up sooner, later, et cetera, and have that mapped out and then have what the indicators of success would be for each of those um initiatives.

So maybe I'll stop there for as the first question and just ask thoughts on kind of that next level of specificity.

Yeah, I mean, I think we have a lot of raw materials right now that we need to sift through, work with chiefs, uh department heads um and leaders of offices to make sure that we have the right sequencing.

Um we're gonna be working throughout the spring uh into the summer on that.

I think the goal was to bring more detailed goals to you all this summer, and then have that level of detail by early fall and really work intimately with offices and individuals to make sure that we have uh ambitious and realistic goals.

We know that this is a five-year window.

This policy should, I mean, the there might be refreshes, but the essence and the objectives in this policy should be able to last decades, right?

And we can't do everything all at once.

And so you're right, we need to come back with like the meat on the bones.

Right now, I see these objectives as those bones and kind of asking, are we going the right direction?

And if we are great, we'll start building those uh that meet this spring and summer.

Yeah.

And oh, sorry, please go ahead and I would just add to that.

I think that um, you know, even when when Dr.

Rose was building out the strategic plan with the department, uh, the cross-functional teams, it was not the idea of we're gonna take every single goal and drill down on every single possible goal and objective, but we're gonna focus on these three or four key areas.

And I think that's how the school committee could look at this is okay.

You've got this full document.

Where what are the areas that the school committee wants to focus in on?

You might decide the teacher diversity retention and support is one of the areas, right?

Or could be certainly around the achievement pieces and the academic goals, but is there something in academics?

The strategic plan is really calling out literacy as the focus area, right?

So that's one of the focus areas as well as quality instruction.

High quality instruction and high quality student experiences.

So I think it's like really using the policy itself as the school committee goes into your retreat to say, okay, based on what we see here, where do we want to start the process and where do we want to put the focus for this year and sort of deciding that you know year over year?

That's how I see that that piece.

Now, the specific goals won't be available to the fall, but you have the roadmap here to be able to go into your next retreat and start to say where the priorities are.

I don't really have much to add other than I think these were some of the conversations that we did have, like in in the meetings, like one about one the policy being a balance of being too prescriptive, perhaps, like um, but also what would be the process.

So after the cross-functional teams are able to meet, how would we as a task force come together and decide like, well, wait a second, which goal should we prioritize?

How does that get to the school committee?

So we I don't think we've actually figured that out yet as a as a group.

Um, but that's one of those things that like we really do need to nail down.

Yeah, and the superintendent and the leadership is that there's multiple places where the work has started.

Right, right.

Right.

And so I think that's gonna be one of the sorting exercises that happens with the deputies and the chiefs is to build on the work that is already in motion and accelerate wherever we can as quickly as possible, and get the input from school committee as to in the areas that may not yet have been started, what would be the priorities, right?

So that we have kind of like a reasonable menu for that year one, some things in progress and moving faster, other things beginning, and then as we go through the years, more new things come on to being.

It's not unlike, you know, the like the inclusion plan of the long-term facilities, where it's it's a it's a five-year plan.

And so that first year is a lot of the work right now that we're doing, which is the mapping and figuring out, you know, with the the deputies and the the chiefs how they're going to be in the cross-functional teams, how they're going to be taking that work into the departments and making it concrete and actionable.

And I think that's what I appreciate is that there is this level of detail and yet North Star.

And I think it'll be that collaborative process of sorting with school committee, with the task force, and with leadership that will get us where we need to be going.

Yeah.

I I think folks that are responsible for implementing need to have a strong voice in how that happens, right?

And I think they come back for feedback, and you know, we we, you know, the task force gives feedback, but we we need the the folks, the leaders in in the district have I think the right to take a look at what the policy is and how they best will approach kind of coming up with the answers.

Right.

I think that's an important distinction that you know the expertise of the of the task force really lends itself to being very specific with the recommendations, with the understanding that when we vote on the policy, we're voting at the level of the goals and objectives for the district to consider the recommendations as potential levers to achieve those goals and objectives.

Um I think when thinking about a strategic plan holistically, um, it should include in-flight work, um, especially when that work is still going to require a significant lift from staff.

And so I guess one of my questions around the strategic plan um objectives right now is you know during the budget season, we really emphasize the priority of inclusion, rollout, and multilingual learner supports, expansion of dual language, et cetera.

Um, and right now those aren't specifically named in the strategic plan document, they're named in the OAG policy.

So just wondering where they live, is it that they would live as sub-initiatives under what's listed here?

Um, but I just wanted to make sure that those would be clearly delineated in the strategic plan with work sequenced by year.

Yeah, I mean, I think these objectives are again the uh the schema that we would attach more specific goals.

So if we're talking about like bilingual programming, that would be in like 3.1 when we're talking about pro like programming for students.

Um the multilingual work um in the classroom would be one point in one point one when we talk about high quality instruction.

So there'll be more detailed goals in inside of those objectives that would spell that out.

It's also making me think that we may need like our next update on strategic planning, like some alignment on terms, because when I hear the word goals, I think of like a metric.

Whereas I think that when you are saying goals, you're talking about like an initiative or a body of work.

Um and so I I think that there may we may need to like glossy.

Yeah, like a core.

Yeah, I just think so that we're all um talking about the same thing.

Um I think in terms of the what's here, um, what I would say is that like the preamble um of the OAG policy talked about literacy and numeracy, but numeracy feels very absent from the rest of the policy.

I know that literacy is the foundation of all subjects, and I appreciate the discussion about literacy across the uh curriculum, but we also know about the importance of algebra one as a gateway um to high school completion.

We know that a lot of the um you know new career pathways emphasize STEM.

Um so just thinking about um where that could be called out more um in the next level of work.

Um, and I would also note that the emphasis on advanced coursework in high school, I think is a natural emphasis because there are a lot of designations for advanced coursework in high school AP, early college, CTE, IB, et cetera.

AP, early college, CTE, IB, et cetera.

But that work is not as easily accessed if there is not advanced coursework from the beginning.

And I think defining what that is for the district and making sure that we are making sure that there is remediation and acceleration for all of our students is really important.

There was the excellence for all pilot that was named in the bullets that had an end date, which replaced a different advanced program.

It seems like that work is really at risk when we're looking at budget cuts.

And so I would just encourage us to consider advanced coursework as a K-12 initiative and not just a high school initiative.

And I'll I'll stop there.

Thank you.

So it's me.

Yeah.

So thinking back that this work has been going on for 20 years.

And there was, I'm sure, as much enthusiasm about this work 20 years ago as there was 10 years ago.

And here we are yet again.

And I guess my question for me is what will be different this time?

Yes.

I'm so glad you asked that question, Chair.

I can I want to give the historical context because leadership matters.

This is why the superintendent role is so critical to the access, the success of the initiative.

The 2006 policy was drafted, and then came a new superintendent, and she did not see where she didn't have ownership of that policy.

It sat up on a shelf and it was never implemented.

So that was 2006.

2016 policy comes along.

We have a superintendent who's part of the process, writing and drafting of the policy together with Dr.

Rose.

I was there on the task force Chris Chair, you were there as well.

And um, and so then and we had all the departments providing their guidance and weighing in tons of meetings.

It took a full year to draft that document.

When it was done, the same superintendent then started a strategic planning process that was totally separate.

And so that strategic plan had an implementation plan, and the policy had an implementation plan.

So what happens when a district has two sets of implementation plans?

Everyone ignores both.

That's what happened.

Um so no one knew what sheet music they were following.

So it was like we're not gonna follow any of it.

And so both documents went up on a shelf.

Um but now we did do a lot of implementation.

I will say there was a lot of implementation and work done for the OAG plan, but people kept saying, what about the strategic plan?

Which one am I following?

Lots of confusion, again, lack of alignment and coherence.

So this really is the first time that the OAG policy is being positioned as that North Star.

So first comes the policy, then comes the strategic plan.

This is where Superintendent Skipper then figures out the how, and then we've got cross-functional teams, we have an actual designee, we have a the OAG task force still standing as a monitoring body.

So I think again, it's about alignment and coherence.

That's what's gonna be different, and that the superintendent and their leadership team were really involved in being able to weigh in.

So there's also that sense of ownership, which is why it's so important that the policies refreshed every five or so years.

A lot of the people who were here back in 2016 are not here anymore.

So this new team now has had a chance to read, to review, to weigh in, to make comments and edits.

Um, so I do think that sense of ownership is is here and the alignment.

Yeah.

Over the years, we've known that there have been some things that have impeded our progress in terms of this.

One is data and getting data disaggregated, really disaggregated, which is something I think we've asked for for a decade or more.

Um true accountability, um, being able to name things that we know are not working, um, and holding people accountable for those things.

And to that point, my question is where is the union this?

The union for years has had um an issue around um inclusion, inclusion done right.

So we we need uh OAG done right strategy because they are critical at every single step from who is actually sitting in front of our students to their own mindset and commitment into this work, the belief that this is possible.

Um we provide tons of training.

Does it is it more than just a checking of the box?

