Okay, we're recording. >> Okay. Uh, welcome to the January 15, 2026 meeting of the policy subcommittee. Uh, I'd like to begin by moving approval of our minutes from the joint meeting of policy and curriculum back on November 18th. Uh, do I have a second for those?
>> Sure. >> Thanks, Jesse. Mariah, how do you vote? >> Yes. >> Jesse? >> Yes. >> And I vote yes. Uh, and then I'd like to also approve app um move approval of minutes for our our own policy meeting on November 18th as well. Uh,
>> so moved. >> Thank you. >> Seconded, I guess you. >> Okay. I think Mariah got there first this time. >> Jesse, how do you vote? >> That's on the November 18th. Yes. >> And Maria, >> yes. >> And I vote yes as well. Okay. Uh, so
that brings us to the policy drafts that we're discussing. So, um, the two items on the agenda today are instructional materials, uh, which Jesse has prepared a draft of for us. Um, and again, I apologize for, um, the the cancellation last time when we were supposed to have
discussed this. Um, and then the other policy is, uh, fiscal management, which Mariah has prepared for us. And, um, despite the order on the agenda, let's do uh, fiscal management first before Mariah's voice gives out. Are the are the minutes are the LA are the two minutes that we
um just approved going to be on the civic clerk side, Betsy, because they're not there now. >> I don't post them >> with like tonight's meeting. I wait for you to approve them, then I post them with the 11:18 meeting. Does that make sense where they belong?
>> Um >> only after we approve them do they get posted at all. Right. >> Well, they get they get posted. I guess you you post them back to the original meeting. Is that what you're saying? >> Yes, exactly. Right. And I'll do that after tonight's meeting once they're approved. >> Okay. >> I see. Okay. Now I understand. It's a
different process. Thank you. >> Um >> Betsy, should I pull the draft up on my screen or do you want to pull it up on your >> I'm happy to pull it up. I have it ready if you'd like. >> Okay. Yeah, if you don't mind. >> Sure. >> By way of intro on um the fiscal policy. So, as far as I know, there are at least
three um three versions kind of in the background of this one, right? So, there's the existing policy section in the there's the version that we were working on back when Sam Ripen was the uh administration and finance deputy. >> Um and then there's also the MASC uh
draft that Mariah I think you you referred to. Um >> I think I even created two drafts. I think this is my third goround if I'm not mistaken of doing this. But I just like to think I'm just it's like practice makes perfect and I'm getting better and better. >> Um at that
>> Yeah. So do you mind like just outlining what the relationship is between >> I will do all of that. I was going to do a whole intro before we even got into this. So, so just to give some background, um this had been on my to-do list for years and as Andy is alluding
to, um I had gotten quite far into a a second time around with Sam Ripen. That was before when what year was that? Summer of 2022, I think. Um and then Sam left the district and um we
had an interim finance person and then Susan came in and um and asked to have some time to um become familiar with the district's finances and practices before we um redid the policy. And so we've
been waiting and then in the meantime the MOA was signed with the town as well that we would um um at least report on the policy status for in in March in two months. Um and so like I said I've done
this at least once and I think twice before. Um, and this time though, I went at it with the perspective of that Andy, you've actually sort of helped me hone over the past couple years, which is to make sure
that policy is not procedure and that it should where we need procedure. Um, unless we think something really needs to be said, we should essentially direct staff to um, create appropriate protocols, practices, manuals, etc. And
so that was really clarifying for me. The reason that we wanted to do this was because most of our finance um policy actually hadn't been updated in since the early 80s. So when in 2022, I was very excited because it was going to be the four-year anniversary and we would
get to update it. Um but we're getting there. And so of course the the policy that we have predates ed reform. It predates um a lot of the um I think it predates the Municipal Modernization Act. It it just didn't it doesn't um
align with um current practices or um sort of state mandates that exist. So, what I did was I used the MASC um policy um skeleton or I can't remember what
like a template basically that they provide and I adapted it in certain areas as you'll see and I'll walk through this um to reflect some of the more the specific Brookline language.
Um, and so we can we can walk through it, but before we do, I would like us to just spend a little bit of time on this front page. So you can see that the first area is goals. That's D1. Then D2 is the budget and it goes through
overview, deadlines, planning, budget adoption, budget transfer. So it talks about all of that. Then there's a section on gifts, grants, and proposals. Then there is a section on federal funds, section on authorized signatures, um
bonded employees and then a section on reporting um auditing and then purchasing um and then payments expense reimbursements and then D12,
13, 14, and 15 are not in the MASC manual. However, they are in the PSB manual and I chose to bring them forward. Um, and so, but with that said, I'm going to talk more about 15 when we get there.
So, um, why don't we do you have any questions so far or should I keep going? >> I think you can keep going. I I I like the order of topics very much. I think it maybe because it kind of reflects like decreasing amount of school committee involvement in these various
aspects for the most part right so the big things that we have to deal with sort of come at the beginning >> well and the funny thing is that I would say funny Betsy do you mind scrolling up a little bit 12 13 14 15 those are current things that we have but actually it's interesting because I think to your point like those are in our existing
policy and they get a little bit more into the weeds which is really I think the problem with our existing policy overall however I thought these were important things to include and I'll get into that when we get there. Um, so if you don't mind just keeping on going Betsy, I don't Andy, I'm thinking at
this time I want to sort of go through and give big picture and then we can go back and talk about words if we have time. Does that make sense? >> Yeah, I think that makes sense. Especially So Susan hasn't reviewed this thing as a whole yet. Right. >> Right. As far as I know, I I don't know if she has, but I don't think >> Yeah. So I mean before we do word
smithing, I think at least should should take a look at it. >> Okay. So let's keep going. So, as you see, there's um the first section is fiscal management goals. Now, the pink words that you see here, the the track changes ads, those are actually from our
current and now sometimes I tweak the wording, but I'll say that the bulk of this text um is actually from our current policy. And I really like liked it because it really talks about the advocacy and sort of thinking about what goes into the different um
considerations as you think about local versus state versus federal versus philanthropic funds. So I added that back into here. Um keep going Betsy please. Um so then we talk about the annual budget.
Um, I deleted out the paragraph about the foundation budget because to me, um, the foundation like PSB's budget, I mean, I guess we could keep it, but, um, the foundation >> this is not a district that where we have to work. >> Exactly. We're not like, we're not we're not operating at foundation budget
level. So, to me, it was sort of something that was not really needed to be discussed, but it's also it doesn't hurt us. It just doesn't really contribute. Mhm. >> Um, and I added in something about the budget guidelines, as you can see there. I added in references to the town bylaw,
which MASC asks you to sort of make this specific to your municipality. So, I did. Um, then there's 2.2. Um the current budget, the current um um
the current policy actually lists the fiscal year and the MASC1 doesn't, but I actually liked putting it in there. I just thought it was helpful. Um and so then I sort of talked a little bit about the timelines. As you can see, I mentioned the budget guidelines again talking about timing. Um, I tweaked this
last paragraph about dates are assigned because um, we're typically submitting the budget to staff for consideration by town meeting um, and not necessarily to the select board and advisory. So, we can talk about that, but I sort of again
I just sort of tweaked it for our local um, timelines and spec specifics of how Brooklyn operates. Then down in budget planning um and keep going it sort of just talks
about the superintendent being in charge um budget adoption and it and basically it clarifies that um the budgets adopted but it really it's the bottom line goes to town meeting which we all know I referenced the town bylaw on town
meeting which is 2.1 um so you'll see that in there. um budget transfer authority. This one is >> Yeah. Can I uh can I stop there for a second because I just did have a question in D24 the budget adoption procedures. Uh the thing about cost
centers will be agreed upon by the committee and administration. >> Uh I guess I I just don't know much in this area. I think like what what is it that we treat as a cost center? Because this becomes important again later because transfers within cost centers don't have to come back to the school
committee, right? So this is this is the bottommost level. >> The cost centers are the are the schools the 10 schools and the um offices in the like office of teaching and learning. It's basically the sections that you see of the budget. So office of teaching and
learning student services etc. Those are the formal cost centers of the budget. >> Okay. I see. So it's like it's not I don't I don't recall that we have to sit down every year and agree on what the cost centers will be. It's just that's that's understood to be those divisions. Okay.
