I'm Governor Mara Hilly sign into law bodies 2h62 as amended by S 202506 which contains the final form of the bill entitled an act
relative to extending certain COVID 19 measures adopted during the state of emergency act of interest to all government governmental public um bodies in Massachusetts. The act extends until June 2027. The authority for meetings of
multiple member bodies to be held in entirely remote or hybrid format. All public bodies may hold fully remote or hybrid meetings without the physical presence of a quorum of the public body as long as adequate alternative means of
public access is also provided. Pursuant to mg m.gl 3A attendees are hereby informed that a video and audio of the meeting is being recording is being recorded.
We have roll call. Is there a roll call or you can do it? >> Okay. >> Um here presently we have um Patty Dub school uh committee member
is absent today. We also have in person um councelor Jenny Pa. We have Mr. Harvey Greeny. We also have um councelor Israel Rivera
and also our superintendent Anthony Sto. Why do I mention all the other ones or >> um you you can >> I um >> you want me to
>> can you please I can't see the names. >> Yeah. Also joining us tonight we have several members of our uh HPS district leadership team. I see Aaron Lynville who joined us online. Uh we have uh Rebecca Thompson and Lauda and Caitlyn
from our academics team. Um and we have Sean Sheidi also in the audience. >> Thank you. items here. We're going to go through the first um line item on
the um agenda, the MSBA statement of interest that the school committee refer the statement of interest for a uh core building project with the MSBA for the Lawrence school site for the full city
council for approval. any discussion, any information you want to share? Um, >> sure. So, um, linked in your agenda is a memo, a joint memo from myself and Mayor Garcia that went to the city council and
the Holy Oak School Committee. I will also name that we reviewed this at our finance and operations subcommittee and there was a vote to get uh to a vote made to recommend that the city council
vote on this at their next meeting. But, uh, this process requires both a vote from the city council and a vote from the school committee, which is why we're asking that this committee, um, recommend the city council take a vote
on this. Um, the memo is pretty lengthy, just giving some background on, uh, particularly like what the timeline is for a core project. And I think the highlight is is that if we want to be
invited into the MSBA core program to have an opport an opportunity to just be selected, um then we have to sub we have to submit those votes and this statement of interest to the MSBA by April 17th
um of this year. If we don't then uh we would have to wait another year. I will name I I also want to name that this does not tie us into any funding. It doesn't uh uh mean that like you know
that that we we've been invited into the program. All this all this is is expressing to the MSBA that we would like to be invited into their program. Um and then they will analyze our statement of interest and and decide
whether or not they want to invite us in. if we get invited in um the timeline uh for that to happen would be no no earlier than January 27 January of 2027
we'll likely hear around that time like yep Holio we uh we think you're ready and we'd like you to invite you into the program and then that triggers uh another process which you know is called the eligibility period for like 6 to 9
months. Um and then uh 18 months and then uh in June of 29 is when we would engage in a feasibility study to go through all the details uh go through like a a funding agreement
and and that's when you know we'll have to actually like start discussing um you know committing some funding to this project even if it's just for the feasibility study. So, uh, on page two of the memo is the actual vote language
that we would like recommended to, uh, the city council. And Miss Feliciano actually has the updated language. This is just a template that they have. And we've went ahead and we've inserted the Holio City Council. We've went and ahead
and inserted uh, Lawrence School and and and dates and stuff like that. So, um, what we're hoping for tonight is a vote to recommend to the city council that they adopt it, that they vote on this language and allow us to move forward
and just express interest to the MSBA to invite us into the program and see whether or not it's feasible for us to build another middle school on the Lawrence site um or or a site. But
Lawrence is one of our oldest buildings. It's one of the buildings that um you know, we did uh we had a study done on on the conditions of all of our buildings back in 2017 uh 17 or so. Don't quote me on the date, but those
dates are in the memo. And uh essentially somebody came in and looked at all of our schools and rated them based on the conditions of of the schools. and Lawrence was the lowest on the list in terms of the the facilities
condition. So, um you know that that's kind of a a summary of what you know what we'd like to discuss tonight and and get your support on. I do have Sean Sheidi here. I have Aaron Lynville both who have been uh instrumental in in
getting in in putting us in a position where a we were able to build the Peek Middle School. I see Mark Lubold there who was the chair of our um of our building committee for that project. Uh but we're all here just to answer any
questions that you might have and and request your support in moving this to the city council. Madam Chair. Go ahead. Go ahead, Mr. How Go ahead. >> Uh, yeah. Just a a quick question.
Basically, what would it be a ballpark figure of the feasibility study be in cost to the city? I believe it's $2 million with a 80% cost share. >> They pay 80,000. They pay 80% and we pay
20%. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And Mr. Grainy, I just want to be clear that like um this step in the process doesn't mean we have to do a feasibility study and set aside funding. It's
essentially like taking a ticket in the deli and and waiting for your number to be called. Um, and maybe your number gets called or maybe and maybe it doesn't. So, we're just expressing interest to the MSBA that we would like to be invited in, but there's a
possibility they say say no. If they say yes then then you know that part of that um part of the next steps would be uh in the eligibil there would be an eligibility period and then we would move to a feasibility study.
>> Okay. Thanks. >> Just my my question was just about the t the timeline. Is there like a rough timeline for like when your number gets picked to when you deter when it's determined? No earlier than January of
2027 is when we'll find out. >> So, it needs to be presented to city council before April 17th. Does it need >> April 17th is when we need this submitted to the MSBA, the application, the statement of interest. Um, and we
need as part of that application, you have to secure votes from both city council and from school committee. So, this is on the agenda for the school committee at our next meeting on March 23rd. Um, so, uh, I I'm pretty confident and hopeful that we get them to vote on
it and they would approve it. Um, and and we're hoping that the city council does the same. Just to add, um, Tessa Murphy Rob Counselor Murphy Ramleti already filed an order for it to be on the March 17th
school committee or I mean city council agenda. So, next Tuesday, assuming it assuming you know you decide to proceed. >> Perfect. I don't have to do it. >> Any other further questions? Can we just
um get a vote? All in favor? >> I I any >> I So we have a vote of all. Mr. Rivera, can you hear us? Mr. Pa, can you hear us?