Where is the true embodiment about what this this training means and how are we going to see that showing up for our students in this next six years?

Yeah, two things there.

One is that uh we were just really excited to have uh Leia Serena, the vice president of the Boston Teachers Union now on the task force.

That's a first where we actually have the union represented in a seat.

I think it's really important, and her voice has just been really powerful to have.

Um I think in terms of data, the district has to become more transparent in data.

We we ask for data, it takes months to get it.

There's sort of like let's present it in the best possible light, and then you don't have transparency from that very moment because the data's not good in a lot of these areas, and I think that transparency is important.

I think the that the community, the public at large, you know, if the data is transparent, the community has to be willing to say, like having the data is not a place for attack, it's a place for collaboration and partnership because now we know what we need to all work on together and collectively to make the data better.

So I think that the data is really, really important.

I think um I you know, and I see a lot of folks nodding their heads on the bench.

I mean, you know, you ask for data and you get 50 pages because it's like there's almost like an intent that you're not able to even digest the data.

Meaningful data is what we're doing.

Meaningful data is what's I would love to do.

Not just data.

Yes.

I think it's it's it's going to be taking the needing to take the step of it being from data to information.

I think that's where sometimes we can stumble.

Um I also think that there's sometimes the data we get back at the state level doesn't lend itself to disaggregate in the way that we need to.

And so that's something that our own ODA has been really trying to get at.

You know, you will ask the question, you know, how are our uh African American students who are born here in Boston doing relative to other students who may identify as black but not born here, and that's very hard to get at sometimes with the way that things get disaggregated.

But that is something that the ODA team is committed to and we're trying to figure out.

And I think to Ellie's like point, being collaborative about this, that this is like there is a problem.

How do we know there's a problem?

This data has not changed in forever.

Anywhere, nationally, statewide, it is a problem.

We know that.

So let's get together to figure this out so Boston can be the place that all of our kids are served well.

Like that is the spirit of this policy.

More important, it's the intentionality with the steps that we have to take.

And some of that is going to mean on our district side and central side doing things differently in order to get at the information in a way that's actionable.

Right.

I would probably say something that I appreciated about uh the conversations and the processes um is that we've started to name the importance of time-bound goals and when we are looking at KPIs.

Um doesn't matter necessarily if you know you know you score a touchdown on a Hail Mary.

It's you know what I mean.

I mean, in like in one play, but it's about the incremental progress, and then like that's what we're hoping to see.

And so, in a year, the idea is to not see it'd be great if you jump five points, whatever it is, but it's about being realistic and saying, like, okay, this is a time-bound goal.

Did we make it, did we not?

And if we didn't, okay, but are we making progress?

And I think that adds to the sense of that everybody understands that this is urgent work.

Um, and so um, I think that that's something that I have appreciated about the strategic plan as well as the um uh the OAG um policy as well.

Okay, just want to thank you all, and we look forward to voting on the policy in a future meeting.

Thanks for that.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Okay, our third presentation is the private school applications for two schools.

First, the Alpha School, followed by the Douglas Ridley School.

Let's aim to keep the presentations of each of these schools to seven minutes.

I'd like to remind our presenters to please speak at a slower pace to assist our interpreters.

And I want to invite the superintendent to give introductory remarks.

So in a very few moments, I'll be turning the meeting over to Dr.

Ann Clark, who's our BPS development officer for strategy partnerships and innovation.

This will be a presentation for two private school applications, the Alpha School and the Douglas Ridley School.

The Alpha School Boston, which we'll be going first, is an independent non-sectarian K to eight school focused on personalized learning.

The Douglas, and then I'll come back and explain.

But the Douglas Ridley School is a K2 through six school that is modeled after the Reggio Amelia approach to education, which is rooted in equity and antiracist practice.

Most importantly, to ground us, Dr.

Clark's going to explain the process for opening a non-BPS school in Boston, including the role of the district and the required approval of this committee.

You're also going to hear from the administration of both schools.

Some of you may be new to the process.

The district's responsible for ensuring all private schools seeking approval meet the requirements of Massachusetts General Law and for making recommendations to me and the Boston School Committee.

The committee is responsible for approval of any private school wishing to operate within the city of Boston.

So at this point, I'll talk turn it over to Dr.

Clark for the presentation, and then we'll entertain questions as we go through.

Dr.

Clark.

Thank you, Superintendent.

Good evening, Madam Chair, Madam Vice Chair, and members of the school committee.

As I was introduced, my name is Ann Clark, and I am serving in the role of overseeing the private school application process this school year, and I'm pleased to present the findings of our internal review team this evening.

As you know, the Boston School Committee is responsible for approving any private school wishing to operate within Boston City limits under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 76, Section 1.

In 2011, the Boston School Committee established a formal private school policy, creating an internal review team process to evaluate applications from any interested parties and assess whether a proposed private school meets the standards set out by Massachusetts law.

That internal review team evaluates applicants against a defined set of criteria, covering everything from curriculum and education materials to staff qualifications to student records and financial solvency.

This slide shows some of those criteria, and I'll give you a moment to read.

And this slide shows the rest of the criteria.

I'll give you another moment to read.

The review itself follows a five-step process application review, site visit, leadership interview, evaluation, and a formal recommendation to the superintendent and school committee.

For the two schools before you today, the Alpha School and the Douglas Ridley School, all steps in that process are now complete.

Both applications were received earlier this year.

And recommendations have been submitted to the superintendent.

The internal review team found that both schools met the criteria outlined by the Boston School Committee policy.

Tonight you will hear from the school leaders at each of these schools who will give an overview of their proposal.

On June 10th, you will vote on whether to approve these private schools' applications to open.

You can advance.

Good evening, superintendent, Chairboard.

I'm Dr.

Tasha Arnold.

I'm the head of Alpha Schools, and it's with great privilege that I'm here before you today to share what it is that our our school is about.

I've had the privilege to work around the world in Europe, the UAE, and most recently, starting and opening schools in Mumbai, India.

And with me today, I have my colleague JC Fitcher Fisher.

Hi.

Thank you all for having us here.

I also want to thank Dr.

Clark and her team and our counsel from Foley Hoag for helping us understand what it means to be a part of the community here in Boston and prepare an application that hopefully meets the standards that we seek to meet here.

So Alpha School, as we've already touched upon, is a mastery focused school.

So we have it's it's a it's a typical school with regards to students come into the school for a full school day.

Our mission is to ensure students achieve academic mastery while also developing cognitive, social, and personal competencies needed for success in school and then also post-school life.

Our standards align academics with student with teacher support.

So our core frameworks are completely aligned with the state of Massachusetts curriculum frameworks across all subject areas.

And our instructional features include adaptive mastery-based pathways.

We use both formative and summative assessments.

We have teacher coaching and intervention models that are developed.

We also have a reading specialist that works with our students for poll-out sessions.

And of course, we use benchmark assessments, including map assessments, as well as our own internal unit and grade level assessments.

Here's a typical school day.

Well, we've implemented a drop-off time slot, so from 8 15 to 8 45, uh, you know, to in order to allow for an influx of any sort of traffic.

We have a morning launch where students come and it's about mindfulness, getting yourself ready and excited for the school day.

Then we have our core academic blocks with some breaks built in there.

Lunchtime, we um will we hope to walk to a park, which is a five-minute walk from the school for outdoor play, and then we have our interdisciplinary workshops in the afternoon, and then we have closing and of course pickup.

The calendar year is similar to the public school system in regards to it achieving 180 days, and um we also have professional development days allocated for our teachers.

So, in addition to having core mastery in academics, we are also focused on life skills.

So, life skills include, for example, teamwork, storytelling, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, relationship building and socialization, and of course the concept of grit and perseverance.

So our afternoon workshops include that core academic, as I mentioned, interdisciplinary cross-planning subjects.

So, for example, um, our students might be working on carpentry, but they're applying geometric principles from geometry, history, knowing that the wood, you know, where did the wood come from, and then also giving presentations to larger groups, um, and we're working on developing those skills through something that's of interest to our students.

Our site is already ready.

We have the certificate of occupancy and inspection from the city.

Uh, we've passed all fire alarm sprinkler tests, etc.

We're also located right across the street from Mass General Brigham, so we can have a place to receive if we ever have any medical emergencies, and we're very close to fire engine number four, um, so that we have close proximity to the appropriate emergency services as well.

Um you'll notice we're on the fourth floor of a building.

The second and third floor are operated by a monasori school.

Um, and previously this floor was used for educational use as well, so we're maintaining the same use of the site.

We have four classrooms, commons area, indoor play area, support space for our one-on-one meetings between our teachers and students for additional support as well as staff admin and your classic, you know, plenty of bathrooms, eating area, etc.

Um lots of security.

We have controlled building access on the way up and separation from other tenants to ensure children's safety.

So we have a we have strong interest in the school.

Um towards the end of February, we had 252 families interested, 20 parents prepaid deposits should we be approved by the committee.

And in year one, we're looking to launch with 25 students, and then year two, the capacity would be at 50.

So that's our projections for year two.

Our model is really focused on highly personalized instruction with our students.