>> Right. Those are the cost centers. Um and then the other area I want to say like if we were to look at like I'm making this up but salary transportation I want to say those are called cost categories but I can't remember what the I'm pretty sure they're called categories as opposed to cost centers. Mhm.
>> Um anyway, this is something that we could consider about, you know, and there's more on this budget transfer authority that I think is important as you say, like the adjustments are presented and there's more to say as we get to the next section here because I this the next section I did depart
somewhat dramatically from what MASC represents because I don't think MSA MASC's draft is um very functional. So we can Can you scroll down a little bit further, Betsy?
Um, so I want to look at this deleted text. So basically the MASC text which I deleted says that essentially the school committee has to approve requests of transfers before they're before they can happen. And I changed that so that if
you scroll up, Betsy, um, we would approve them. No, not down, up. Sorry. Yep. That they're presented in the quarterly and annual reports. So, this is a choice, but to me it made sense that we would not have staff have
to wait for us to vote these, but that they could make them as they see fit. And they just like we do position control report. They would essentially be presenting to us the transfers between cost centers that they've made, which is more or less what already happens. I mean, Susan presents to us in
the quarterly report like we're doing this. This is changing around, but it would be required. >> Yeah, that that makes sense. >> I just think it's more functional for staff to not have to seek permission and, you know, unless it was mandated by state law or something, which it's not.
So, um, and then number two there, um, >> where did the 10,000 come from then? >> This one I want to say came from our I'm pretty sure that's in our current policy. And I thought it was actually good. like basically I mean I don't know
if it's 10,000 we could increase it to 50,000 we could whatever that number is that the committee wants is fine um but this idea of there's some threshold at which we get to approve something before it happens.
>> Yeah. I guess that you know the the good thing about I mean the good thing about number two though is that what we're saying is is that any program that costs something which 10,000's a pretty big you know could be a big program depending on what it costs per person or student or teacher um we would the only
thing is is if it was under that level we wouldn't know anything about it. It wouldn't even have to be in the number one because it's >> well we could know about it we could know about it because they could just tell us about it. It's the question of approval is required before they can
spend money on it. >> Yeah. So I'm saying is if it's new >> a project that we didn't know about. I mean I think the word new is applying to both, right? A new program or a new project. >> Yes. >> Right. So um
excuse me. I got to take this. >> Well I don't think we need to wordsmith this one right now. I think we can keep going. But just in general, I think that that's one area which is like this whole budget transfer authority is something that I think is worth people thinking about if they're comfortable with the
idea of postfact um adjustment transfer approval, which is more or less what we do now. And then this question of what's the threshold for approval. I'm just going to wait for Jesse for a minute if that's okay with you, Andy. Are you back, Jesse?
>> I am now. Thank you very much. Yeah, that was >> critical call. Okay, >> sure. No problem. Um, so going on to the next one. This is about gifts, grants, and proposals. Um, as I mentioned before, but just to remind you, if the text isn't edited, it's the MASC default. And so you can
see the things that I've added. Um, most of this first section of it I really didn't touch very much. Um and then D31 is almost word for word our current um language from our um
from our policy. And this one also is from our our current policy. Again, almost word for word for most of these. I might have done like a little bit of clean up word smithing, but um not much. So that's again all from our current policy.
And then just one note, Betsy, do you mind? Um where this says scratched out, it says the the federal grant manual or the state and federal grant manual. The note here says the approval is not subject to school committee administration. I actually, if you just scroll back up, I just put that this document is not subject to school
committee approval in the text itself. I didn't know why we would put it in the note that might be deleted. So, if you go up further, Betsy, to the very top of um D3, keep going. Right right there um above D31, the very last line there where it
says this written document. Yeah, I just put it there. I don't I mean I don't know if we need to say that, but I thought because there's some question about we've been talking in other contexts about what kinds of things are school committee approval versus not, it doesn't hurt to put it in.
So, if you keep going to D4 is where I think we're at now. Yeah, this is the federal funds supplement not supplant. I did not um edit this at all. As you can see for the cross reference, we don't have at least
that I could find a compensatory education um uh policy. So, I meant to delete that, but I forgot to delete it. But maybe we have one too and I just couldn't find it in our policy manual. So something to um and I didn't go look
at the source text on the MASC website. Um then authorized signatures. We do have an existing policy. Um and you can see this is um a little bit of a combination of the existing policy and the MASC policy.
And it basically just memorializes some of the things that we've already said like the chair of finance does this um does one thing, chair of capital does another thing um etc. Um D6 bonded employees that is also um
the it's exactly the MASC language and we have I believe a bonded employee section also and this is pretty similar. That's that. Um, fiscal accounting and reporting. Um,
two things I want to highlight here. You can see that most of this is um, the MASC language. I put a threshold of reporting in, not because I think staff won't do that, but just so that it's in the in the policy should anyone question it. Then the one thing that is new, well
it's not new but we aren't doing it is that um it says the annual report should include information on all investments held by held on behalf of PSB by the town of Brookline. Um and this is including the available funds from investment capital etc etc scholarships
and prizes. Now this is actually in our current policy and hasn't been happening. And I think that it would be very valuable though because if we look if we consider the case of the scholarship that we've been talking about in the past year that had accred millions of dollars but we didn't know about that because no one's reported it
to us until recently. Um it would be really great to know what's being held um on the town side as well as within our PSB accounts. Who on the town side is has that knowledge at their fingertips?
>> Sorry, say I didn't catch the beginning. >> Who on the town side has that knowledge at their fingertips? >> Well, I mean, well, I hesitate to say that anyone using Ununice has anything at their fingertips, but I believe it's under Lincoln's purview. >> Okay. >> Yeah.
>> He was the one who, like, at least for the scholarship we're talking about, he was the one who was talking with us about it. So, >> Okay. Um, let me see. Um, I put a little bit of just our Brookline specifics into this audit one
as you can see. Um, and I think I referenced the, if you scroll down, Betsy, I referenced, yes, the town the appropriate bylaw, which is 3.5 for the audit committee. Um, but as you can see, most of that is MASC.
Um purchasing um there is quite a large section on purchasing in our um document, but I believe it predates this was one where
um I believe that what everything we have essentially predates both the town and schools purchasing being combined and also predates like a lot of the um current state uh regulations and so forth. And so essentially I left it minimally
um I only modified it minimally. The one exception is I included a section that you can see here on contract review um by um school committee contract authorization I should say and the hund this I believe
if I recall correctly I'm likeund 99% um sure that that's from our current um policy manual and I can't remember though if the contract amount is but I actually think there's something really valuable in
understanding and approving the large contracts. And I know we approve some of them like and I don't know why. So like the transportation contracts we approve and I'm not sure exactly if that's a a function of the number of years it is or
um or some other reason. But anyways um and we can talk about the dollar amount just like we can talk about that earlier dollar amount too the transfer. We don't need to do that now. But I but this question of you know do does school committee want to approve contracts.