>> Yes. I didn't know you were talking to me. My bad. >> You just trying to get a vote. H how you voting on this decision to >> wait you're not talking to me I don't have a vote on this committee correct >> Israel Rivera
>> sorry I'm sorry for item so the item >> thank you >> I was like hey so so um the next item is um filed by Mr. Ria, councelor Isra,
an in order that the school department be um requested to provide an overview of the district current early literacy instructional model, including reasons for transitioning from phonics based instructions to use the site words and how students reading outcomes are being
assessed. >> If I may, Madam Chair. >> Okay. Do I have the floor? >> Yes, you do. I'm sorry. Yes. >> All right. Thank you. So, yeah. Uh originally I I filed the order first just to like uh have an uh an idea of
what the instructional model that is that we're using with regards to literacy not only for myself but also for it to be on Zoom and the community can actually if they would like to um go back and review the notes of this meeting or see the video uh to see what it what is what it is that we're using.
Um, and I know in the past with regards to me referencing the site words piece, I know in the past um, we transferred to site words, but I my understanding is that we're currently using a different model. Hopefully it is the science of reading or we're pushing in that direction, but my understanding is that
at the state level they're trying they haven't done it yet, but the idea is that they're hoping that we are able to move all the districts around uh, the science of reading. I my my my reason for filing the order was to kind of further understand where it is we stand
and what it is that we're doing with regards to that. >> Yeah. Uh thank you for the order. I did bring members of of my team here to speak to that. But um I do want to name that uh early literacy
um was named as a as a high as one of our five priority areas in the strategic plan that we developed four years ago. We're ser you know we made a commitment to focus on early literacy. We hired a consultant and worked with Katherine
Tarker from the state to evaluate what we're doing and came up with a plan to to to really get at early literacy in Holio. And I I believe that the amount of work that's been put in and like the the results that we're seeing for our
youngest learners, uh we're seeing them grow. Um so much so that you know the the state just released a prison prism grant. Uh we're in the first cohort of that Prism grant. We're one of 12 districts that have been selected across
the entire state for this grant. And part of the reason that we were invited to participate this and were awarded this grant is because around early literacy instruction we you know we we had done so much work over the last four
years and and the state really thought that we were ready to participate in the the prism grant. So, I do want to call up Rebecca and her team to uh to say more. And as part of that, like we are going to be, you know, like like the
goal of that prism is for for those 12 districts to be models in the state on how they imple implement their early literacy practices. So, uh states actually using us as a model, uh once we're done with with
Madam Chair. >> Yes. You hear me? >> Yes. Uh this council grant uh uh through the chair to uh Anthony Sto, please. I think there's a ton of federal money that's available for early literacy at
this point, too, isn't there? Um, I haven't seen any federal grants, but the biggest state grant that is out there, we were invited to be a part of it. One of 12 districts in the whole state,
>> right? I understand that, but I think there is some federal money out there. I'm not I'm not sure, but u I think there is. Anyways, >> my experience with federal money to education in general is not that there's a ton of extra money out there. In fact,
we just got a cut of like we're expecting a cut of like $800,000 to our title one for next year. >> I I understand that, but I'm talking about about early literacy. >> Rebecca Yeah. Um, I brought with me
today Caitlyn Rosaza who is our associate director of early literacy for the district and has supported lifting a lot of our science of reading work across and um, additionally Laura Espinosa Muffson who is our associate director of dual language programming.
Um, both have collaborated when we talk about early literacy as a strategy we mean for all students in the district. And so as we're working on this um intentionally to ensure that no student is an afterthought and that in our priorities, it's not just around um our classrooms that that don't have dual
language programming, but it's all and that we have tried to align as much as possible. Although we know um the science of reading was really the research is done around our more monolingual programs and not our dual language programs. And so we also have researchbacked methods for the dual
language programming as well. and we're seeing really significant gains by the time our students are getting to fifth grade um where they're outperforming our in our dual language program. Um and so we're we're working really hard and I'm going to pass it over to Caitlyn to speak to our model and then we're happy
to answer any questions that you might have. Um yeah, and just to clarify the so our model is grounded in the science of reading. Um it is grounded in phonics based instruction. um in alignment with
the Massachusetts standards um and in alignment with DESI's vision of early literacy through evidence-based culturally and linguistically sustaining practices. Um, so Laura and I have worked really closely to align what do those evidence-based practices look like
in action in both the dual language with Spanish language acquisition as well as in non-dual language classrooms with English language acquisition as well as the bridging between the two. Um when students get into second grade and beyond within dual language, um students spend on average 45 minutes a day in um
their tier one foundational skills block where they have opportunities for um funological phmic awareness building skills, um sound spelling correspondence as well as like salabic awareness uh in Spanish language acquisition. Um, and
there's an emphasis on both sound level, word level, uh, automaticity, as well as applying that to um, dictation to, um, work on those sound spelling correspondences and being able to encode as well as application to
decodable text to be able to see those words in context, both isolation and then in context, um, and apply their skills in that way. Um there are also um two um opportunities for small group literacy where students would get a
small group or either you know for additional practice um with what is being focused on in the tier one curriculum or they may um need to work on some remedial skills that um you know the data is showing they have some gaps and we want to close those uh gaps while
also exposing them to the grade level content. Um and our data is showing that um our students are growing and we um last year were able to reduce the students um from uh the beginning of the year to the end of the year um on the
dibbles assessment we were able to um reduce the number of students in well below by at least 15% and um then increase the number of students at or above um by at least 15% as well. And um the data is already trending ahead this
year showing that students are making more gains already in MOI. So we're hoping to even um further that by EOI um end of year. So um and then students also do have a core reading writing block where um that's hitting
still some of the foundational skills um components and the science of reading. Um, you know, the foundational skills block is hitting the word recognition side of the Scarboro's reading rope um with the decoding and irregular words that have unexpected expected sounds. Um
whereas the other side of the uh rope is equally as important in terms of language comprehension, syntax, background building, vocabulary. Um, so they do have that reading and writing block where they get to engage with rich complex texts. Um, and build their
vocabulary and knowledge around thematic units. Um, and then we do use, um, assessments to make sure we know exactly where students are at and then monitor students who are in need of support. Um, we use the Dibbles assessment in our non-dual language classrooms in K to2.