So our ratios are quite low.

One to six is our teacher to student ratio in year one.

And then as we grow to 50, it will be one to eight.

So in year one, we would have a head teacher, two additional teachers, a reading specialist, a role that we call Dean of Parents, so that's helping parents understand our model and working them through, and then I operate as the head of school from a regional position.

Um, so I will also be here in Boston as much as possible.

You know, part of one of the privileges of starting a school is really being able to integrate into a community, and um Boston's such a wonderful community with regards to you know inclusion and diversity, and so for us as a school, we're really looking forward to be a part of that.

One of the things that we think we can bring to the community is offering um workshops for AI instruction for students, where our our students are already at our other campuses are already thinking about um hosting a hackathon for all students in the area to participate in.

So we really hope to be a piece to add to the community, and um that's something that we're really excited about is building those opportunities in a way that makes sense and also that excite you know students and teachers alike.

So I think we just made it in our time slot, but we we would we would love to, you know, um answer any questions you may have or um continue the conversation.

Thank you.

I'll open it up to the committee for questions.

I have one question.

How are the students and family selected?

What is the process?

Yeah, so it's students um parents express interest, and then so they attend an information session, they learn about the school.

Is this a good fit for my family for my child in particular?

Then the child comes for the shadow day.

Um they they complete a map assessment, but we are we don't accept students based on their scores.

That's that's not how we accept students.

What we're looking for are things such as coachability, interest, and ability to engage with our model.

That's our our standard for assessment.

We also do a family interview because we we're looking for alignment as um, you know, from our families, and then from there um that's that's really how we decide our acceptance.

I also do a family interview with the parents as we build this community.

Yeah.

Number of uh sorry, the number of uh parents who have uh expressed their interest.

Let's break down in terms of diversity.

Yeah, we've had um I don't have the exact breakdown, but we've had all sorts of um interest from all across the levels, and so you know the the nice thing I would say about our model is it doesn't matter if you know you are the student who always raises their hand, if you're an ELL student, if you are a neurodiverse student, you know, we're able to meet you right where you're at for your own specific academic needs, and so what we notice is parents see that, so it it attracts all sorts of interest from across you know the whole scope and sequence.

Are you equipped to uh uh uh accommodate uh a student with disability?

Yeah, so you know, we have um we look at our student.

If a student comes to us with a 504 plan, depending on what those accommodations are, yes, we can be able to provide that.

But if a student um serve certain services we don't provide during the school day, so if a student um needs uh speech pathology, we're partnered with experts in that area, clinical psychologist that were able to recommend and also help build those relationships with our families.

So our program, a lot of accommodations that students receive for dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia.

Um extra time is already built in, so you're working at your own pace.

So if you need 50% extra time, well, all students actually get that.

Um if we need to adjust font size or you need movement breaks, that's that's built into the system.

So the accommodations that we give neurodiverse students, actually, all of our students are receiving, and so we see that that's um that's been quite successful for many students.

Um but yeah, some of those occupational therapy um supports that would take place outside of school.

But we would be monitoring that from their IEP forms, um, their if that's a 504 plan, whatever it might be, um, we're working with the families to make sure that students are receiving those support outside of school as well.

And one of our next steps were we to receive your approval is we have an initial list, we're doing procurement for the right contractors for special education needs and for mental health services that we don't provide during the school day to ensure children have access to them.

So if we were to receive approval, we will finalize and formalize those agreements with the appropriate local contractors.

Yeah.

Just one last question out of clearity.

What's the uh annual at least?

Our initial tuition planned is 65,000 a year.

65,000 a year for a student.

Correct.

Thank you.

We do we are building out uh so uh the founding family members for the first year, it's 10,000 um discount per year, so 55,000.

Um as a national movement, we are bit we're working towards scholarships.

We want to be able to provide this opportunity, you know.

Our we we want to bring this to a billion students in 10 years, which I know sounds quite lofty.

Um, but we do want to provide this opportunity to multiple students, and so we are working towards building a scholarship program as a national push.

Thank you.

Yeah, yeah, just completely thank you for thank you, Madame Chair.

Thank you for the presentation.

Uh it's interesting the the school process, the curriculum, because uh they putting this the skill the student is very important.

My question is um about the scholar schoolership because some family maybe is interesting, but don't have a lot of money.

I don't know if you you have financial or complete completely um scholarship for the family.

We're working towards that.

So we are um we we've secured um we're starting to secure funds for that.

We really want to be able to provide scholarships.

It's not probably going to happen in year one.

Um year two, more of a likely probability.

Year three, we think we'll be able to be providing scholarships, and that outreach would be directly within within the community as well.

Um, you know, we want we want to, as we said, we want to integrate into the community.

So we want to provide opportunities for students who can't pay that tuition fee.

Yes, absolutely.

Thank you so much.

Yeah.

Could you speak a little bit more just about how your funding is sort of managed, like either through a board or just that just that structure, and I mean, just for full transparency, we've recently had a school in the district, a private school that had to close multiple locations.

Not gonna go into details like about it, but you know, at the end of the day, it impacts our students, and and so like we want to know that another private school that will be in the district, you know, is is managed properly.

Of course.

Okay, okay.

Um so we're part of an over 30 school network nationally right now, and we're managed centrally.

Um we have a centralized professional financial management team.

Um we're privately held.

We have a strong corporate governance with a clear board oversight that handles all of the alpha school program.

Um we have a fairly capital light model, which means rather than buying real estate and running the risk of being over-leveraged and collapsing under the weight of a balance sheet, right?

We're keeping that bunny and putting it back into our schools.

Um then on top of that, we have over a billion dollars committed from our founder to make sure that this happens and that we go through the next five to ten years because our mission and goal is to truly take this model, prove it works, and then expand it across the oh my mic when I and then expand it across the globe to everybody, right?

Over a billion children is literally the goal that we espouse every time somebody asks and we talk about it, and it's a very mission-driven organization.

Thank you.

And I think this is not necessarily a question for y'all, but just a question for also the district of what data do we have, particularly around students either returning to the district if perhaps they're they go elsewhere and they're not the right fit or however else they make their way back to the district.

Do we just have data around that?

Um so we are the landing pad for all students.

Right, for sure.

And um that means when a student is counseled out or doesn't fit um either the model from inception or the experience, it is BPS that is here every step of the way for those students.

Um and so I think you can understand why for us um, you know, when a a new entity comes into being, uh for us it's a question of who are you really serving and um are you serving the average student in in Boston?

Um I was just curious.

I I've looked at your website.

How what's your total enrollment across all your sites?

Yeah, so um around 500 students, that's uh as of now.

So our Austin campus opened 12 years ago, I guess you could say 12 years ago, and then um two years ago we really launched uh a second location in Miami, and then this past year we've had um greater expansion.

We we have lots of demand across the country, but at the same time, we're not just opening up anywhere and everywhere.

Uh it's been it's been through the demand of parents and us meeting with parents, having many conversations, right?

Um, you know, our parents trialing the model.

Um, you know, it's not just you have an info session, oh let's open up a school.

It very much has been, you know, this is what they want.

And so that's they they brought us to Boston essentially, if you will.

And so um, yeah, so it's it's it's expanding, but we're also being very intentional with how we scale.

Right.

So sorry, I just missed who who brought you to Boston?

The parents that are that are interested in in joining.

They they said please come to Boston.

That was Oh, I see, okay.

That was yeah, because I was just wondering, because like when I looked, right?

Like I didn't see any demographic data of the kids enrolled in any of the sites.

I didn't see anything about students with IEPs, like what the percent was enrolled, or multilingual learners.

So is like do you have that data for your Yeah?

I it's pretty traditional, you know, about 20% are near on the neurodiverse scale um within the within the school.

We don't we don't have that data published.

Um but yeah, I'm I'm happy to share about that.

It's the diversity reflects the cities that they're in um pretty pretty accurately, I would say.

So, you know, our campus in Georgia, for example, is reflecting that diversity of that city, um, same, you know, in New York as well.

So there's it it's reflective of the community largely, of course, you know, within within a little bit, um, depending on the city.

Gotcha.

Yeah, I think that would just be really good data for the committee to have right.

Uh to Dr.

Alkin's point, just you know, sort of um and then just uh like another question.

Can you just speak a little bit about like are your teachers certified?

Like do you are your administrators certified?

Like how does that work in the model?

Yeah, so most of our teachers, and that's about 65% come from traditional teaching backgrounds.

Um all educators have degrees.

Um, you know, they would have had to have worked extensively with children in some sort of capacity that could have been a sports coach, you know, it could be um uh a guide of some sort, thinking like scouts.

Um, and uh yeah, the senior leadership um tends to be um you know, from education backgrounds.

Um for myself, you know, I have a doctorate in education, um, you know, all of our other deans of parents, many of them, I want to say eighty seventy-five, eighty percent all have doctorate degrees.

Um, so there's you know, a large investment in education background.

But we also, you know, as we have these life skills workshops, um, you know, people that have strong coaching backgrounds tend to be really good fit for our model.