>> Um procurement requirements. One question I actually had about this entire procurement section was um because Brookline partners with the town on procurement. I thought that there was a good chance for much of this that
actually we should essentially refer to the town of Brooklyn procurement processes. But I didn't get the chance to talk with Susan beforehand to essentially say does this whole section become negated by purchasing um requirements etc that are promulgated on
the town side. So um that it might be that a lot of this actually just needs to go away. Um but there still could be things like again this the school committee specifics like if we wanted to do approval of contracts but for now I left it exactly as MASC had it. Uh if
you can keep going, Betsy. >> Um >> you're saying there that if um the procurement policy that the town has is similar enough, we might just join with theirs kind of thing. Refer to theirs. >> What I'm saying is as far as I know, PSP's procurement is overseen by the
town's procurement officer. I know Bella is here. Bella, am I representing that um semi accurately? Do you know off the top of your head? >> I was just writing you. I was thinking
for this section we might consider just saying um that that it needs to be compliant and then you cite the sections because they do get updated. So I do agree with you if you get too specific and then they and then
constantly have to be updated. So you might refer to the sections. >> Yeah. And I think this is this was this book in particular was when I wanted to talk with Susan about like to your point Bella we like their MASC as you can see there's a lot of details in here but I'm not sure if really they live on the PSB
side versus the town side. And to your point Bella I'm not sure that we want to get into the weeds. So >> we are we're obligated independently. So we whatever we do whatever the town does and we do it should be consistent because we should all be doing it the way we're supposed
to. So, I actually think um there's not much leeway about the rules. The rules are the rules. Um but we but because we do a lot of the processes on our own, um we have to make sure we can't just defer
to the town. The town requires us to have licensed people as well and we we train together. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Well, anyway, this whole procurement section um is probably the one that I felt it definitely needed the most staff input on. >> Okay.
>> And we'll get there. >> All right. >> So, then this is payment. Um and again, it's pretty like the it's basically the MASC. Um I just forgot to I wrote per section DXX. I forgot to go back and correct it
to the right um reference. It's D5. I I fixed it down below, but I didn't fix it up above. Um and then expense reimbursements is pretty um is basically what it was um from MASC and
it seems pretty reasonable. Disposal of property. So this is the first one that is coming from the PSB policy. Um and I think it is a good thing to say these things and so um I left it in as is.
That's all I'll say about that. Um, if you can keep going, Betsy. Um, so cash in school buildings, we had this now. I'm actually unclear if currently, like postcoid, there are even petty cashes in the buildings. And this
was something I wanted to ask about. Bella, do you happen to know if there's petty cash currently in the buildings? Um, I don't know whether we do, but I generally think we generally the policy is that you don't I
mean I'd be surprised if we did. I don't know the answer. Sorry. >> Yeah, that's okay. >> But I would be surprised if we did. Well, so this was actually drafted a little bit differently in our current policy and I chunked it out into three different things because I think we want to whether or not we have petty cash is
different from the ongoing issue of of collection of cash for field trips which happens even though it probably shouldn't. >> And so I'm and so I split those two things out because even if we don't have petty cash and even if we discourage
cash collection, it may still happen. And so there should still be um procedures to make sure that cash is handled properly. So that's drafted in here. And then there's just a report of unaccounted for funds. So we can talk about this more later, but um I think
that these days in general with the amount of um with the ease of electronic payments, we probably don't if we're not having petty cash right now, we don't want to leave this in here. We want to get rid of it. um and with the availability of of um procurement cards
to the key staff in the buildings. But again, this is something that I want to run by Susan to be sure before we do anything further with this. Um >> yeah. Yeah. But yeah, you're you're right because there may be there may be a subset of students who, you know, operate in their family on cash rather
than on electronic payment. And so we'd want to be sensitive to that. >> Yeah. And and even right like there's reasons we might want to have cash but what I don't want to have happen is teachers collecting cash and then leaving it in their desk drawer. >> Sure. Of course. Exactly. So that's why we need to handle the cash on school
premises as you're saying like people may need to operate in cash and we need to be treating it appropriately. >> Yeah. This is No, this is good. >> If you don't mind keeping on going um Betsy down to 14. So, this wording is
exactly um the current wording except I believe I increased the balances. I think they're like 5,000 and 10,000 right now, maybe. I don't know if they're right. Again, this is something I wanted to check with um Susan, but the wording
um is similar. So, so MASC has student activity account policy in the student section of policy, but we have it in student activity accounts. And to me, it makes much more sense in finance than it does in students. Um because it's about
money and not about students. So um and su Susan and I both agreed this thing we did talk about. So um I'm pretty sure this wording I'm pretty sure I checked and this is the same wording that MASC has, but they have it in a different section or it's
very similar and I think I left our wording the way we had it. Um, oh can I sorry one other thing I wanted to just scroll up on number three um it's it did not have this ability of
um or it was like more challenging to increase the maximum balances and so basically now it's like it can be increased at the discretion of the superintendent and with notice to the school committee and that way we don't need to like update policy. We could even consider taking out the
dollar amounts alto together and just say establish maximum balances which are managed at the discretion of the superintendent. That could be like a good way to handle that. >> It makes sense if there's going to be another 40 years before this policy gets updated. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So we can um we can think about
that and that might be true for a lot of the dollar things that are in here. But anyway, something for us to talk about next time. And then the last section, >> well, I mean, I don't how how would you track what maximum account balances are if you don't have a set figure in there, Andy? Like, >> well, because they have the staff have
protocols and guidelines and documents on the back end. This isn't the only thing that they're operating on. So, >> right. I'm saying but I'm saying what I mean are are we are we saying that the school committee should be notified I don't know once a year beginning of the year or midyear on all student activity
accounts with their amount so we know what so we have a sense of what's happening or is that not >> like you see >> okay because you see the expenses flying through like in the warrant right >> but the student activity accounts you're seeing those in the budget these accounts are basically the things that
let them like write the checks you know like so the principles can write the checks But that's already baked into the budget. This isn't like side money. >> Right. Right. Right. Right. No, no. I I didn't I didn't No, no, no. I wasn't saying it was side. >> I was just saying that um
is is that the next level of detail that would be available like the earlier section where you talked about having having the financial uh quarterly and annual reports available on the district website. So would there be visibility into the
activity one? >> No, because you don't need it because basically like the way these works these work is like it's basically a cash advance against the money that's been budgeted for them and after they write their checks then Jesse those things we see is so that their accounts get
replenished. So basically think of it like a debit card where they can't spend more than what's in the account. So they're always going to be capped at 10,000 for the elementary school in this case. But like if they spend 3,000 a month later they send their paperwork to through to the town. We process approve
those transfers and they get reuped again to 10,000. So it's not like >> oh it just keeps getting >> exciting here. It's basically just a maximum um balance they can >> have outstanding without like without being able to reconcile.
>> Oh okay. So like so so by the end so by the end of a fiscal year like this year it's about 75 grand total in the budget. So in other words, the different student activity accounts like at the different schools, let's say for example. So a Lawrence activity different than a runal activity or something account. So they
can write checks, those all get sort of you're saying bundled up to student activity account and then it gets you know expensed out of that budgeted amount which I said for this year somewhere if I recall about 75 grand or something total.
So I'm just I'm saying >> this is like the credit card that they can write against. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I get it. That's it. >> Yeah, exactly. So, I don't think the more we're talking about this, I really don't think we need to know. Like, this is something on the back end of how they just managed to make it all run smoothly. Just like we don't know. I
don't know what Bella's pro card's credit limit is. And that's essentially what we're talking about. And I don't care what her credit limit is because it gets managed in the back end just like every other staff's pro card is managed in the back end of the credit limits. >> Does that make sense? >> Yeah. That's what I'm saying. That's why
the that's why I was questioning the number like we really need a number there. >> Yeah. >> I just think that from time to time maybe in uh I mean it's such a small number. It's like such a tiny percentage of the overall budget uh like in the in the dot something the 23% or something.
So like it's you know I mean what what notice does the school committee really need on it? I guess that's if you're saying it's like managed within the processes like >> I think it is. I think it is. >> Yeah. So like I'm saying I'm not I'm not sure we need three that much. >> I think you're right in talking through
it. I don't think we need it. Okay. >> So let's go on to 15. >> Um unless theoretically that the account the acts of whatever require us to specify those numbers and we can just confirm. If we're required to have a limit like on our books then we can but otherwise we can get rid of it. So,
right now our practice, this one's a little bit different. Right now, if um we have a practice, we have scholarships. This district holds scholarship funds. Um it has many scholarships it gives out. Um we talked about this in 2022 and I'm bringing it
back up again, which is I think that there is community partners such as the Brooklyn Community Foundation, which also offers u manages and offers scholarships for Brooklyn High School students. um post-secary scholarships.