Um and that is our state approved um early literacy screener um to flag any students of at risk for possible um reading difficulties and we share that information with families um in kindergarten twice a year and in um
first to third three times a year and we also use the star early literacy across both of our programs um dual language and non-dual language as well as the anal and era in dual language spaces um and we're using that data and having data meetings five times a year uh
across programs to make sure that we're analyzing data, determining um students in need of further progress monitoring and intervention and then monitoring closely um over the cycle. Um so those are some of the things.
>> Yeah. And I just I wanted to name that in addition to that. Um last year I I have to give a shout out to the to the Davis Foundation um because uh they they supplied us with significant funding to help lift uh high
dosage tutoring across our district um and with through Ignite Reading. I don't know if you want to add to that a little bit, but you know, uh, the Davis family is really passionate about kids should be reading by the time they hit third
grade and how important that is and and they they've provided us with some significant funding. Uh, to to not all of the things that Caitlyn talked about, we're doing. In addition to that, we've layered on this high dosage tutoring
which has been uh also amazing and helps us helps students that may be behind in in getting that additional tutoring uh every day. >> Um our Ignite tutoring is just another puzzle piece, right, to to ensure we're
meeting the needs of all students. And so last year, Davis um funded us and got us started. We were able to provide um 15 minutes a day every single day of one-on-one tutoring from a a live tutor who's on the screen, me to the student, they have their headphones and
microphone. Um and they do that daily. And that was to every first grader who was below or well below in um four of our elementary schools. This year, the Prism grant, additional funding from the Department of Ed around high dosage tutoring, and some of our turnaround
funds were able to support us to do that for every single first, second, and third grade student in all six of our elementary schools. So, in addition to the really strong tier one instruction they're getting in their classroom every day, the small group instruction that
they're getting, um, and we ensured before we even started the partnership with Ignite Reading that they were aligned to the science of reading and the work that we're doing so it wouldn't be something totally different for our students. Um, but we're really proud of the fact that we were able to um, fund that and be able to do that for first
through third grade. And we are, as Caitlyn mentioned, I was in a meeting today with Hill for Literacy looking at some of our data and we have particular schools that have um their middle of year has surpassed what their end ofear data was last year. So, it's pretty exciting the momentum that we've built.
We still have a long way to go. Um but our students deserve this and so it's feels really good. >> I just have a followup question. So what type of instruction is given to students who beyond third grade and beyond? So if they're having reading trouble, what
what do they get? >> Um so in terms of third grade and beyond, that is our um it is our next focus before the end of this year. I intend to bring a work group together to start to talk about that. We already have our wind block.
So, we utilize um SIP's curriculum and students are assessed and placed within SIPs and given direct instruction from our our classroom teachers and from interventionists, but we need to strengthen it all the way through high school. Um, and our students who are in early like we we could not do all of
this work and build out all of these pieces all at once and have it be really successful. And so, it I wish that we could. Um, and so we've we've aligned pre-K to third grade through this grant. um the prison grant and that is for another four years, but we intend this
year to start conversations about um we hear a lot about like the high school schedule being a hindrance and different things. So, we've really got to tear apart certain aspects of things to be able to build out a strategy and there isn't a a magic answer to that. Like in working with health for literacy, they
run adolescent literacy classes. There's so many different things out there. I spoke with the Davis Foundation the other day who's interested in supporting us to do um even more exploration and learning about how how can we build out a strategy that really targets closing gaps for our older learners um who who
in lots of ways we did fail through our our um initial programming and I think it that just needs to be acknowledged and and how do we aggressively try to close those gaps now for students >> like are you still using Fanta Sympanel in >> No, not at all. And what about in
foundations for special education readers? Um I can't speak to foundations but we could invite certainly special education here to speak to that >> anytime we find yeah I just
know my my reader is graduated two years so I would imagine it would be changed but that I know that was still still a thing but >> we've um also heard um from some parents who have reflected that the experience of gaining access to litery
has been drastically different from say their child like their child that's in it now versus um several years ago. So I mean those are just anecdotal but we are seeing the the quantitative data behind that as well. I think he had it's it's right
>> is is there can you hear? >> Yes, thank you. Uh, so I got a couple questions. I guess for me, one of them is how long have we been utilizing the science of reading? Like, and if so, like like what does the data show over the last four or five years since we've
been utilizing it or however long we've been utilizing it? Um, and then for me, it's kind of like breaking it down individually to different schools too as well. Like cuz when we're saying all the data and we're breaking it, we're we're bunching everything together and we understand that like different places
have different difficulties and um just understanding that and bringing it forward kind of helps the community understand what we're doing individually for different schools to help them meet certain um goals, right? Um and then the other piece around dual language that
was brought up. Um, so my understanding is I think in the beginning it's like 80% when they're in pre prek kindergarten kindergarten where they're learning how to read in Spanish 80% 20% English. Um, and then as they go up it
it changes. I guess my concern is that when they're in third grade and they take the MCCAT, are they taking the MCAT in Spanish or in English? >> Do you want me? because if they're taking it in English, um >> we're going to break those questions apart and Laura is going to speak to the
MCCAST piece for you and the 8020 model. >> Yeah. >> And then we'll go back to your first question if that's okay. >> Yeah. And then and then the other piece around testing, right? Like because I I know in my own meetings with my own experiences, we're saying they'll say that someone is at a certain level of
testing among their peers. Who are the peers when we say that, right? Is the peers the the the peers in their classroom? I mean, are the peers in their school? Is it the peers in their grade level all across the whole state? Or is it the peers just in olio? Because
it doesn't literally clarify that when we're saying, "Oh, this person tested it to this level and they tested at this level within amongst their peers like what does that mean amongst their peers?" >> Um, so I can start answering the questions specifically around dual language programming. Um, as you
mentioned, the model for our dual language programs is early immersion. So, we have our prek and kindergarten classrooms start with 80% of their day in Spanish, which means they're getting almost all of their instruction in Spanish. Um, and then in first grade, it
goes to 7030, so they have a little bit less Spanish, they have a little bit more English, and then by the time they get to second grade, it's a 50/50 model all the way from there to fifth grade. So, they have half their day in Spanish, half their day in English. Our goal for our students that are in the dual