Um, so we have, you know, um, those that have coached at the college level, for example, um, and also quite a few professors as well have been working with our students.

So it's it's a wide range, but many have that traditional teaching um background and are getting, you know, um teachers or those that aren't teachers are also pursuing that as well as part of their PD development.

Got it.

Okay, great.

I'll yield uh Dr.

Alkinson.

That would be on a role for a while.

So no, those are my next questions actually about just getting some of the the basic demographic data of where your school currently is, like across the across the country.

Um because I'm I'm not as familiar with like who specifically like you serve, or just like are you seeing that you're you're you're growing in particular demographics versus others, um and then just like echoing um superintendent and just like support for multilingual learning, just some digging in a little bit more like to that for for for me.

Yeah, because your sites are very much oriented in the major cities, right?

Or the more diverse locations within those states.

So that's why I think the data would be important.

It would also be important to see again to Dr.

Alkin's point, but like what your retention data looks like, you know, like when students start, how long do they go, do they finish, right?

Because that's gonna be of concern for us.

You know, we we um when we get students back that have gone through someplace and not um had a positive experience, then we're picking pieces up, and so that's why for us we want to make sure that kids are gonna be cared for, right?

If they're in your model, um that would that would be important.

So this past year I said around 500 students, we only have six percent turnover, and when I've broken that down, most of that is parents moving to another city where they don't have an alpha school.

Um, and so they actually some of them opt for additional private school options.

We also have something called Alpha Anywhere, which is a homeschool model, so we see parents selecting that where we do see turnover, and I just want to, you know, students that are coming to us tend to not be coming from the public schools, they're coming from other private school competitors.

Um so you know, that's just kind of a a caveat there.

But um sorry, I lost my train of thought there.

That's cool.

I don't know.

I normally am in bed at this time.

No, it's all good.

Yeah, I was just also the other thing with just noticing some of the places, but it's also some of the places where vouchers tend to be used.

And so I was just kind of curious like how much of the business model is that, you know, uh are most of your clients private paying, or are you seeing you know, such as in Arizona, more of a voucher trend?

We do have um a percentage of our students, I want to say it's 25, but I need to check that um that are using the voucher system in Arizona.

So, yes, to your point, that is that is correct.

But our other cities where we don't have the vouchers approved, it is primarily private school students that are that are coming over to our school.

Yeah.

Oh, the thing I was gonna say about turnover, that's it.

Um, where we do see a shift is at the high school level.

Um, so some students they want, you know, our schools are very small, so they want you know to be the quarterback on the team, or they want a prom with 300 students or other reasons as well, be part of a large band, for example.

Um, so we do see students switching at that point, but what's interesting, at least I find what's interesting, students that have left us a little bit more than 50 percent actually come back after doing a year um in high school at their at uh at an another option of a school.

So I would say that is the that is a pinch point that eighth to ninth grade there is a change.

But those students are also often opting to then go to private schools.

Yeah.

Thank you for the presentation.

And I'm one of the new members for whom this is the first season of approving um private school applications, so you'll have to forgive that some of my questions are related to alpha schools and others are more to further understand the process.

So sorry that you guys are the victims, but um the under it it's a little uncomfortable.

I think I'll just speak in I statements to hold a responsibility to approve a school for which we will have no oversight or future updates.

So I think we sit with that as we you know are deeply invested in the the success of students across the city, regardless of the schools that they go to, and understanding that we have not had any real vampage point into the school um and carry this responsibility.

So I think it's just it's a it's an odd um it's an odd responsibility that DESI has assigned to individual school committees to carry carry this for a few reasons.

One is um Dr.

Clark, you walked through some of the things that BPS has put in place to make a process to review applications.

Um that sound like it probably involves a significant amount of time from you or someone on the BPS team.

Um so we have more information, I imagine, than some other districts that just might not be as big or have the capacity to invest in research, because is my understanding that this review process is a BPS review process, not a required DESI process.

So I just think it is important to understand that the state has tasked districts with approving independent schools with very little guidance around how we're supposed to determine whether they meet the requirements.

So I just wanted to mention that.

Then it's on us to then make that decision.

So I would love to hear a little bit about the two hours of academics and how that gets students to mastery.

And some of the things that maybe folks are stressing in terms of what defined rigor when we're looking at different populations, we might have different expectations for how to get there.

So I would love to hear about how that works.

Yeah, so the two hours, I would say that's core content learning, right?

So you know, think of learning your math facts.

We have an app called Fast Math.

So you literally are it's the automaticity of knowing your facts.

And you mentioned earlier, you know, that pinch point of algebra really being you know critical in your success, especially in high school.

So we the whole idea is you have to have mastery in certain subjects before you can kind of move on.

So we require our students to have 90% mastery at a subject level per per subject in order to move on, advance to the next level of of academics.

Now that's measured through MAP three times a year.

As I mentioned, we also have our own internal assessments as well.

So that takes place in the morning.

Now it's it's you know, our teachers get this is what my students are working on that day, their quality checking, they're deciding when kids are taking a unit or a subject matter test.

Um, you know, a child has a question, the teacher is there to jump in and to you know, help them use strategies in order to, you know, master that learning.

And then it's it's not that that's the only learning that occurs.

I would say, in addition to that, our teachers are building these life skills workshops, which are completely interdisciplinary.

So you are having these cross-subjects.

So it's not just applying your math understanding in a times test, right?

It's now that application of understanding, you know, how do I, how do I measure, how do I find the area, how do I, you know, in a real context that they might experience, and then also develop life skills that maybe encourage them to pursue a career in the future.

So I use the example before about carpentry.

So you know that that has inspired one of our students to really dive deep into wood carving and and you know, it's not just he's showed mastery in the content area of math, and now he's been able to apply it.

So the afternoon is is very much an education, it's not just you know, play time, it is it's woven, it's very specific.

Um it comes to the number of hours.

Yes, our school day is aligned to actually exceed what you know is is being done in the in the state of Massachusetts.

Um, we also you know open our school up in the afternoons if kids want to stay after school, we have after school um academics.

Um we do Olympiads, we do all sorts of um, you know, robotics, all sorts of STEM-focused activities as well.

Um, so I think I think part of it is there's a misconception that it's just you know, two hours and then in the afternoon we play.

That's really not what's happening.

It's you know, when I was an educator, I I tried to really provide opportunities where my kids could apply the learning.

Um, and I know myself that's how I actually knew I learned it.

And so that's really what kind of guides our afternoon focus.

Does that does that answer what you're asking?

Yeah.

Um, I think it's you know, incumbent on us too, as a as a school district to pay attention to what parents are asking for so that we remain competitive in an environment with declining enrollment in the city.

Um you talked about, I mean, it's a it's a modest enrollment right now, but you've also named wanting to serve a billion students, which I imagine when you're ready to do that, you'll be coming back to Boston to seek to expand or open a high school or do something else.

So I think it is important that we understand how we can be competitive in this in this market to remind families that we're always here to serve students.

So I would just be curious when you talk about families asking you to come to Boston.

What is the value proposition or the element of your school specifically that they define that they're looking for that they don't feel like they could um find in the existing like plethora of independent schools, faith-based schools, parochial schools, charter schools, public schools now, um, especially hearing that you all use the Massachusetts grade level frameworks, you give the same assessment that we do, um, have the same school day, 180 school days.

There's a lot of similarity to a typical school day.

So, what is the specific element that is the distinguishing factor?

So, our program that we use is called time back.

And so a lot of our parents have been spending eye watering amounts in tutoring after school.

Um the idea is our students are achieving mastery and they're not having to do homework after school.

And um the feedback that I get by and large is I'm giving you're giving my child their childhood back.

They're now able to stay at soccer practice an extra 15 minutes, not hurry up, pack up your stuff and run home to have to go do your homework.

That's one of the major um one of the benefits that parents are highlighting, and also um just a love for school.

You know, our you know, I've heard this talked about a lot today, right?

Like kids enjoying school.

That's our number one commitment is that kids love school.

We spend a lot of time coaching our children.

Um, our teachers have meetings with our kids one to one multiple times a week.

Um, and so they it and it's not just about academic coaching or life skill coaching or what are your aspirations or any key guy workshop.

It's about knowing, you know, who their cousin is, who's you know, where where are you spending your time on the weekends?

So I think it's it's the sense of belonging that kids feel at school contributes to the happiness.

Um so I think giving families time back, um, not having to focus on extra work when we're able to do that in the school day is a huge value proposition for our parents.

Um so it's it's it's it is it is different.

Um, and then you know we wouldn't have standardized tests for the most part, but except for the fact that people wouldn't believe what we're doing, right?

We need to show this is the data.

They're not just coming in and for two hours and you know, yes, we think they're learning.

There is you know, data to show that our students are growing.

And it's you know, it's been really powerful for me to see how our program has worked in Brownsville, for example, in Texas, where the students are, you know, bottom three to seven percent in the country.

Um I I think the second poorest um, you know, uh area in the country, and to see that model be implemented and the success that those students have had has been for me has been really inspiring as an educator.

And so I think that it's it's something that can be applied in in many areas, and I hope we would love to partner, you know.