And I don't think that this is something that the high school staff should manage. Um it takes up some staff time. Um and I just think that it's something that we should no longer continue to accept scholarships and we should let
the f the ones that are not endowed, we should draw down on the funds but not accept more funds. And the ones that are endowed, we should continue to give those out to the extent they still have funds. But when they don't um we don't because I think this is outside of our
core scope of business and it is there is other partners and other community um organizations that provide this um same benefit to high school students. >> Were there ever discussions with BCF about whether they'd be willing to take
over this work? >> I talked about it with them back in 2022. I haven't talked about it with them recently. Um, but it doesn't have to just be BCF, but I can bring it back up to them if the subcommittee is interested in um
in that happening and assessing their interest. We wouldn't necessarily transfer scholarships to them. Like for example, if we have an endowed scholarship, we don't necessarily need to transfer it. Although we could if a donor wanted an endowed scholarship to be transferred and that's possible by law. I'm not sure
how that works, but um we could transfer that. >> Yeah. I mean, I was in favor of this then and I I still would be now. Uh how do you feel about it, Jesse? >> I think I Well, um I don't know the
history, Andy, but I I agree with the fact that to minimize administrative administrative burden, we should not have to do it. The question is like where should it be done? Are there um is there a function like this on the town side that accepts you know gifts? I know
I know this is a special type called a scholarship and it's for education but maybe there's a function there we can leverage with because it's just a question of of having the money quotequote like securely placed in the right account so that it can be utilized by the people giving it out.
So, the BCF does this um for and currently there are high school staff who sit on the BCF scholarship committee um and they give out scholarships I think more than we do but I I could be wrong. I don't know about the latest number. Go ahead, Bella.
>> So, generally this is a function I I was wondering how obviously scholarships are given and I was wondering what what happens in Brooklyn. So in most places it it's been taken on by another body. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Um it and not managed by the
schools. There's all sorts of um financial requirements that you have to follow and making sure everything is above board, you know, no undue influence on selection and all of that. Um but most places have been taken by
another body. So Mariah's alluding that there is another body that's taken this over. So, for now, what I did, if you don't mind just scrolling up a little bit to the top of the page. Um, so the text that you see, that's the intro text to this section, and then the D151, that is
new that I wrote, >> right? >> Um, and then D152, like everything below that is the prior policy of how it was going to be handled because I think as long as we retain like if we still retain any scholarships, we need to have
our rules such as they are in place. Um but I also wanted to include that preface. So >> I guess I guess um what exactly is number two in that section? Scholarships that are pay as you go. Is this that we get? >> So there's some scholarships which are
endowed and some scholarships essentially like I'll give one example. I think there's something called like there's like the Pierce student scholarships that were I know this because I was the Pierce PTO treasurer. There's like the Pierce like I want to say it's called like Pierce best boy
scholarship and Pierce best girl scholarship and these were like um established maybe a hundred years ago or so and they give out like $500 a year and what happens is in I don't know how they were originally funded but when I
was treasurer the PTO was writing a check to PSB on an annual basis to cover like the next year. So it was basically like we were the it was being funded as you go. And so some of the scholarships I haven't even seen an entire list of
the scholarships we give out. I know staff has it, so it's not that it doesn't exist, but like some of them are endowed >> and as we've heard, there's at least one that has millions of dollars in it, and that's why we're going to the AGO to see how to handle to redirect those funds.
>> And some of them are pay as you go. And so even if we were to, for example, >> not not carry forward the pay as you go ones, which is what do I allude to, it's they might still have a balance. Like say there's something that's pay as you go. It has $1,000 and we give out $500 a year. Well, we'd give out two more years
of it, but then we just don't allow any more plus-ups of it. So, the ones that aren't endowed like will very quickly conclude and then the ones that are may drag out. >> So, what what so what opportunity will
we have for the first type then after we stop accepting it? We won't. They would. Someone would go to BCF instead and choose to establish a scholarship through the Brooklyn Community Foundation in support of Brooklyn High School students, which already occurs. Again, people essentially have two
choices or maybe even more than two, but two that I know of right now. Did the donor prefer to not have the balance of work? So number three is talking at the end there about just the drainage. In other words, that as we drain out the asset,
if they don't want to have the balance awarded by PSV, give it to some other organization that will then pay >> award it separately, right? >> They'll award it separately. >> Oh, okay. All right. >> As allowed by law. Again, like there's, as Bella alluded to, this is very
complicated and there's a lot of rules around it. So I, you know, we want to be flexible, I think, and honor people's wishes within the constraints of the law. >> Yeah. I I I I was struck as I read it the other day with the word happily in there. That's sort of cute, but I mean, in the policy, do you do we really need
to say that we're happy about it or you're just saying we'll work with anybody, you know? >> Sure. >> It's it's a it's a smiley kind of thing. So that's cool. >> I'm a smiley kind of person. >> So that's it. That's the end of the policy.
Oh, that's yeah, thanks Maria. I this right now I think it has a level of clarity and relevance that I'm not accustomed to seeing in a PSP policy. So, um it seems great. >> Thanks for that. >> Yeah, sure.
So um I I guess from your description of your process in putting this together, we can kind of assume at this point that sort of everything from the old policy that needs to be incorporated, you've kind of considered it and have done it if you thought it made sense, right? >> So like we basically we can just start
working from this from now on. We do not need to go back to the previous policy or to MASC or anything else. This this supersedes everything before it. You could if you want to, but I don't I personally think that everything that I thought was worth carrying forwards I didn't.
>> No. >> And I also don't think like the words might have changed, but the headings like the the PSB policy has very different words in it because they're old and out of date, but the con concepts are carried forward here like
the head headings wise. >> Yeah. The thing that I haven't done that I think is really important is having the chance to sit down with Susan and say, "Susan, are there any policies that you feel you need to be an effective finance leader that you need like the school
committee to weigh in on or to provide um and that are missing and I haven't had that chance yet because of everything going on?" >> Yeah, sure. >> I was going to ask you in in D7 or 8, well, I have two different questions, I guess. Um, on D8, is there anything we
learned from the CLA audit that the town is going to be looking for us to put in our financial audit section that could be helpful or have we already covered it? If we covered it, then fine. I'm just making sure that we c that that if we get asked that question or if they look at it and say, well, did you remember to put in X or Y or X and Y
based on the CLA audit as it referred to fiscal policy? Is it covered? >> I feel it is. >> Okay, great. >> Yeah. And I would just go to if you don't mind Betsy scrolling to eight to D8. The audit section refers to you can
see some of the requirements um like for example it alludes to the end of year report that goes to DESIE um etc. So and this is provided by MASC but I think it is um >> I mean certainly we'll take feedback
from everyone along the way but I don't think it's substantial. >> Yeah. No, this is real pretty this is pretty reasonable. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, now what was my second question? Hold on. What was it? That and could we go back to the list of the titles? Maybe that'll remind me the
second question. I'm sorry. I had two at the time. One was the CLA thing and then um Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um um Susan mentioned yesterday um in the fiscal report Mariah about the
450,000 for health services that were actually in two accounts and that you know they sort of discovered it afterwards. I mean these things happen and stuff like that. I guess I guess it was on my you know I was reminded of it as you went through seven. Um,
it's it that is that more like a a process glitch versus it's not a policy thing that we we we the I mean I guess it's a process thing to find a way to run through the budget like last year in the preparation so that that could have
been caught so that we didn't like get surprised halfway through you know the next year about something that happened then right that kind of a thing like what kind of checks and balances could be in I don't know. I mean, just >> I don't think that's a policy thing, but
Bella, do you think that there's anything in policy that would address that? To me, that's sort of that's just that's within the process, not the policy. >> But I don't know. I will leave it to Bella. >> I'm sorry, I was multitasking. What did Jesse say? Well, what I asked was the um
the the the the situation that Susan brought to the committee's attention the other yesterday, I guess, about the health services line item for 450,000 last year that was actually put in by two different departments, but it was a
duplicate. And so now the >> Yeah. I >> so I'm just saying I'm sort of my question was like is it a do we have a policy of checking for potential glitches like that you know looking for amounts that
are exactly the same in two places or four places that sort of helps us because we're all human and you know it's a you know it's a big system we're working with >> to potentially identify something we can then check and say oh no that's fine that's fine that's fine you know
>> honestly I think that um that with human error and I don't I don't know if you create a I mean you should be you should be it's practice that you should be double-checking everything anyway so a policy thing that you're going to double check all the lines um
>> yeah that's okay >> you should be so I'm going to say >> that that was that was just I know you can like human error maybe you know seeing the number seeing the exact number it didn't compute that it went in twice as opposed to being that is the
number that should be there. Yeah, >> I was just trying to use that as a learning opportunity, you know. I'm not not criticizing anything again. >> No, I I would say that was >> that was human error. >> Okay. Okay. >> Yeah. >> Thank you.