language program is to achieve biiteracy and bilingualism. So to be able to read and write in both languages. Um and our model for that is to start with a heavy immersion in Spanish first and have them gain their literacy skills um in Spanish
first and then as they grow into second grade, they begin to transfer those skills into English. Um and we monitor our data. Um, just as Caitlyn said, we use Star Early Literacy to monitor students literacy progression um, in
Spanish and actually as well in English as they're moving along. And we have had great results with kids. They naturally start to transfer their skills to English by the time they're in second grade. Um, and the great thing is that last year the state uh was really
responsive to the fact that we have a growing number of dual language programs across the state of Massachusetts and for the first year they actually released a bilingual version of the MCCAST. So now all of our dual language students have the opportunity to take
their um MCCAST specifically the MCCAST um their content courses so math and science they can take in both languages. Um, and they will still take the M, the ELA MCCAST, so the English language arts MCCAST in English. Um,
but we, you know, as I said, with the model that we have, um, they're still on the road progressing towards reading on grade level in English by third grade with the model that we have, and they have opportunities. Um, just like Caitlyn
said, we modeled our language arts, the foundational literacy block. um we were completely aligned with the rest of the district and then um by the time they're in first grade they're already starting to get targeted um English instruction specifically in foundational literacy
and language English language development and then in second grade and beyond um they get even more exposure to that and we've had great results with that. My first question >> it was around assessments and when
families probably get star data and it says >> so who are the peers in a sense so like when you're saying uh that they're doing well right uh compared to whom compared to what
>> yeah so for that qu um that question so again we use um the both star and we We use the star early literacy in grades K and one and then the star reading in grade two and beyond. Um and then we
also additionally use Dibbles in grades K to two. And those both STAR and Dibbles are on Desessie's um list. You'll find it under their early literacy screeners on the website under approved screeners. Um and those
they are normed they are vetted by Desessie and many others but they are normed against um you know an a large um percentage of of kids nationally across um the country um to ensure validity of
results and reliability um and saying this is where students need to be um by you know the end of grade one um Well, I'm sorry to cut you off. So, if we're saying that someone is testing at 80% or
whatever above percentile of the second grade, you're saying that they're 80% second percentile of the whole country within the whole country >> of people that grade of the whole country. That's that's the data point. That's that's the that's what makes it the validity point, right?
>> Yes. Of people taking those assessments. So, of people taking dibbles, of people taking STAR, not every district uses STAR, but the ones that do, the the STAR assessment can benchmark kids across uh
everybody in the nation that's taking those. Is that right? >> That's correct. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Because that was the question for me because it's like if we're saying of kids within their grade to me it's like okay so then of kids of that are in first grade in in Chabe of kids that are
in first grade in South Hadley of kids that are in first grade and like other districts across like specifically where is the data point coming from because I mean now that I'm taking my master's degree I fully understand validity and how how it's broken down and I also
understand how it's manipulated. So for me it's uh understanding where the number is coming from. What are we comparing it to? Kind of sounds like it's arbitrary right now. Even though we're saying it is because we're taking it from STAR, but like no one can kind
of actually say definitively where the numbers coming from. Who are we comparing to? >> We're comparing to all other students who are taking that assessment. But I think the point that I want to take from this
is that um one thing Caitlyn and I have been talking a lot about recently is that she create some parent or caregiver tutorials in terms of how to interpret the data that we are sending home. So um for a long time we we hadn't been sharing this level of data with
families. And um last year I created and and supported the academic team to put together a family data communication plan. Um, so schools are required to send certain assessments certain times of the year and again we're like we're
building not as we go but but we're we know that we also need to provide interpretation support of okay now I've got this information about my child but how do I deeply understand what this means about where my child is in terms of reading or mathematics um or the other reports that are coming home. So
that's a next step. I don't know if that I mean I I know that will be helpful to to some. Um >> Thompson I also think it's important to you know um when we say ranked amongst peers or growth amongst
peers that's the star system or the dibble system. >> Right. Yeah. Right. >> Giving us those numbers. It's not something that, you know, Rebecca and her team is analyzing and manipulating or deciding what who who to include.
Like, it's anybody who's taking that STAR assessment across the entire country or that Dibbles assessment across the entire country. Those are the numbers that get sent out. Um, we have no ability to manipulate those numbers in any way.
>> Well, when I said man, when I said manipulate, I didn't mean it. in you guys manipulating the numbers. I'm just saying in general the way data is gathered if it's put together in a certain way uh it has to have a certain specific way of how it's being gathered
so that it's not deemed biased or manipulated and and and to be honest I guess that the star assessment and these other assessments could be that right because somebody's paying a lot of money for it to happen and put it together but there's no actual clarity as to what
it's being measured to. Um, it's easy for someone to say, "Yeah, it's being measured from this assessment, but what are we measuring?" Like, how how are we doing that? Um, I guess for me, it's just it's it's just hard to accept that when I when I in my own classes, when I'm doing my own thing, that would not
be acceptable for my professor if I presented it in a sense. I'd have to bring I'd be I'd have to bring more information and actually cite where it's all coming from and like detail it to a certain extent. So for me it's like uh like just understanding it better I
guess and where it's coming from and doing some more research on those assessments. >> But thank you. >> I can speak to like again uh you know dibble specifically is a normed and validated assessment that is been researched uh thoroughly by the
University of Oregon and for that there are benchmarks of where a student needs to get through and there's a vertical alignment. It's a K to8 assessment to show um you know the research behind like what um words per minute you need to be a fluent reader. So then you are
able to comprehend text and free up um you know the cognitive load from just focusing on the decoding piece. So that does um you know there are those set benchmarks and um that of where the students need to be to move pro you know
through that progression to become a fluent reader. um with their fluency, their decoding um accuracy. >> And I'll just close with, you know, Rebecca named that we probably still have some more work to do with the
information on these assessments going home to families. there's probably a little more work to do to work with them and and and share you know um you know how you interpret that data and how do you support so um I think Rebecca named that
you know this conversation is having her reflect on that and >> uh we also ensured that these reports went home before today and tomorrow's um caregiver conferences so that teachers could explain and speak to where students are performing within the
standards as well. So, there was like intentional timing with that, but we definitely um want to create these tutorials and supports. >> Yes, >> I just quickly >> Madam Chair, >> go ahead. >> Sorry for interrupting.