I mean, it's a privilege to be here in Boston.

I mean, think of the educational institutions here in the history, even of you know, BPS in and of itself.

So we're we're happy to to work with provide you know trainings or people that are curious, learn about the model.

Um, you know, we've had schools approach us that they're like, hey, can we do some trials?

And and we are doing that with some schools around the country, some public schools.

Um, so you know, we're we're happy to explore that as well.

I'd also say, oh, sorry, operationally, because of our size and resources, we have a lot of flexibility to serve our families, right?

So children can come in early, they can stay late, we have the right after school programs that are very easy for them to access.

And even to the point that in Austin, I think it was last year, you'll correct me.

The students wanted to spend more time in school, so we reopened the school during the summer so they could come back in because they wanted to engage in the core learning apps and then have meetings with each other that were semi-like self-organized and led to continue those life skills workshops and learnings and things that they had just finished doing that they didn't really want to be done yet.

Uh and so they wanted to spend multiple days a week just coming back to school like they had for most of the year, which again, like operationally, it's kind of nice to have that flexibility.

Like that's my role, right?

I'm I'm not a teacher.

I I run our operations nationally.

Uh and so to be able to do that at these different schools and provide that level of opportunity, that's another thing that I think sets us apart.

Yeah.

And can we go Dr.

Ronalds?

What was the place that you mentioned that students were in the bottom three to seven percent?

Brownsville, Texas.

And they're your student, like so you accepted students who were in like the three to seven percentile for and they worked with us.

Um we're now in year two.

Um so there's and those students were full tuition students.

So the tuition there is much lower.

Um, yes, that they um they will be using in the future their their vouchers, but yeah.

So for so we have alpha schools, I guess I I should say that that school's under the umbrella of Alpha, so they use the two hour learning.

So it's a slightly different um model with regards to the tuition pricing.

But yes, it's the same, it's the same format, the same program.

Okay.

Um I'm at the end of my time.

I think I would just consider um I know a billion dollars um is a lot of money.

And I think it would be a powerful statement of access to figure out how immediately opportunities could be made um to make the tuition more affordable.

It's difficult to hear that kind of financial backing and and hear that there's no avenue at this time for financial support.

So I would that would be my last uh recommendation.

Yeah, no, I'm we totally agree.

You know, we've applied for voucher status in we've been denied in eight states, and the only state that approved us currently is um Arizona.

So we are continuing that work.

And with regards to scholarships in particular, we are trialing that at some of our campuses.

It's just not going to be in Boston for next year.

Um so this is it's something that we're building up, we're reaching out and and building this fund.

We want to be able to do that.

And as the tech price comes down over time, it will make our schools more affordable to for for us to offer even more scholarships.

Yeah.

So just one scholarship for one out of 25 and finding the 65k to recoup would be my recommendation.

We're not a voucher state.

Right.

Exactly.

Yeah.

I have more questions.

I do too.

Yeah.

So I have one topic.

I mean, I know we're, yeah.

Yeah.

I know.

So I have a pointed question.

Um, because I find myself really interested in your financial model.

Um you guys are a for-profit, correct?

Currently, yes.

Okay.

And so what is the I know you have the billion dollar backing, but what is your actual, what is the net value of the of your for-profit company?

I'll I'll turn that over to my operations guy because my numbers would be like, like, is it is it by franchise or is it one entire it's one company.

It's one company.

Yeah.

We're all privately held by one owner.

Alpha school.

It's not like um there's nothing.

Not like Tasha just went and did one in New York and one in Boston, and Joe is doing one in Texas and Sally's doing one in Miami.

It it's all one company, like centrally.

And what in what is that value?

You mean like a valuation if we were at an IPO or something?

Yeah, what is your net value as a company?

Because like that really is well, it's privately it's privately owned.

So I I that's not public knowledge.

I I couldn't c I don't know the actual exact number personally.

Okay.

I mean this is I would have to actually guess at like an EBITDA multiple or what it would come from.

I don't want to make up an answer for you.

That would be helpful to get.

I mean, simply because it's been sensitive for us in seeing not just private schools go under for financial reasons, but also charters.

Right.

And so I think let's do it.

Yeah.

Correct.

And so, like, I think for us, I think we have to have our doors open to all kids.

So I think it's just important to kind of understand it's great to see the backing, but sometimes things change, people make different decisions, philanthropic dollars go away, and you know, the committee is tasked with deciding whether this is gonna be stable going forward in the future.

So I just think some of those answers of the financial book piece would be important for the committee to look at, just given the history of a couple of things that have happened recently here.

Of course.

Our our pro forma for Boston, I can share in the application because I don't have to make it up because I made it.

Um in year two and three, we're looking at 25 to 30 percent EBITDA margins.

And so as soon as we hit that 25, 30 percent range, that's when we start to take, okay, great.

The school is sustainable, we know it's gonna work, we know it's delivering what we need.

Now we can take the excess, and that's why we start funding the scholarship model off of that.

Is once we prove we're actually going to be viable, we know it's going to work, we're hitting our targets, that's when we start funneling money back into access as well.

Okay.

And what can one last question?

Uh because I like Dr.

Alkins, I could just keep going.

But um just one last question.

What is the at what is your average teacher salary?

Uh 120,000 starting.

And does that does that hold true across you you do a cost of living, or does that hold it?

Yeah, there's a slight cost of living.

So um some cities are 150,000 starting, um, depending.

Yeah.

Got it.

Okay, thank you.

You're welcome.

So Boston starts 120.

Sorry, I sorry.

I did I did have just one question about um I promise.

You had mentioned, Dr.

Arnold, that you were a regional head of school.

You said you'd be in Boston as much as possible.

So does that mean you have um responsibility for other schools and and travel between them?

So I operate like a superintendent essentially.

Um so I have um deans of parents at each of my campuses that act um, you know, as senior leadership within the school, and then obviously I have you know weekly stand-ups multiple times a week with all of them as a cohort, but then I also do visit all of my campuses.

I'm based in New York, so Boston's very easy for me to get to.

Um I love Boston.

Uh my nonprofits based here, so I'm here often anyway.

But yes, so I up I operate as uh um as a regional or as a superintendent across the country.

So the highest ranking person in the building daily would be the dean, like that.

Dean of parents and the head teacher who acts I we we we don't call them a principal, but yes, they're like the principal, the head teacher, and then the dean of parents, the two of them.

Okay.

And what is the for the Boston population or for schools in sit in cities that do not use vouchers, are what is the typical map score that students are coming in with at the outside at the outset?

Is it is it fairly aligned to grade level, above grade level, below grade level, like on an on an average.

On average, it's about two grades below level on average.

Yeah.

And then within one year, our our what we see is after one year we have them at grade level.

And then when they're with us for two years, that's when they start to get to that top one to three percentile.

I think with that kind of acceleration, thinking about what the contribution to the larger education space in Boston would be important beyond semi-annual AI workshops.

Absolutely.

I think if we're accelerating outcomes at that level that we need to do some deep sharing.

Um, classroom observations and sharing of best practices.

Um we're open to it, and we've been waiting for a public school district to say, hey, come on in.

So we would love that.

Yeah, thank you.

Yeah.

Um, just particularly like two questions.

I'll I'll cap it at that.

Um you mentioned sort of like families bringing you to Boston.

I'm just curious if we can actually see that data, just survey data, I imagine that you gathered, or so it's it started with parents that were in Austin.

They actually moved from Boston to Austin, not trying to rhyme, but it does.

Um, and so they wanted to they want to move back to Boston.

So they said, hey, we have a group of families that are in private schools that really want to bring alpha to Boston.

And so we said, okay, you know, we can start having conversations, and those parents came down to our Austin campus, um, did uh the shadow went through the whole admissions process, Shadow Day were interested, and then we said, well, you know, we'll let's let's see if we can if we can bring it to Boston.

So that's actually how the cohort here came to be.

Um, and then through that word of mouth has been, you know, can we have another you know, can we get a group together for a small coffee or a small dinner?

And then it's kind of spread that way, really.

Okay, so not necessarily like a formal questions that you might have asked or things like that.

Right, exactly.

There is you can go on our website, there is a map, and there's it's an interest map.

So when people are interested in a location, they can log it, and then you they you can see clusters.

Thank you.

And so one more question is this around this is a proposed K to 8.