>> I think that that's also covered under D7 >> um the fiscal accounting and reporting. So, I mean, it basically just says, and this is one of the things that I I like. This is one of my learnings from the past year. Um, Bella, do you mind going to that? Or Bella, Betsy, do you mind
going to D6? >> Just this idea of the >> what number, Mariah? I'm sorry. >> Seven, the fiscal reporting. >> Um, it basically says the superintendent is responsible because you're the like your chief the chief staff member, right? At the end of the day, you're the executive
>> and all of those things that we're sort of alluding to is is all included within that. So, >> yeah, it's in the first paragraph like, you know, effective internal controls to assure effectiveness and efficiency. >> Yeah, doesn't Yeah, it doesn't. Yeah, the first one doesn't talk about accuracy.
It just basically says effectiveness and efficiency, but that would relate in a way, I guess, to accuracy. Okay. >> All right. >> Yeah. So, I think that that to me it sort of ties it out um about the responsibilities and and again it goes to this idea of
>> it's it doesn't need to be in the school committee policy. The school committee sort of designates that it's a staff responsibility and moves on. >> Yep. Yep. >> So, what do you think are appropriate next steps and timeline for finishing
this up? So, you know, we have at most probably three more policy meetings before uh the current school committee becomes the next school committee. >> Yes. >> So, before we get to that, Bella, can I ask if there's anything like a huge
omission of any sort that you think should be in here that based on what you heard tonight? >> No. But could I look one more time? Can I look through it one more time? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Well, I think that the next step would be It was helpful for me to hear you
present it. >> Good. Okay. Yeah, because it's hard to read 24 pages cold. Um, so I think the next step would be to get in front of Susan to um have her check. Um, Bella, is that something that you
can help me? Oh, I do have her I do have her focused on um being being prepared for next Thursday night. >> And um I will ask her, >> you know, where
what our capacity is? When when would you like when would you like her to review? >> Well, when is our next one of these meetings? Is it >> 19th? No. >> Yeah. I think we're going to be scheduling that because of I think one
of us has a conflict um obviously scheduled date but we'll find another date in February. >> Yeah. >> Because what I think might make sense is let's wait until the budget book comes out so that like we're not trying to distract Susan through the next critical
two to three weeks. Does that make sense? And then get her attention and then bring the next draft back that she's also looked at to the committee and to the subcommittee. And then hopefully at that point we would be ready to vote it to go ahead to full committee. >> Okay. >> Does that seem efficient? >> Yeah. In a real in a real pinch we don't
necessarily have to vote to send it to full school committee just to have them look at it, right? Like if the school committee chair wants to bring it up like she can do that. Um so it kind of depends on how extensive maybe the changes are that Susan might want. Well, should we make a motion of something
like um barring like basically a motion to advance this to full school committee pending review by Susan and um any changes made >> well and Bella was going to review it as
well. So, yeah. >> Yes. >> Yeah. So, did you say the next polic this this isn't you weren't planning to look at this until February >> 10th is the is a current date that the time or the day may move a little bit. >> Okay.
>> Yeah, that's our next meeting, >> right? Let's let's let me feel her out because I didn't feel it was I can't I don't think it's going to be big huge changes, big huge additions. >> Yeah. I mean, if she could if she's able to just like sort of glance at it
quickly and just right away have a sense of how extensive might be the changes she would want and if if she knows if she can see that they're they would be minor, then we can sort of confidently plan to move this ahead to school committee. >> I I think it would be easier just like Bella said it was easier when I talked
you all through it. I think it would be easier rather than asking her to read it cold to talk her through it as well. And so I that's why I'd rather Bella if we could set a time to like meet for an hour or two to just talk through it and even if like we I just get if there's
major headings, we add in those headings and then we can fill in the text like um after the fact, but knowing if there's big gaps would be a huge help as opposed to thinking, okay, we're sort of ready to move ahead. >> I mean 210 might be very doable. Okay.
Um, >> so do we leave it with you to check in with her? Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, so the next the goal would in fact be to at least have some feedback on this from Susan before the next uh policy meeting. Um, and then if there's
practically no feedback, then it doesn't actually have to come back here. It could go to school committee. If there is feedback, then we could workshop it here. >> Right. >> Yeah, that makes sense. I think we can do it. This is recorded, isn't it? >> Yes. >> So, I actually we could I could just
suggest that she watch the recording, Mariah. >> Okay. >> Yeah, >> that's fine, too. Whatever. I just want to be helpful to get it through. >> I would say first the recording, view the recording and then >> then then um talk with you. >> Okay.
>> Okay. >> So, I'm not sure we need to take a vote, right? Um, we don't know exactly where things will lie in early February, but you know, I think like I said, the school committee chair can just, you know, ask the committee as a whole to take a look if it seems appropriate at that stage.
>> Okay. >> Thank you for letting me go first. >> Oh, thanks. That was thanks for again for the work on this. I'm kind of enjoying having such a such a clear coherent policy to look at.
Uh, okay. Um, so the next item on the agenda was instructional materials and this was a draft um that Jesse had put together. You want to talk us through um the motivation and the changes that you made to the existing policy?