>> I just have one quick question. >> Yes. >> Uh to put all the data aside, data this, data that, and everything else. What percentage of our students are reading at grade level when they reach grade three overall? What percentage of our students are reading at grade level when they get
to grade three? >> I don't have that number off the top of our head, but I'd be happy to provide that um to you, Mr. Gra, >> because that's the most interest that's that that's the most important statistic that we can possibly get is is how our kids are measuring up overall. and that
is the percentage they are reading at at that particular grade level by the time they reach that grade. Whatever test you use, whatever data you use, that's the answer to that question is is is the most important answer. Thank you. >> We can we can absolutely get you those
numbers and we can confidently say that number is is increasing every year since um our first initial launch of our science of reading programming. Um and it will take time for it to really um jump but we are seeing growth in that
area. >> Well that's encouraging. >> So beyond third grade what the percentage of students are reading effectively. >> I mean that would be through our MCCAST data proficiency levels. So that's public for everyone access. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> Although I would argue that it's not just MCCAST data. There's a lot of other assessment data that we have. MCCAST is a test that they took on one day. >> And if we're just going to measure that based on one test, then I I think that
would be a miss for sure. But that is that is what a lot of people measure to to to make that determination. >> Yeah, we have the same assessments that go beyond sorry. Oh, no. But I think that I think that's fair what you're saying. And I think
ago when we talked about the strategic priorities and making it keeping the the K through2 priority, but also prioritizing literacy for our grades beyond because there's kids who may not be getting the benefit of of all the great things that you were talking about.
My quick question is you continue to utilize the term assess assess with these testing such as star and dibbles in the incident that you have someone who's really not reading. How do you how do you determine that individual? And I
say that because you know I go look at situations not necessarily holio individuals that I don't understand. How do they make it to 8th grade? They really can't even read or write today. And how did they get assessed? Who who who didn't see this? And this is not one
single individual. The prison pipeline tells us that as it is the individuals who end up in jail are the custo you know the customers of this situation. So explain to me that part. I'm not a teacher so I cannot understand many of the things that being shared but I'm
kind of trying to catch up on the start and the assessments that are being utilized. How do we miss somebody? for example, just use me an examples to help me understand how did somebody get to eighth grade and nobody noticed they never learned how to read or write. >> Can I share a I know we need to move on,
but I just would love to share a quick story. So, in my entire educational career, I have not seen a more powerful collaboration than when I was at a school probably a month and a half ago. And maybe it was more than that. I've lost.
um they were engaging in a data meeting looking at um our students Dibble is our student star and in that room we had the core teacher the special education teacher our ELD teachers for multilingual learners we had our interventionists we had all of these
people and our literacy coaches in one space going through every single student so that that doesn't happen. That has not been the case historically. It has been sure we've given assessments, but what good is an assessment if we're not sitting and looking at that data
together and figure out who's going to do what to get to this skill and I have them scheduled for this time of day. I have them scheduled for this time. Um, this overlap, so I'm going to take this. It it was the most powerful collaboration and conversation I think I've I've experienced in my career. Um,
and so that doesn't solve the previous problem, but we are taking steps in that direction. And um there was no student in that meeting in the entire grade level that was going to fall through the cracks in terms of us finding something that works for them to help.
>> So you're saying that's happening here in our district as well? >> Yes. That was in our district. >> That was in our district. Yeah. And and why I say that I have nine grandkids and I'm not going to say her much more but there's a situation of one of them very
bright young person who but has a disability that does not allow her to catch up like everyone else but in everything else she's very bright um but the reading is a challenge and I wonder you know how is she then responding to these assessments that you're sharing
right now when it comes to her time to respond is she being set aside and that's not a number that is not counted because the other ones are striving and she's not. So that's all it you know it just makes me think about that. So >> yeah and rest assured we assess all the
students in K2. We've been using SAR for many many years and we've been using Dibbles for at least the past five years. All of our K to2 students are tested. Um and to your point we're using the assessment to drive instruction. the sensitive.
It's not just like here's a passage. That is a component in second grade and beyond. Um first and second and beyond to you know do it's an oral reading fluency where you're given a grade level passage but it starts way excuse me below that. There's a letter naming
fluency um that is a risk indicator of um difficulty. There is a um what's called a nonsense word fluency um where students are having to apply those decoding skills. Um, so there are lots of different sensitive measures and based on that you give all of those
measures for a benchmark and then you target the instruction and use one of one to two of those four um a progress monitoring to track their growth for a student well below um every two weeks because we really want to see how it's moving because we don't want to wait till the middle of year and then the
student hasn't progressed. In six weeks if the data points are showing a negative trend we need to do something else. We need action. Um and I think the state has realized this problem that you're speaking of of that students have been falling through the cracks. So
that's why they came out with the regulation um 2 years ago to ensure that in K to3 students are being screened with an early literacy screener that is approved by them that is normed um and that is validated and based on research
um to make sure that we are both assessing all students and we are um intervening and we have to actually send that information to family uh family members to say you know this is your student is at risk for potential reading difficulties. here are the actions we're
taking. Um and just to the you know piece around um diverse learners this year um we have we've been in a partnership with Hil for literacy and we've been doing science of reading for longer than that but really have hit the ground running in these past four years
um in strengthening our evidence-based early literacy practices. But this year um we really wanted to extend to um ensure that when we say all students have access to evidence-based early literacy it really is all. So, we've been working specifically with our special education teachers. Our special
education inclusion teachers have gone through the training, but not not necessarily had all of the um in-person coaching. So, Hill has been coming and giving in-person coaching to our um special educators when they're pulling their um groups to do services um to
give them um that same level of coaching to ensure that if students are getting specialized instruction as per their IEP, that it is aligned to evidence-based practices, and we're meeting students where they're at, scaffolding as needed. And we've also um expanded that to our self-contained
subsparent classrooms too because we're saying early literacy and equity it has to include all of our students and that looks very different. What does early literacy look like for a student who is non-verbal? Um and we're exploring you know how you can use an AAC device to um and they're getting coaching
contextualized to the needs of students in say an ADL classroom. So those are some things we're doing to target even more students. And is that the type Rebecca that you were talking about like the the coordination and the collaboration that you're trying to pull through the rest of the system?