So do you have particular data about how your students fare once they are either transitioning to another private school for say like a public school setting just how they're faring um academically socially emotionally data we we have anecdotal evidence when it comes to the social part we don't have um necessarily I would say robust data on if you've left us and gone to a you know at eighth grade and went to a high school like I said I think the 50% or 52% that come back to us I think is is to me signals something when it at univers at the university level um so we had um our first graduating class 11 of the 12 went to their top university choice um standford you know Vanderbilt you're talking top universities the 12th is a professional water skier so he opted not to go to college um and all of those students those 11 of the 12 their first year both semesters or trimesters uh Stanford as a trimester um had 4.0's um now when we asked them how was it transitioning to college um you know they said well the hundred large lecture rooms didn't you know felt to them like a waste of time when we interviewed them after um what they loved as you know college is a total bundle so they loved the the group projects the the critical thinking joining clubs being being with their with their team members um you know I said to them how was it transitioning to these large groups and they're like it it's not that difficult to learn how to sit in a lecture um so from the social part you know they they feel very well equipped to lead so a lot of them are leading in clubs they're you know starting up different projects they're we you know they're they're inventing things one of our key mottos at alpha is to be um a creator not a consumer so we don't want you consuming TikTok right we want you creating things that inspire the world so our you know we take that very seriously and I think our students have said that that's they brought that with them into the university space so more more data to come this is our second um this year is going to be our second graduating class that first class most of those students started with us from third grade um through through 12th grade this will be our second graduating class from Austin so obviously more data to to come from that um but you know our students are averaging 1540 SATs 1560 if you're on you know the that honors track um so we're seeing not just the academic success but we are seeing um our students being able to um you know put themselves forward in social situations not just be bystanders but really you know take ownership of things I know we're not talking about high school tonight um but in the same way that where we go geographically is very demand-led right it's go where people are asking for us and then we go try to say okay if we want to be in this city where's the best real estate how can we kind of figure it out how can we get a building permitted how can we make it happen for them high school is the same way and so in some of our other cities like Miami we have recently expanded to high school because we had enough of the older cohort that wanted to stay and wanted to figure out how can we stay at Alpha and how can we do high school there we made that happen for another cohort of like eight to twelve high school students that were just hey we had a couple in seventh eighth grade they were getting up there was like okay cool let's figure out how we expand and how we keep that going for them because they didn't want to leave so we would if we you know chose to have a high school we would you know our eighth grade would become our ninth would become our tenth would become you know we wouldn't just oh you know now we're applying for a nine through twelve school we would want to grow it organically within our within our students if that's what the parents demand if that's where the demand is and could you just remind me of what your nonprofit is no that's mine personally the interchange institute um which um is about building cultural competence around the world um and yeah it a lot of work in the um yeah intercultural space no thank you that's I meant that's why I come to Boston in addition my own personal my own personal reasons yeah well my my colleagues have asked most of my questions but I have a question about the younger end um so I'm am I writing in understanding that your model is um device based so is that two hour time period are kids utilizing screens to do their work or are there other opportunities particularly well what does it look like for your younger students I guess is basically my question.

So I'm I writing in understanding that your model is device-based.

So is that two hour time period are kids utilizing screens to do their work or are there other opportunities particularly?

Well, what does it look like for your younger students?

I guess is basically my question.

Yeah, that's that's one of the things.

So we yeah, we have that reading specialist that you know has extensive training as a teacher.

So all of our reading specialists are certified teachers and have um reading specialties.

So they do poll outs with our students.

Again, our ratio is one to six.

So imagine, you know, until students learn to read, they're seeing that reading specialist.

It could be three times a week for 30 minute poll outs.

And then once they, you know, then you read to learn, right?

There's that sort of transition.

But we also have students um who are reading at really high levels.

You know, I have a first grader, for example, who's reading at an eighth grade level, so she's also meeting with a reading specialist to understand how do you comprehend things like allegory, for example, in a text.

So that reading specialist is also individual or meeting individual students' needs.

Um, you know, we use something called the pomodoro method.

I don't know if you're familiar with that, but essentially it's you work for 25 minutes, you have a break, 25 minutes, a longer break, 20, and then rinse and repeat for that sort of two hour block.

Um, you know, the the younger students get many more breaks.

Um that time is kind of stretched over a longer period of time.

But the engagement is on is on the screens.

Um, you know, we we teach our students what is good screen time, what is bad screen time.

We have all sorts of you know, safety features on the software.

There's even you know the blue lights and the you know, very a lot of research has gone into the text font size we use, the color of the text, all of that sort of stuff is part of it as well.

But it's it, yeah, our younger students are you know not just on the screens.

One thing I forgot to mention is we also have something called check charts.

So this is this also happens in the afternoon.

And for example, that's where we're we're kind of targeting some of those social emotional um aspects.

So a kindergartner, you know, needs to be able to tie their shoes.

Um another check we have is you need to be able to um lose out a game and not cry.

Uh so there's all these sorts of you know, little tasks that they have that they're doing between their breaks or you know, during other time allocated slots.

So yeah, there's there's the academic part, but then there's a lot of play in some ways at the younger stage, it it does kind of reflect a monessory approach.

You know, we we start the day with the little ones, it's called mindful mornings.

So the day before they would have picked what they want to work on, it could be kinetic sand, it could be a puzzle, it could be some of our kids are playing musical instruments, um, and then we do that morning launch where it's getting the body moving and you know, talking about what it means to be a learner, and then they they start to do that pomodoro method, engaged with the software with all the breaks, and then we have that extended lunch and recess, and then our life skills workshops in the afternoon.

Are are there any traditional what you would consider thing in a kindergarten classroom?

Are there centers, are there replay opportunities?

Absolutely, yeah.

Free play, there's libraries in every class.

We one uh people often ask me, do you guys do your kids read books?

Yes, of course they read books, they do book reports.

Um maybe the difference is you know, and depending on the standards, right?

Um for each grade, of course, we're adhering to those, but maybe not everyone's reading the Scarlet Letter, but you're reading you need to pick from a classical genre piece, and then you know, we would help you select that book that's of interest to you.

So that's kind of where the differentiation I think is as well.

Um, you know, when we talk about students loving school, you know, it was many times you've said it tonight, it's it's a bit of that voice and choice, that autonomy, um, obviously with guidance, right?

We we want to be able to guide them.

But yes, it it very much looks like a um primary school with their artwork on the walls and um you know lots of games for the kids to play, and again, books, you know.

We we know how important it is for children to be fluent readers, but to love reading, and that's something that we're always trying to to build in them, that love for reading too.

That's that's a strong theme throughout all of our schools is is a love for reading.

And particularly when you talk about the younger children, right?

The building comes into play in a weird way that matters a lot.

So we have things we designate spaces, we call them like roar rooms, like roar like a lion, where those younger children who need the breaks more often throughout the day or have a little more of we call like the wiggles, etc.

Right?

Where can they go to be younger children that's not disruptive to maybe the other kids who happen to be in that grade who are really trying to focus or engaged, and what can we do to make that something where the right teacher supervision is there with the right opportunities for their children are there, and where kind of the architecture and how we do things are supporting the learning model and supporting what our children are doing as well.

It's not all just chairs and desks.

There's, you know, especially with the little ones, they love the little donuts that they like, you know, sink into and and have a book with.

So it's it's yeah, the the space is purposeful, and actually our students do have do play a role in designing that, um, designing their own spaces as well, and they try different furniture and you know, they understand the the the architecture of how it's created, and you know, they they will tell us no, this is distracting.

Actually, well, it's fun and I love it.

You know, I this isn't a good choice for me.

So yeah, that that part's quite fun too to have them have a bit of say in the actual space design.

Yeah.

There's a group of this growing research and pushback now, particularly in early childhood of people wanting to see children becoming screen-free because of what's happened pan, you know, past pandemic in terms of more and more screen time for very young children in less time to be interactive, et cetera.

Um, it'd be interesting to see as you are a very screen-based program, how families will think about that, particularly for their youngest children.

Yeah, you know, I would what we notice is our students when they go home, they're not on their screens, though.

They see screen time at school, you know, as something that's at school.

So when they go home, there's about screen time in schools, getting away from screen time in schools, not necessarily just at home, but period.

Right.

I mean, you know, I it's as an as a fellow academic, I you know, I love sort of debating these sorts of things, but I there's good screen time and there's bad screen time, and I I personally don't think if we pull screen time away, we're serving our students well.

They have to, you know, it's gonna be part, but the balance is so important.

It's so important.

That's why our afternoon works, it's not our kids are not on screens all day.

Um, you know, there's some research that came out of Harvard that on average children in public schools are you know on screens for over two hours a day as well.

You know, whether that's looking at a smart board or you know, all sorts of different things.

High school, actually, middle school was found to have the most screen time even more than high school, which I thought was quite interesting.

But I think, yeah, it let's watch the space and continue to see the research that comes out on it.

Okay.

Well, thank you very much, and we look forward to taking um a vote on this in a future meeting.

Yeah, and thank you guys for all the work you do for students across Boston and the time you give as a board.

I know it's it's a lot.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Now we will hear from the Douglas Ridley School.

Thank you, Douglas.

Oh, there's a hi.

Hi.

Good evening, Chair Robinson, members of the Boston School Committee, and superintendent Skipper.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight.

My name is Courtney Swartz.

I'm a BPS parent and the founder of the Douglas Ridley School.

I've spent 20 years in education as a teacher, instructional coach, a school and network leader, and a believer in high expectations and a relentless focus on results.

I've worked in schools in DC, in Chicago, and Boston.

Experiences that deeply shaped who I am as an educator and leader.

I believed in what we were doing, and I still really honor that work.

But then I had children, and I watched them experience something completely different.