>> Sure. So, um the the backstory on this one is that um last May um I think at the last meeting of our last session um I had brought up a
resolution about the MTA's instructional material instructional material support that was on their website post October 7th, 2023. And at the time, um, we did not discuss instructional materials as our as the as
as the pol as what the policy was in terms of public schools of Brooklyn. We just sort of didn't talk about it. It just didn't come up in the discussion. And um Brooklyn being the first district in the state to pass such a resolution. Um
what what I saw was that uh the the next four districts that passed the resolution also in two several of them included a link to their instructional materials policy that um was primarily
related to the MASC's model policy with some changes in different districts. um you know to to um customize it but essentially had the sort of similar themes and um and then looking back at our instructional materials policy um we took sort of I
took sort of a mental note if I'm recalling correctly Andy to um take a look at our instructional materials policy and to see um how it um aligned with some with the MASC's actually. Um,
so I'll start by saying that um in the um the current public school of Brooklyn's uh policy manual, the um instructional materials section is part of a very long section
like on the curriculum and curriculum development. the MASC's um model policies, the ones that are in a huge number of the districts that have their online policies hosted by MASC is consider it's also in a section called
section I on instruction. Um but the the level of um detail around instructional materials in the current PSV policy is um much different uh being very dated I
think from around the '90s than um uh actually what does it say in there? Yeah. Voted uh 94. Um so um it yeah it's in the it's no you can leave it where it is Betsy. it was up in the like the deleted up se right section notes or something. But in any case, so so what I
what I so this is not um the the the scope of this Andy um is not an entire uh like disquisition on curriculum and curriculum development. Okay, just so we're sure the section on instruction in the MASC section I has about 40 policies
in it of which a whole bunch have to do with curriculum and curriculum development. That's not what this instructional materials one is. It might be helpful um if we you know as this as we have this discussion to get um to get both you and Mariah Andy's like view on what the scope of instructional
materials are. Um, but this is trying to um place a uh clear and I think relatively concise description of um of our policy on instructional materials that support you
know the curriculum that the district uh maintains. And so the um the parts that got taken out um are shown in the you know mostly deleted section there on the right. Um the the existing policy um
talks about um workbooks and has a lot to say about students have to be given a workbook and there certain pages that have to be filled out and make sure they have pencils and all these different things or use separate sheets of paper. You know, it hearkens back to a an area
that you know a time that is for the most part by God at this point. So um what I did is I repurposed the purpose because we're talking about not instruction and workbooks but um uh the
purpose of the instructional materials that the district provides in the curriculum again it assumes the curriculum's covered in other parts of the policy is to support and enhance student learning by providing the content and tools for effective education. And then how these materials
collected um is is delegated to the district's professional staff and the process is a responsibility again of the superintendent or his or her designate and the the two parameters that are from
the MASC um uh policy again I say it's like their template policy but this has been adopted by like I don't know 80 or 90 districts so it's like a sort of a standard policy that Um if if there's a if there's a major adoption or revision in terms of the materials like we did
for literacy last year, it should be described as part of the budget process, which of course we did. And that in and in order to give the superintendent some extended leeway, um she or he may authorize materials for a trial use um
not to exceed two school years. Again, we can, you know, discuss that. And then materials approved by the superintendent should only be restricted to the classes where they've been specified and not moved out into other areas if they're not particularly appropriate. And then
um the the the third section has to do with where does the school committee um uh go go in here. And so um the responsibility you know legally is one of the three main things school committee does is to you know select and
purchase the the voting for that like we did with literacy for example um rests with the with us with the school committee and we believe these materials should be available to each student and teacher which is you know sort of equitable way of doing it of course and furnished by the school committee
subject to budgetary constraints. So the the um the uh understanding might be there that if there was some constraint which did not provide it uh for some reason that we'd have to deal with it. Um >> yeah, I wondered about that. First first
of all, Jesse, I like the way you um split things up to make it clear on the one hand that the legal responsibility rests with the school committee, but that at the same time like that's del like the task of actually selecting curriculum is delegated to staff. I thought that one of the purposes of um
revising this policy was to make that that division very clear, right, to to the community. >> I don't understand that though. Like I find that confusing. I I appreciate what it is, but I don't quite understand about when it says the legal responsibility is that first off like
who says it's the legal respons I just don't understand what the reference like what's the legal reference for us saying it's the responsibility rest of the school committee. Um, >> I mean, isn't approving curriculum one of the school committees sort of statutory? >> Yes, but selecting instructional
materials is not the same thing as approving curriculum. So, that's what I'm confused about where that one sentence comes from. But then I also it's more like the process >> of selecting these materials is the >> um or it says the task of selecting is
deleated. The process is the responsibility within the following parameters. I'm confused about what the difference is between a process of selecting and a responsibility of selecting. To me, that says literally like like mechanically staff are
responsible for like clicking a purchase order, like clicking a purchase button, but that the school committee. So, again, I just but I'm not sure. >> Well, I wonder if we could just go to the um the the statutory language for the legal responsibility piece, right? However it's worded.
>> Okay. Yeah, sure. >> It's something to do with curriculum, right? I'm sure it doesn't say selecting and purchasing instructional materials, right? So, whatever language the legislature used to uh >> the the the MASC's wording verbatim, I just pulled it up, is the task of
selecting instructional materials for programs will be delegated to the professional staff of the school district. >> So, what is the legal responsibility of the school committee? Because the delegation to me makes more clear, but when it says
the legal responsibility, that's where I'm getting confused by like legal responsib I'm making a note about that. Yeah. Yeah. >> Let me make a note. Thank you. >> All right. Yeah. So Andy, you're saying basically we'll find the legal wording
and and and smith it back to that or make it that. Yeah, that makes sense, >> right? >> Yeah. Sure. >> I think Mariah's point is very well taken. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Okay. But >> what I what I appreciated was you were trying to delineate it. It just wasn't clear yet in my mind, but like you're on
like I agree with the effort. >> Okay, great. So I'll make sure right after the role of school committee that first sentence that we straighten that out uh to sweet. Okay. I'm not understanding the purpose of the following sentence though that the school committee believes that such materials must be available to each
student and teachers and that we'll furnish it subject to budgetary constraints like what's that kind of goes without saying or why do we need to say that >> I think we could take it out you're right >> okay and then just go straight to >> well actually I would say so the superintendent >> there's a whole bunch of like this is a
ongoing conversation and has been I want to say it was the 2018 override that there was discussion about for example all the materials that are supposed to be used in schools should be provided through um through uh the
by the municipality. I guess I'll say by >> would this get us involved in having to provide like a like a Chromebook or something for every student? >> Well, I guess the question is um like does it mean much if we say subject to budgetary constraints? Like what does it
mean when we say we're providing the materials subject to I don't know. It just gets into this whole question of like should should parents and caregivers be having to send bags filled with markers and tissues and all those other things that
are often requested of them and binders and all of the other things that they're expected to request. >> Well, is that do you really want to have that in a policy because it exists informally today, right? I just don't know what this sentence asks because obviously we're provide a
to remove the sentence. So I mean >> Yeah. Yeah. So the the um the um the sentence actually is in the MASC template. So um we could take it out. I mean that's not not a problem. I mean I have no >> I'm noted to the template. So >> I don't think it like it's okay to keep
it. It just doesn't really, you know, >> I mean, I'm not sure that the budgetary I, you know, interesting you mentioned that, Maria, because I would not have initially connected the subject of budgetary constraints with the ongoing long manyear practice of having kids
have to the teacher sending out an email or parent saying, I'd like you to bring the following things the first day of school. And then there's like this mountain of stuff that shows up. So, and you're right, some of those are potentially related to instructional materials. I I see it, you know, the
binders and the crayons. I mean, I don't know that, you know, and the markers and the erasers and pencils. Yeah. I mean, okay. I mean, >> they're instructional materials, right? They're not >> that's part of our definition of what instructional materials are. I'm going to >> And in 2018,
there was something like there was a gap identified of like $800,000 in materials that if we were to actually fully fund this stuff, I don't know if it was 800, it was hundreds of thousands. >> Wow. >> And um I can't remember the exact amount now, but it was a large hundreds of
thousands and it was ultimately stripped out of the override request for So, I'm just saying there is a history here and >> Okay, good to know. >> There's a gap. Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. So, um, so if we think Yeah. Okay. So, that that first paragraph I'll
I'll work on. Um, okay. And then there's a list of criteria that because the school committee is going to approve it. I wrote it in the other way that's saying the school committee is going to look over these. Uh, I think we zoomed on too quickly here or something like that. Uh, did we
jump down a lot all of a sudden? Betsy, could you slide back up again a little bit? >> Yeah. Yeah. Everything. >> Yeah. Correlation to objectives. Yeah. Sorry. Yeah. Okay, Bessie. Yeah, this is perfect. So, um there was a there's a reference in our existing policy that the materials will reflect the student
learning goals and objectives as described in the learning expectations. I that's my question mark. I don't know what that is. That's >> I don't think we have those anymore. We had >> I've never heard of >> expectations got I think the state put out um the curriculum frameworks because
Brooklyn I'm pretty sure maybe this is a question for Beller or Robin, but >> Yep. I'm pretty sure we used to have our own learning expectations that were um subsumed or made irrelevant by the state curriculum frameworks. >> Well, that's listed here, but if there
if there are part portions of this, it should can be removed. I I didn't pass this by Bill and Robin first. This is the first time like we're really talking about it, but that's a good idea, Maria, to have them look through this paragraph and clean up the ones that don't exist, don't really apply. >> Yes.
>> I'm sorry. I don't I don't think Robin looked it over. I'm just texting. >> No, no, no, not yet. That's right. No, you're right. You're right. I haven't No, no, that's going to happen. I'll I'll clean up a few things and I'll send it to you and her and then Yeah, that would be the next step. Yeah. >> Okay, great. Thank you.
>> Yeah. Yeah, we're not I mean No, no, no. We're not saying that like she didn't look at it or anything. No, no, she hasn't looked at it because we haven't asked yet. Can we just can we just zoom this one out to say like it'll reflect the student learning goals and objectives in the like district and state appropriate district and state documents or something?