>> Yes. Um that's ideally the goal for every space right and and our older grades as well. Um it is we are not the meeting that I was in that school didn't have subs separate classrooms but they had special educators who were trained in the science of reading and who were
going through that coaching as well. Yeah. So my quick question is so I was working in the school system. It's been like seven years ago in fourth and then this student uh sorry my ears are clogged. This student the
same case moved up from fourth to fifth. Didn't even know how to write his last name. Then went to STEM didn't go past them. Now he's in jail. So like I personally said our school system failed them because they just
kept passing them because of the no child left behind law I believe it was. So are we still in that or what happens when they are not at their level? Are we still passing them and how are we continuing if they're not at their levels? Typically, retention
conversations have happened with families. Um, and if the family and the teachers thought it was appropriate to retain a student, um, then we did that. We recently implemented a retention
strategy last year that was geared at really chronically absent students. um where if you have, you know, right now there if if you don't show up for 30 days, there was really no incentive if
you were just going to pass the grade, right? Um we so we had a conversation with the attendance task force, with the school committee, and decided that we wanted to put some teeth into, you know, like, you know, not just passing kids if
you're absent for 30 days. So, um, part of our retention policy, our retention practices this past year and this year has really been like if you're chronically absent and in addition to
that, you're we look at your assessment data and and how you're doing in school. uh we do have like firm conversations with families that if they don't like start sending their kids to school more regularly and they continue to slide
that there is a possibility that they will be retained. Um and you know we we've actually put that in practice this past year but I I will also name that like we try not to retain a kid more than twice. Like we don't want
18year-old kids in third grade, right? So, um, it it's really hard to to, you know, when when you have a situation like that and a student has already been retain, you want them to be with kids their age. Uh, it looks like you had
your hand up. >> Yeah. I just wanted to share that um retention certainly if you haven't been in school and all of that is happening but if we don't if we retain you to do the same exact thing we did with you the year
prior we're not going to see those gains and and we're not going to see that growth and so we really truly need strategy for how are we closing the gaps for students and I know for me I was started out as a middle school English teacher I was not taught how to teach reading at middle school level, but I
realized very quickly that um the students who were coming to me with these large gaps, there was no one else swooping in, right, to close the gaps and I needed to figure it out pretty quickly or else they were going to continue to be passed on in that way. Um and so that is the strategy that we
really need to identify next is is we do have intervention, we do have those things in place, but it is not enough for um some of the gaps that we need to close and what does that look like and how are we better meeting the needs of our older learners who have been passed on. So um I wouldn't want to retain to
do more of the same if it's not meeting their needs to begin with. >> Well, I think that's what the scariest part is, right? Because you know when you have somebody with dyslexia or someone with a reading disability who is is because of the disability not reading at grade level but the interventions
either are not coordinated or they're not as effective to help that and you do get that um you know schoolto prison pipeline situation where I mean um I I forget who I was listening to the other day but there was talk about the the level of of of folks who happen to be in
prison who happen to be dyslexic or have ADHD And those are like very real challenges that that that we see, but there also are to your point that you're illustrating with K through2, very real interventions that can help assist that.
And I think at least for me and I and I know that you both have just um also expressed this as well and as well as Israel on the line. Um you know, how do we get that coordination, you know, in the same way that you're assessing and screening? Like how how do we do that?
And I think that's to me that's like the biggest thing to keep tabs on in my in my opinion. >> Thank you. Um if there's any other question, I think we're going to move on. But let me just say this is one of the best richest
um um sessions that I've been I served six years before I actually left and ran for council came back and in the time that I've been here this is one of the richest because we do get the data. It's very, you know, different. you get a data, you're trying to kind of like
break it down in front of so many people and waiting to see what we get out of it. And the ways you guys explain it helps. And again, something that I wish the same thing as a mother who had childrens in my system graduating through the MCCAST. Uh, and with one
having the challenge to graduated later that I was handed out or sent this card home about MCCAST and I and yet I can read, I can write, I think I can try to break something down and if I don't, I can question. You have parents here who do not even themselves know how to read.