They entered a learning environment built on relationships, curiosity, and community, a place where children were deeply known, where their questions shaped the curriculum, where teachers co-created learning with students instead of delivering it to them.

And I saw something powerful.

I saw children who are confident in their ideas, children who asked thoughtful questions, children who worked through disagreements and learn to listen to one another.

I saw learning that felt joyful but also deeply rigorous.

Students were reading, writing, researching, collaborating, and solving problems because they cared about what they were exploring.

It changed what I thought about what school could be.

At the same time, I began to reflect on the broader world our children are growing up in.

We're living in a moment where our society is struggling.

We're struggling to talk, to listen, to think critically together.

We're flooded with information yet rarely taught how to question, analyze, or understand nuance.

Skills that are vital for a healthy democracy, empathy, and leadership.

These are not extra skills, they are foundational.

So I began to ask myself what would it look like to build a school around these ideas?

A place where curiosity drives the learning, where students are deeply known, where academic rigor and joyful exploration coexist, where children learn not only content, but they learn how to think, question, and work together.

Our school is named in honor of Frederick Douglass and Florida Ruffin Ridley, leaders who believe deeply in education as a pathway to empowerment and social progress.

Their legacies remind us that education is not only about individual success, but about preparing young people to contribute meaningfully to their communities.

The Douglas Ridley School is a regio-inspired inquiry-driven elementary school designed to expand access to interest-driven learning here in Boston.

Our approach is grounded in the belief that children are capable, curious, and creative, and that when students have a voice in their learning, they develop ownership, agency, and a lasting love of learning.

This does not mean less academic rigor.

In fact, the opposite is true.

Our classrooms are aligned to the Massachusetts state standards with strong foundations in literacy and mathematics.

Students engage in daily small group reading instruction, problem-based math exploration, and interdisciplinary inquiry in science and social studies, all connected to the students' questions and interests, making learning more meaningful and memorable.

Work from Harvard's Project Zero demonstrates that when students engage in inquiry-based learning, they develop deeper understanding, stronger reasoning skills, and greater ability to transfer knowledge to new contexts.

Social emotional learning is also embedded throughout our design.

Students participate in daily community meetings, collaborative problem solving, and real world in the moment conflict resolution.

And with small class sizes, two teachers in each classroom, flexible small groups, and the ability to utilize equitable services through Boston public schools and outside providers, will be able to thoughtfully meet the needs of all learners.

But beyond just the research, this work is deeply personal.

I want to build a place where kids are seen and heard, where curiosity drives the learning, where we grow together across lines of difference, a place that equips children not just to succeed, but to shape a more just and connected world.

We will launch with a single kindergarten class and grow responsibly over time.

Our slow measured growth allows us to build systems thoughtfully, ensure quality, and remain fiscally responsible as we expand.

By adding just one grade level at a time, we're able to align staffing, enrollment, and resources in a sustainable way that prioritizes long-term stability.

And our tiered tuition model ensures that the Douglas Ridley School remains accessible to all families.

This work is also guided by a deeply experienced and engaged board of directors with members from education, business, law, and nonprofit leadership.

The board provides active oversight of our financial planning, governance, and strategic growth, ensuring that we remain accountable, mission-driven, and responsible stewards of resources as we grow.

This intentional approach allows us to prioritize both quality and sustainability from the very beginning.

We are also grateful to be launching within Temple Israel a partnership that provides not only a beautiful and accessible space, but a supportive environment for thoughtful growth.

We are inspired to be starting in the same building where Beacon Academy first launched, and we hope to follow in those footsteps, growing intentionally within a community that is already supported innovative school models.

With the support from the Temple, pro bono support from Baker Hostettler, and critical mentorship from the Boston Business Mentors, we can focus our resources on students, teaching, and community while growing within a stable and supportive environment.

Ultimately, this work is about possibility.

It's about creating environments where children feel safe to ask questions, where they learn to listen to perspectives different from their own, where they develop both academic skills and a sense of responsibility to one another, where they see themselves as thinkers, collaborators, and problem solvers.

That is the vision behind the Douglas Ridley School.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

I'm now opening up to questions and thoughts from members.

I want to start same question.

How students had chosen, what is the process?

Yes.

Yes.

So my goal is to make the enrollment process as low barrier as possible.

I want this to this school to be accessible to any family that wants to be a part of it.

There's a very simple application form online where you can record a video if you want to, where you can type if you want to, where you can like record a video or an audio message because I want it to be accessible to any families.

Then we have like an inquiry session where like families come and they can sign up for a Zoom, and we have like an info session together, and then they apply online.

Um right now, because we're starting, right?

It's like most of the families who are applying are being welcomed to our community.

Um but it is more important to me to know that the families want to be there and that they're invested in this kind of a model.

Is there tuition involved?

Yes, yes.

So we have a tiered tuition model.

Um so the max tuition is $35,000, but the tiered tuition model ensures that it is accessible to all families.

I did not want to set up like a scholarship model so that it forced this like you're a full pay family, you're a scholarship family, but there is a tier tuition model so that all families pay their own fair share.

And so it's all based on a percentage of your adjusted gross family income and your the number of dependents determines what your tier is for your tuition.

No questions for you?

No, I'm not pretty sure.

I just have a question.

Could you speak a little bit to the special education supports that you all are able to provide?

Yes.

So we will be able to utilize the like equitable services through BPS.

We're less than a mile from the TOBEN, so we can walk students over there to receive services there.

We have some families who have reached out who have enrolled, and they their students already have IEPs and they already have service providers that they want to bring with them, and all they're asking is like, is that okay?

And of course, like they can bring whatever service providers we have.

Like, I think we have like the perfect model for OT and speech and like self-regulation support to happen within the context of our model.

So I think a combination of both the service providers that families already have relationships with and utilizing services through BPS.

Yeah, I think the part um I think you heard first of all, good to see you.

Um I think the part I'm gonna poke at the most is the financial sustainability.

Yes.

It works, particularly in the tiers layout when you have full enrollment.

Correct.

But when you don't, which is the problem that schools are having, that's when it becomes harder to fund the model without raising dollars.

And so, can you just talk a little bit about your approach to the finances, how much you're anticipating needing to raise each year to make it sustainable, what the enrollment needs to look like, what the backdoor plan is if the enrollment falls.

Yes, for sure.

So we are a nonprofit, and so we will be able to raise money.

Um we have committed support from our board members already, long-term committed support from our board members.

Um I have written several grants already and waiting for those to come in.

Um, part of our financial model will rely on fundraising.

Um part of our financial model will rely on tuition.

And that ensures that they have like a balanced financial model.

And that I think after year one is what is what we are aiming for, so that just based on our enrollment and application process, we will ensure a balanced financial model.

Like we will wait to add a second strand in each grade level after we see enrollment and demand.

So our financial model will be a mix of like the tuition and raising money.

Great.

Thank you.

So I guess I'll ask just one question the same one of the same questions I asked to the other team, which is you talked a little bit about your impetus to go in this direction, but can you just clarify a little bit what the unique delivery model is of this program that could not be found in like the variety of schools that you've served at such high leadership levels to this point?

Yep.

Yeah, so the Reggio Emilia philosophy believes that children are capable, curious, and creative and full of so much potential.

And it's the job of the teacher to see that and notice that and see what kids are genuinely excited about and interested in and build the curriculum around that.

So instead of having a scripted curriculum where all teachers are teaching the same exact thing to the same to all the students in the second grade, this second grade will have a curriculum that is designed around what these second graders are really excited about and really interested in and will weave in the second grade standards into whatever that topic is.

So for example, like if you have a class where you notice that they're really into the Titanic, and this group of kids, they're really excited about reading about the Titanic, then the teacher will take that and build a curriculum and build learning experiences around that topic that connect to math and science and literacy and social studies.

So it's the it's the agency and autonomy of the teacher to design curriculum, which is that that true you're yeah.

I think it's it's it's challenging because as a system we're obligated to ensure that consistency of experience, especially with our transient students and moving from school to school and having kind of a set curriculum that we can guarantee families and being that small, um, there's just an ease in kind of quality inspection of whether that teacher created curriculum meets those expectations, and so I think um I think it's just another another place that feels like such a disconnect between the state's guidance around instructional materials and the direction that we're expected to go as a set of school systems and then the agency that you know schools with a smaller footprint have to you know go in different directions, and then for us to establish whether it's um whether it's meeting the need is just a really um odd task, I think for the committee.

Yeah, um, but I appreciate um what you shared.

Yeah, I'm fine.

Yeah and one of my hopes is that this model will prove that there is a different way that we can do school, that it doesn't have to be this standardized model where we're delivering this scripted curriculum, that we can honor the the questions and the curiosities of kids and still meet the the second grade standards, third grade standards.

And I'm really grateful that our pedagogista is a PhD student with a background in research, and so part of what she's gonna be doing with us is this research piece so that we can show that there is another way that you can do school.

I think I think we know there are other ways to do school.

I think uh uh a school this small scaling up is just a difficult proof point for us to adopt as a system.

Um, while I totally believe that all schools can learn from each other regardless of school type.