>> Yes, that's fine. Sure. >> Okay. >> Okay, I'll do that. >> Thanks. That to get into it. >> Yeah, perfect. Um and that's similar I guess to like you know the quality one um Mariah where materials will reflect the state and local standards real life connections containing concepts current and accurate
and obtain opportunities for critical thinking and problem solving. And then specifically then there's um a couple of items here that come from the template. These these this this little section was already in our existing one. So if we just go down a little bit I think that's
the um Betsy the last section. Yeah these six these six items come from um um right. So, um, Mariah, you'll notice that it I deleted on the right hand side
material selection and evaluation revised policy and it talks about this legal responsibility part that used to be down there. I moved a piece of it up up higher. That's why I talked about it there, but um, I wanted to keep the flow a little bit different than it is in the
existing policy. But anyway, we already talked about that we're going to make the changes there. So, what good? All right. So the the so the six that MASC has in there that I dropped in here is present a balanced view of international, national, local issues. >> Is balanced views in the MASC language.
>> Excuse me. >> Is balanced views in the MASC language. >> Yes, it is. that that phrase worries me because that's like a that's a phrase that for example antivax folks or you know climate change deniers can latch on to to insist that you know
we have to present a balanced view of the opposing sides in in certain disputes. So that anyway that that language um >> I agree the balance bit of it like >> sometimes the two sides don't really have >> they're not equal
>> they're not equal they don't they don't carry the same weight exactly >> we just we we've seen how that phrase actually gets abused in in political discourse. So um yeah >> this is why we're discussing that here. >> Thank you for bringing it up. We'll take it out. No, no, no. Exactly. Okay.
I was thinking about a word to replace it with and I had it in my head and then I forgot it, but I'm gonna I'm gonna hopefully remember it. >> Okay, we'll talk about we'll we'll move on. Talk about something else and it'll pop in. That's how it normally works. Exactly. And then just interrupt, please. >> Yeah, but we'll have to Yeah, I Yeah,
that's that's a tricky word, but we'll come up with something. Um the the the uh the second one is provide materials that stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic and ethical values. Help students develop abilities and critical reading and thinking. Um help develop and foster an appreciation of diversity
and development in the US and throughout the world. U provide for all students an effective basic education that does not discriminate on all the different levels um and areas. I didn't sorry I didn't mean to say levels. I mean in all the different categories I guess better word
um and and allow sufficient flexibility to meet the special needs of individual students and groups of students. So these are um um essentially word for word from the MASC ones and again used by these other districts um that had looked at the resolution last May as
well as many many that I you know go through the often through the polic website and look at all the ones from Abington to I don't know Welsley whatever you know the whole alphabet look at each of their instructional materials policies very many many many are vast majority are like this
>> so so this list uh seems to so There was we did have a short paragraph that has been deleted um which was materials will reflect Brookline's philosophy of inclusion alternative approaches for various skill levels and where appropriate factual information on
diverse cultures and ethnicities and non-sexist perspectives. Um so that paragraph seems to have been removed. Uh do >> yeah I removed I removed >> do you think that this list actually uh covers all of those things? like you know we now no longer have the word inclusion for example um and the
non-sexist perspectives maybe maybe not right so >> well I think in I think on you know five is basically saying we're not going to discriminate on any basis and so I think that covers the the the ethnicities and non-exist perspectives and I think the diverse cultural part is covered in four
appreciation of cultural diversity I mean I don't think we have to you know um express it more broadly than that I cultural diversity is what it is. All cultures uh and in in all their richness are appreciated. Um and um so that
that's what yeah that's why I removed it from from here as a policy. >> And then the differentiation I guess survives in in in six here. Yes. The idea was right that the material should allow for differentiation for uh
>> students with with students who have um differing needs. That's correct. What do you think, Mariah? >> For number five, why does it specify physical disabilities as opposed to disabilities generally? >> We we can take it out. Again, that's the word MSC is using. So, it appears in
like dozens and dozens and dozens of policies. Yeah, we can take that out. Sure. Of course. >> Right. So, I think >> I'll take a note on that. Thank you. >> Yeah. I'm just thinking I mean, we know about this the profile of our students and it's not like disability comes in many forms. >> Forms of course. Of course. Yeah. I'm
well aware. I was just utilizing their template there. So, >> sure, I'll I'll switch it out. >> Totally. >> I'll just be interested to hear. I mean, I think that it's a like I don't have a problem with the list in general. One thing that I think is weird formatting wise, if you don't mind Betsy just
scrolling up a little bit is that the a little bit more um the thing that is here like the state and local standards, real life connections, etc. To me, that all ties to like that should be a bullet, too. I'm not sure why they we
wouldn't say materials like I don't know why we have six things because it implies the numbers imply that they're like an expansion of what's related written there and they're not entirely. >> I hear Yeah. Oh, I hear what you're saying. So, I I had thought about it that way. So we could actually move them
over and give them like a title and and >> yeah like some of them are duplicative like will contain concepts that are current and accurate is sort of a duplic a a duplicate of number one and two below but reflecting state and local standards containing opportunities for critical thinking and problem solving
are not represented in the bullets or in the numbers at all. So opportunity to consolidate it into >> Yeah, let's do that. Okay. Yeah, I'll do that. Okay, let me make a note on that. Yeah, it's a good idea. I think that like I guess I really like that first sentence and some of it gets
lost in the numbers and I don't want it to get I don't want people to start to obsess over what's in one through six and miss the really great things that are in that first sentence >> which sentence >> like having the opportunity for critical thinking and problem solving like yes
art material should have that but then it says like the next thing says specifically the material shall contain the pro following criteria And I don't think there's anything about problem solving or critical thinking in one through six. And to me, those are like that's really >> actually number three. Yeah, number
three is Mariah. That's exact. Do >> you mind scrolling down Betsy a little bit so I can see it? >> Like half and half if you get Oh, it switches a page. I'm sorry. Yes, three is exactly that. >> Yeah, you're right. It's in critical thinking anyway, but it doesn't talk about problem solving. Anyway, I just think that like you know stuff that
could be >> I hear you brought out. Yeah. >> Yeah. I think if it's br I think if we since we like that first sentence and I can take some of the if I make them if I promote if we promote them to bullet items at the same level they all end up with the same importance and it covers them all and I'll look to take out any
duplicates. >> Can I make just one one wording suggestion on the last one instead of they must allow sufficient flexibility. Um can can we say something more like include sufficient flexibility or provide actually better is provide. So like it's not just that the the
curriculum can be adapted if the teacher works really hard, but that it actually incorporates uh differentiation opportunities. >> That makes sense. >> This is just my, you know, from my own struggles trying to differentiate using a curriculum that really is, you know,
allows it on some level but doesn't exactly promote it. >> Okay. For differentiation. Okay. If I have any questions about it as I'm doing it, I'll just ping you separately. you can give me a a phrase or something like that. >> Um, as long as >> I would like to add something to this
too, which is when we talk about these things, they we don't talk about to sort of to Andy's point, we don't talk about the materials in terms of their teachability. So, to the extent we can encourage if we're talking about all the things we want to see, materials that really work
for for educators to to educate would be a nice thing. >> Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I like it. >> Yep. >> Like to Andy's point, it shouldn't be like pulling teeth to be able to use this stuff to teach, right? It should be
like >> well we would say yeah but we would say that the we would say that the prof Yeah but that okay so that would relate back to what we said at the top about about professional staff's responsibilities are to you know curate and choose instructional materials eventually at
some level approved by the school committee but still those kind of materials that enable our educ educators to educate right so I'm saying you know if they picked something that was like a dud so they're basically they've made, you know, they could have made a better
decision, let's say. So, we could say it again here, but then we're really putting into question what they've what they've um what they've um what they've decided or, you know, or promoted. So, yeah. Okay. Yeah, I hear you. All right.