Let me just say that and we know that secondly that they cannot take something like this and such a data and break it down so that we have to be more way of of trying to break this down to understand this so that they can also be able to advocate doesn't mean because you cannot read and write you cannot
advocate you know what I mean my mom had a second grade she was the best advocate for all of us back then in her ways because whatever she understood she could break it down but if it's so complicated so people don't even dare to come to you to ask you about that because it it makes them feel even
lesser than but just to say that this has been rich information. Thank you um councelor Rivera for bringing this on. Go ahead. >> Just can you for the record um clarify that just that this order has been compied with? >> Yes. So is everyone on still? I just
want to make sure. Um so is this order been complied with Mr. Rivera? >> Yeah. I don't want calling the order complied with. Um, I would just thank you all for coming and presenting the information and whatever data that you guys uh spoke of today. If there's any
way that you could kind of share it via email, I would appreciate it. That would be great. But again, thank you guys for coming forward. Um, and I hope no one feels like I'm just trying to like come at or trying to figure something out that's happening like nefariously because that's not the case for me. Ideally, it is to make sure that early
literacy is is is like or at least for us with the kids and me being in my own experiences and also watching other people's experiences is making sure that we have this type of conversation where people are able to
kind of like express where they're coming from, see what they seen, and then have uh educators um that have the background around it be able to elaborate and explain more um on particular topic. So again, thank you. >> And this is where we come in as
residents of this community to be the forefront of u campaigning more about literacy and importance. Um we don't necessarily cannot wait and expect our school system only to be the the leaders on this. I think you know all of us have
a plan an opportunity to support uh events that can help people you know assist with literacy supporting our system. I I want to say that I was recently at Ian White and I want to commend this classroom. I went to two of
them prek and that was the one that I was more impressed about. There was about if I'm not mistaken probably 15 to 16 children sitting in a circle that I read with two paras dealing with children with probably emotional or some
social you know issue behaviors that I just commend the the the teacher who still kept the other one with the attention to me to reading to understanding breaking it down because I was reading and she was breaking it down
so you see That's a hurricane. Do you see that's this? Do you remember we spoke and she kind of brought it back to the conversation and these kids at no time got distracted from whatever else it was going. So I thank you guys for the work that the system is doing on my
uh observations and on my behalf and I do share my personal because I think that's why I'm here as a school committee that I want to advocate not for my own but for every other child that may not have a voice in this community. So, thank you. >> Yes. >> So, I think we'll move on to the next um
item. Thank you guys for coming. So, we have the third order um filed by school committee chair Dr. Rivera Cologne. Request that the city council designate the school committee the authority to vote and accept all donations slash give
to the school department even if they are on property. >> Yeah. So, I can speak to that. So I've been um in education for 18 years particularly uh you know with my time here in Holio
and my time in Springfield and there has not been one scenario in my entire experience where the city council had to approve donations. Uh those have always been approved by the school committee and recently
uh you know uh we got an opinion from the city's legal department that if the donation of is of personal property um that it has to be approved by the school by the city council. Um, and I
can tell you from experience that like that has not been the case since, you know, in the in the 18 years of experience that I've had both in Springfield and here in Holio, we often get people that, you know, when they pass away and their will, they they have
a piano they want to donate to our music program or they have, you know, uh, extra furniture that they'd like to donate to our teachers. and those have always been approved by the the school committee. Um there is a law, Mass
General law, chapter 43 44 uh 53A and a half that talks about um the city council approving donations of pro of personal property. And there is a
school committee policy and uh a law uh mass general law um and that is section 37A of the mass general law that speaks about the school committee accepting
grants and and gifts. Um so the interpretation of that is that the grant or gift has to be monetary and and you know while I can't while I can't um you know I I do feel that this law is
open to interpretation I've never seen a place where it was interpreted that if it's personal property the school committee does isn't the voting authority on it. So I reached out to our attorney to get his interpretation and um
you know he he had recommended to us that although I can't disagree with that literal interpretation of the statute, my advice would be to have the city solicitor work with the city council on a measure that delegates the city
council's authority to accept donations of property to the school department school committee. Um I don't know how to go about that process, but I want to name for all of you that we've received a ton of donations like, "Hey, we want
to donate books to the school or we want to donate furniture to the school." Uh Conklin just donated 200 uh uh standup desks that our teachers could use. Um we did get a piano last year. So there's been like in my years of experience
Those have always gone to the school committee for approval and I'm I'm hoping to work with the city council and hopefully to have them delegate that responsibility in some formal way to the school committee so that we don't have to go to the school committee and go to
the school commit uh city council when somebody wants to donate a book or donate a piano or donate a desk. So that is the intent of the order that was filed by Dr. Rivera Cologne and um
would love to see where this goes. Maybe maybe we need some further discussion or there needs to be some discussion at with the law department and the city council to see how we can uh how we can uh make this happen in a way that you
know uh that I don't feel like I'm doing something that I'm not supposed to be doing by accepting a piano or a book that somebody donates. So you said you spoke to our lawyer but then not with the city council right
representative. So wouldn't them both be talking so we can then better response to the correct interpreting for both and then we can send it to which committee would come back to us. My question next, >> I think the school committee stance on
this is that they've always approved donations and that the city council shouldn't get involved. >> The the way the statute is written, the mass general law, >> it's open to interpretation um around donations of personal property. So, uh,
the city's law department is taking the literal stance of that, um, that, um, that any personal property, if it's cash, grants or gifts, monetary, like the school committee could do that, but
if it's personal property, the city council has to approve that. um our city, our um our attorney is a school committee member and uh in in another community and he's an attorney that
helps school districts across the entire state and he's like I this is the first time I've ever seen or heard anything like this but when I read the Mass General law I can't disagree with her interpretation of that law. So, I think
the course of action is to talk to your city council and see if there's a formal way either through an ordinance change or something like that that says we delegate all donations including those of personal property uh that are donated
to the schools. We delegate that responsibility to the school committee. >> Attorney still online. >> Uh madam chair. >> Yes. I mean, this is a situ this is a situation if it ain't broke, don't fix
it. In other words, you know, if you donate a car to Dean Tech, I mean, you don't need the city council to approve that. School committee should approve that. I mean, I I this is a law I've never heard of. I sat on the school committee. I taught for 35 years and I
never heard of such a thing. I don't know. I don't know where where you know this this should be an easy fix. I but I don't I don't know if an ordinance could fix it. If it's a state law, then you're going to have to go to the legislature,
I would think, >> which is really problematic. >> Anyhow, that's that's what I'm hearing anyways. I don't know. I may be all wet. I don't >> I mean,
I'm kind of going based off past practice. I just don't want, you know, to get in trouble when things are going to school committee and, you know, city c. Yeah. That >> is there a potential for the lawyers to
meet and discuss, you know, given the ambiguity in the law? >> I think that it um it wouldn't be a bad idea. Uh, I don't want to tell you guys what to do, but um I think that a potential next step could be to table
this and uh to remove it from the table the next time we meet and to have Kathy Degen from the city solicitor's office and our uh our attorney uh Mark Terry attend that meeting so that we can you
know better understand the legal jargon behind this. >> Yeah. Especially because if there is ambiguity you mean it could be ambiguity the other way to you know your point m your Mr. Gray's point that it doesn't make any sense you know yeah >> to do it the other way.