I think we we do need to break down silos that way.

I think to identify something this small as a proof point is a little challenging with the work in front of us and this the scope in front of us.

Um but but I but I understand where you're coming from.

Yeah.

It's great.

So I'm very familiar with Virgio Amelia at the preschool level.

Um, so I'm interested in understanding how this gets implemented into the elementary school.

And if there are other, I know that there are a number of Reggio inspired preschools in the greater Boston area.

Are there others who have also taken on moving the model into the elementary grades?

Yes.

And I think that's sort of part of my hope, or part of how we want to show that there is another way to do school.

That why is it in preschool that we can capitalize on the curiosities and the excitement of kids, and then once they get to kindergarten first grade, we no longer care about their questions and their curiosities and their excitement.

And so I I see this in first, second, third grade the same way that I would see it in preschool.

That for the same example, if the kids were really excited about the Titanic, great.

Like we can read about, we can read second grade texts about the Titanic, we can incorporate science standards, second grade science standards about the Titanic, we can incorporate math standards about the Titanic.

So I think like we can still do the same model that is so effective and successful in preschools in first, second, third, fourth, up through sixth grade.

Um, because I think we see like kids are so excited in preschool about learning.

They're so excited to be there, and then by the time they get to second, third, fourth grade, they're like school is not no longer an exciting and fun place for them to be.

Um, and so we want to make sure that that happens, that kids continue to have this love of learning and curiosity um and autonomy.

And schools like the Advent are Reggio inspire schools that go up through the elementary grades.

I think Shady Hill is sort of similar, they have more of like a topic theme based, and within there they sort of go based on what student interests are.

Um, but there's not a lot, and that's part of this, like expanding access to inquiry-driven instruction in Boston.

Okay, thank you.

Are there any more questions?

If not, thank you very much, and we look forward to um taking a vote on this in a future meeting.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

All right, folks.

Our last presentation tonight is the fiscal year 26 supplemental appropriation request for 22 million eight hundred forty-five thousand six hundred and seventy-two dollars to Boston public schools in support of a balanced budget.

I'd like to turn it over to the superintendent for any final comments, but I want to say one thing because um this may happen at 11 o'clock, and I know you've never experienced this.

The lights will go out, but they will come back on.

So will they come back on?

Someone has to put them on.

So we will have to pick put them back on.

Deputy 15.

All right, so Deputy Pene is back there.

Okay, he'll be our right to man for the evening.

I just didn't want you to uh turn our cell phone.

We'll get through it.

Okay.

Into the into the final stretch.

So as we presented to the school committee earlier this year, the district continues to address a fiscal year 2026 budget deficit due to several factors, including significant cost increases related to historically high health care premium increases and inflation impacting out of district special education costs, yellow bus transportation, and student food services.

Since our conversation in December, our team has taken action to save funding by reviewing and managing the cost of our most expensive programming.

Things like transportation and through first we did the school level pause and then the district wide spending pause.

These efforts have led to $26 million in savings.

However, these actions alone are not enough to close the gap.

We are now asking the committee to approve a request for a supplemental appropriation from the Boston City Council for a total of 22.8 million.

This will cover the projected overages in health insurance and utilities.

Both of these areas are budgeted in collaboration with the city and have seen very unusual and unexpected cost growth.

The remaining overages should be able to be managed down over the last three months of the year through the continuation of our spending pause and review of available grant funding.

Chief Financial Officer David Bloom is here to walk through the specifics of the request and to support any questions you may have.

We plan to return to the committee on Wednesday, May 6th, and ask for your support before the measure is sent to the City Council for its review and consideration.

David?

Thank you, Superintendent, and thank you everyone for bearing with me.

I only have 35 slides for you tonight.

Sorry.

It's the kind of joke you make when your kid was up all night last night.

So when we came before you in December, uh we shared a financial projection that had four main cost drivers.

Those cost drivers are still the same ones we're seeing leading to overrun.

Health insurance, uh decrease in vacancy rate leading to higher employee um just salaries, transportation costs, special education costs.

And then one new item since the projection we brought before you which is utility costs over the course of this winter have significantly exceeded our expectations.

Um these things sort of are the same, right?

Uh than what we expected them to be, more or less.

What's changed is what we've been doing about them.

Uh we've been working since uh diligently since even before we came with the committee to identify ways to save money to be able to cover these deficits.

We've saved approximately 20 million dollars to date from our spending pauses, which started with a pause of central hiring stipends and contract spending, and then a pause on school-based discretionary spending at the end of the calendar year.

We've been also been working actively with some of our bigger operational departments to save money and cost management.

Our transportation deficit projection is continuing to decrease.

Um, this is one of the areas of good news that I didn't highlight fully on the previous slide.

Um, and we're hoping that will continue to improve over the rest of the year, and the indications are it will.

Um we've also been looking at grant funding in particular to identify areas of potential underspending on grants that can be used to help cover areas of overspending on the general fund within the allowable uses of those grants.

So, as the superintendent said, right now our projection and you have sort of a memo and some spreadsheets that that give you this information leave us with approximately 28.3 million dollars in overages to resolve.

Uh as the superintendent said, there are two main drivers of this overage that is remaining.

The first is a relatively consistent health insurance projection.

Um the rates for this are set early in the year, and it's based on the number of employees we have, which is also pretty static over the course of the year.

So we were not really expecting this cost overrun to change, and it has not.

Um our utility projection has increased, especially uh the cost of natural gas, but also electricity.

Um since our initial projection we shared with you in December.

Both of these items are areas we work on in collaboration with the city, but both of our parties are setting this with limited information at the time.

Um this year we've been sort of facing a confluence of factors that have led to these items to over to you know go over, and we've been working with the city with the understanding that there might be some potential need for supplemental appropriation as we've worked to save funding.

If that uh request is approved, that would leave us with a projected five point five million dollar um deficit.

We're gonna we're confident that over the last quarter of our fiscal year we can manage that down through continued operational savings, savings from the pause, and other grant available funding.

And with that, I'll turn it back to the committee for questions.

Okay, thank you.

You have questions?

No.

No.

I I would just say that the easiest way to sort of understand this is as we went through the 27 budget process.

We were given an allocation, and then there was an adjustment made from the city when they realized that and we realized that the projections for health benefits would be much higher than what we were given in the original allocation.

They then gave a supplement as part of the FY27 budget process.

If that had happened last year for FY26, we would not have run the 22 million dollar deficit that we've run since the fall.

Utilities to David's point, we've done an amazing job with the buildings adding in a great deal of AC and AC units and additional heat, but in a cold winter, those are variables, and in a warm summer, those are variables.

So these are the two areas that are really just beyond our control in many ways, and um we thank the city very much for recognizing in this budget in FY27 that we needed to make that adjustment before your vote.

This here for FY26 is really just correcting that.

So this is the basis for the supplemental that if affirmative from you will then go to city council for appropriation.

So I just a couple of clarifying questions to build on that um context, Superintendent, which is very helpful.

Um we have a year like this year, whether it's based on climate or needing more heat or electricity, um, and we have a a high point on utilities.

Is that going to be the budget on which we're basing for the next year?

Like, is this a message that we need to not assume as many savings or being able to recoup as we have been in the past, and then building on that high watermark as opposed to um historical as an extra protection?

And do we feel like we did that for the FY27 budget?

Yes.

So our risk here is that often our projections lag a year behind because it's uh hard to have perfect information sort of in the right year.

So for health insurance, that's why we had to go through the process the superintendent outlined.

Um I think utilities is to be quite honest, the area where I have the most concern for FY27, if for no other reason than the geopolitical factors we're seeing, which will impact the price of natural gas and other issues.

What I would say though is in a typical year, we might see a five million dollar cost overrun in any one given area of our budget, but we often have a savings somewhere else that will enable us to sort of offset and manage through that through either some sort of targeted spending slowdowns or just sort of the normal course of business.

I think the thing the two things together this year that made it particularly hard for us to balance were the vacancy rate change and the health insurance, both of which we've adjusted in our FY27 budget.

Those were the two major drivers.

Sorry, and transportation, which we've also adjusted.

So we're assuming a higher fill on vacancies next year.

So again, basing it on the higher marks.

Okay.

Okay.

No other questions.

Okay, thank you.

And we will vote to approve this as supplemental appropriation at the May 6th meeting.

Thank you.

Um we'll now be turned to public comment.

No public comments.

No public comment.

Okay.

Any new business?

Um my only request will be that we can take another look at the issues around the social workers.

Yes, I'm good.

Yeah.

Yes, Chair.

I will um I Deputy De Pina and I will uh be having conversation uh tomorrow.

Yes, as we see one another for city council hearing.

Yes, thank you.

All right, the next school committee meeting will take place in person on Wednesday, May 6th at 6 p.m.

If there's nothing further, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn the meeting.

Is there a motion?

It's all moved.

Is there a second?

Is there any discussion or objection to the motion?

Hearing none, this oh, excuse me, is there any objection to approving the motion by unanimous consent?

Hearing none, the meeting is adjourned.

Thank you all.

Have a good night.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.