Yeah, I I took a note on that one, too. All right. Okay. And the last sentence, the last paragraph is what's still in there um in our original existing instructional materials policy about reconsideration. It's it's in those words and that basically that parents,
guardians, caregivers can make a request that um in some instructional materials could be should be removed or restricted. And if they have um an issue, they um uh they would to the
superintendent. It doesn't really say it in that way, but it it by implication would be reviewed by the superintendent or designate. So, the superintendent would uh um would would would um be the one they'd reach out to in a formal
written request and then um it would be up to the superintendent to do the review and uh any decisions that the um complainant or requesttor are are concerned about or want to take further would could be appealed to the school
committee. >> Is this for their own student or for the district as a whole? This reads like it's the district as a whole. >> It could be for the district as a whole. Yeah. >> I mean it could be any I mean look if someone you know I mean any instructional materials that the that
the I mean I assume that's the existing policy right so that if someone I don't know um fish tank you know literacy program if somebody felt that there should be um a we it should be removed even after we voted it and the whole thing they could write a letter. This
all it says is you can write a letter to the superintendent and say hey here are the reasons I'm upset with the you know literacy program or I'm sent with a STEM program or whatever it might be and the the materials that are being provided to a group of a group of students or districtwide for reasons XYZ ABC and
there's a process. It's not saying Mariah that um it's not adding anything new that we don't already have today. I'm not sure. Well, I guess I don't like the last sentence then because to me, right, like the the idea that the school if if if materials
are like specific materials that we're talking about are actually under the jurisdiction of the superintendent, then it doesn't go to the full school committee for an appeal. The superintendent's decision is is the decision. >> So, this might hearken back to the 70s or so when this, you know, when the uh
when some of these revisions were made or 2005. So yeah, we if that's no longer really the way we want to approach um uh requests, then we could take it out. I guess on the other hand, again, just thinking openly for a moment here, what
happens when the uh let's say a group of parents were to write a letter about, I don't know, something in social studies, and they write to the superintendent and they and e they don't hear about they don't get an answer, which could happen, or they get an or they get an answer they're not happy with. So what what's
their recourse? So I maybe this is what that was. >> They can complain to us and then we address it in our annual review of the superintendent just like many other things. Many decisions don't go up, right? Like there's basically we we evaluate the superintendent >> annually, >> right?
>> And on a whole on many dimensions that we don't have final appeal on, right? It's just our our job to oversee to supervise the superintendent. So should we should are are you recommending we just strike the last sentence completely? >> Yes. C >> can we ask our superintendent like how
this whether this piece does it so yeah like how does this ever play out? Like do do you actually receive formal written requests to remove items? Um and yeah >> no um I don't so usually the educ
educational program has been vetted and approved what parents can do is say they don't want to be they can pull their child from participation >> in a particular part of the program but
they don't that's how it generally works >> is like the program's been developed and vetted and approved and that's what we're offering. But Bella, I think that like sometimes though there's materials that you may not have been aware of or
whatever. And so it makes sense for a parent to say, >> you know, dear superintendent Wong, this was provided in like my students class today or, you know, and the teacher says they're going to keep using. I have specific examples in my mind that I'm not >> illustrating this with
>> and um and once it's elevated to your attention, you might decide, right, like, okay, you're right. this one this one comes out or whatever it is because you're reading it, you know, you're getting the details and it wasn't flagged before. I agree with you that what this is missing is any sort of
which I think is even Supreme Court mandated now, right? This idea that >> Yeah. So then there's there's case law around specific things. Yeah. >> Um but generally speaking, people don't I think maybe I would because Jesse said, you know, fish tank and I'm like, well, no, we probably wouldn't
re-evaluate fish tank at this point. Um, but in the individual pieces of material we are, you're right, there's case law about how we're supposed to respond to that, >> right, for individuals. I don't think there's anything weird with having like people are going to do it anyway. It's
okay. It's interesting to me though that the header is reconsideration and the wording in the text itself talks about removing and restricting. So, I guess I would prefer that it be that for made by individuals because it could be someone in the community to reconsider
use of instructional materials and it's okay for the district to hear them out and then you just say, "Oh, well, we'll look at it and you make a decision and that's that." >> Do you think need to need a piece of the policy that says sort of that talks about it? As you said, Mariah, people
are going to do it anyway, right? and and it's handled by the superintendent the way the superintendent handles anything that that comes to her. So >> I think it's helpful to clarify that it is the superintendent or their design's responsibility like the purpose is to say school committee comment
>> right >> that's true if we can write this part partly to make it clear that like you know the school committee is not your first port of call like >> exactly >> right I agree >> it falls on the operations side of the house not school committee side of the house that's why I would like to keep it
in there but I do think there's something there is a Um, and I want to say that like case law, I think that Kathleen even sent out the email to the to the district earlier this year about the whatever the current law is about
opting out. There's some sort of specific opt out instruction opt out language now. So, >> are you are you bringing that up so that we should consider it? I guess what I'm saying is like something like saying um you know individual
>> instructional material opt out material will be opt- out instructions will be provided by the district to parents and guardians and caregivers annually just that >> okay >> we just have to make sure to do this in a way that doesn't put an undue burden on the superintendent right and make it
seem like they need to respond in a certain way to every >> um you I guess I guess what we're doing is we're I I like the idea of taking the school committee out of the paragraph, of course, and I it makes a lot of sense logically. I think having some I I can I
think we can I can reword the the heading rather than reconsideration to something smoother. Uh again, this was in our our policy from 48 years ago. um Andy and then um reword the sentencing in there just to provide people an
outlet that says you know an opport a a a policy is that if you if you're concerned about um an instructional material piece um here's what we you know we're suggesting or you have the yes it's true you said that they're
going to do it anyway but I think to have in the policy a sentence or so that just says if you are um concerned the opt-in opt out for sure. I'll put in and that um there is a pathway that you can make these requests and um and you know
to the superintendent for followup that that's it. I mean that we we'll take the rest of it out unless you just unless we just wanted to talk about the new opt out option and just replace the entire paragraph with the opt out thing and and take
everything else out. But it seemed to me like like um Mariah was saying that having having in the policy not the process but just that the opportunity exists that if given given all the um the elements that we've provided above
if a parent just feels that there's something a miss that they that we're not closing the door on them. you know, >> that the policy itself explains and and and and um exhibits a an openness to hear from a parent or
>> anyone a community member, a community, right? Like >> Yeah. >> Do you think parent or guardian is too narrow? I we just you I was going to say I mean >> Okay, I'll I'll change it. Okay. Yeah. So, let me change that whole thing and I'll I'll look back for Kathleen's thing
about the opt out or just find it online. I don't know if you would have seen it because >> Oh, yeah. >> But it predated me. >> Well, no, you wouldn't have gotten it because you're not a parent or guardian. >> I am. >> Are you? >> No, I'm not. >> No, no, no, no, no, no. I'm not.
>> Okay. It's now 6:31. Um, >> okay. So, I think we covered to the end. Yeah. Um, >> yeah, this work. No, you know, this Yeah, this I mean I I I sincerely appreciate all the the input um and feedback. Uh Andy. >> Yeah, thank you for uh for doing this revision. Um yeah, so what do we think
next steps are in this case? So, you know, we've discussed some revisions which are kind of on the level of wording, right? They're not big in structural, >> right? So, I'm I'm going to redo I'll redo it and um send it back out within the next um well, on top of the year, I say yeah, within the next week. I mean,
we're not meeting until around the 10th. Um um so like this month, I'll get it back to you. I mean, what's it 15th today? Yeah. So, in the next couple of days, I will send it. I'm I'm allowed to send it out to the two of you. It's not an OML issue. We're not we're not
discussing it. I'm just providing you another copy. Is that a >> Right. I think it's fine if you just incorporate our discussion, make a new document, send it out to us, and we just don't reply. >> That's correct. Okay. So, I I will do that within the next um what's today? Thursday night already. >> Yeah, within the next three to five days, you'll have it.
>> Oh, thank you. >> Probably next week. Yeah. Yeah, no problem. Thank you very much. >> Okay. Um, so new business. Uh, would anyone like to raise new business? >> No. >> No. >> All right. Uh, go home. >> The meeting is adjourned. Thank you. Thank all thanks to all of you who
attended. >> Thank you. Take care. Good night. >> Bye.