>> Well if it's a state law the law you uh that that's the part that that that boggles my mind if this it's a state statute that that that's going to need some work to get it fixed. But I don't know how we go about doing that. Maybe the legal maybe the legal eagles can figure that one out.
>> Yeah. I mean, I think that's that's what I was thinking, Mr. Granny, because I but I also was cognizant of what what Mr. Sto said about um Mr. Terry's experience that not seeing that in other communities. So, other communities are interpreting that law. Yeah.
>> In the way that that you are trying to interpretation and so it's not it's not so much that the city attorney is wrong, but there's some wiggle room. It sounds like that that there might be an agreement that could come forward.
>> So tableabling it would be a good idea. >> Motion to >> Yeah. So we'll make I'll make motion that we table this um until we have all of the attorneys discuss this matter and
come in front of us to discuss it further or Yeah. Yeah. Second. >> Okay. All in favor. You have to do a roll call. You have >> gravy. >> Yes.
>> Glattus. Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. Yes. They said yes. >> Yes. >> I like the if it's not broke, don't fix it. >> I was think broken. something and then hopefully we'll see where this
conversation goes. >> Order file by school committee number four. order filed by um school committee member um Miss Patty Levole in the interest of a student safety that the school committee in under coordination with the city council consider adopting
Massachusetts general law chapter 40 section 71 school bus violation detection detection um monitoring systems installation and operation and we have a guest with us today my apologies for the delay here
>> yes I'm I'm excited I'm excited Yeah, I just I'm excited to to talk about this law because I think it it's a really proactive approach to student to student safety. Um you might be familiar with um what just happened in Chabe where Chabe
uh adopted this law and then also went to the next step to put uh cameras uh externally on on their on their buses uh to protect um children as they're getting on and off buses because we know
that motorists do uh not obey the law in in general and there's it's a problem although I don't have the statistics for Holio um it's a pretty common problem that we've seen across the state and Peabuddy when when there was a pilot program done. Um and so the first step
obviously for for us would be for to have the school committee adopt this law that was was um adopted by the legislature um last year. But um Mr. Gorman from Bus Patrol, who is a company who has this technology, um, and is, um, working with other communities, um, in
our region, um, he was willing to come and answer any questions that we might have about the efficacy of this technology and what he's seen across the state just so that we can get a little bit educated about if we were to adopt this law, what a next step might look like, and what and so I'll I'll turn it
over to you, Glattus, to ask any questions. And >> thank you. >> Thank you for coming, Mr. Gman. Um yeah so tell us a little bit about it how you know if that's the first step that we would have to go for a state law change or request what how did other
communities done it for example >> Chopi >> and how would you be of any I know wisdom and help to us >> of course well first of all thank you I'm very grateful to be here um this is a triangulated
uh law and it's purposefully done that way the Triangulation involves both the municipal government, the police department and the school department and that that in itself is purposeful. The contract would be with the school
department. No law has to be changed. The the fact is last January Governor Healey signed this into law. So it is a law. In order for a community to work in this program,
they have to adopt the state law at the local level. And in Holio's case, that would begin with the city council. The city council would adopt the state law. It allows for the advancement of a conversation with the school department
in order to begin this program. And what we do is work. We I had a meeting all afternoon in the city of Quincy. Um we just adopted it there and signed the contract there. And the first step today
after the contract is signed is to really begin the program's implementation about getting the equipment on the buses, getting the police department in sync with the technology in terms of how they would work with us and we with them in order
to facilitate the the use of our technology for these alleged citations. My next Go ahead. Go ahead. >> Um, in the communities that this has been implemented, um, revenue from that citation, does that go
to the school department? Does that go to the police department? >> Well, the way the law is written, it's very subjective. Uh, the mayor has the autonomy. Even though it's a school department contract, the way the law is written is the funds collected from the
citations generated in this community would go to a separate fund set up in the Treasury Department. Now, those funds in terms of how they're allocated is entirely up to a conversation with the
mayor, yourself, the police. Okay. >> It's not subjugated to a location. It it can be very fluid in terms of how that money is allocated. >> Is that is that something though just to follow up on that point where you can put it in a designated fund? So
similarly like for example our disability commission who has um there's a a law where they can um collect from uh handicap parking space violations and then that goes back into that particular fund. Not sure the the name of that
mechanism, but that benefits that particular it was going into the general fund, but that has been changed. >> Well, I I hear what you're saying. The purposefulness and the intent of the way the law was devised and then enacted is
there is a purposeful fund set up in each community to monitor and collect these citations. So if in terms of an example you just raised or gave. >> Yeah. >> Um funds certainly could go to that
direction if there was an agreed upon >> um cohesiveness between the administration and and whatever uh organization you discussed. >> Um but you it can't start there. It has to go in that special fund.
>> Okay. And that way a superintendent, a police chief, a mayor, any one of uh your board members can see uh a couple things occur each and every month during the school year. You can see funds
coming in and you can see the the economy and the authority that that fund is created in terms of how it's protected and how it's managed. But as importantly, you can start learning through that fund
collection and our documentation each week where these funds are coming from in terms of, you know, is there a certain bus stop that's problematic. We're not in the business of anything other than child safety.
So, we're not looking to quote unquote pad violations. If we notice through one of our studies each week that there is one grotesqually abnormal in terms of that that bus getting way more citations
than the others, well then we would raise that to you and to your transportation director and say, "Listen, you may want to contemplate moving that location for the safety of the children and and determine if that could help ease some of the stress that
uh those those kids and the bus drivers have at that specific location. Uh so we we aim to be not just a a technology but an educational tool that allows for the cultivation of of better driving habits
in this community. >> Yeah. I mean I see Mr. Grey's hand up but I just want to make a point. There was um this was before I was on the on the committee, but at Sergeant and Locust Street, there was um a lot of um a lot of challenge there. Um just a very
busy intersection and you know, kids being kids getting off. And so that sounds like that would be something that would that would would give us more input about busy intersections. >> This would be exactly that. It would be a scientific report in terms of exactly
what you're suggesting and what our study would show you. >> Mr. Sto, you had your hand before, Mr. >> Yeah. Um, so I did read the uh the Mass General law. >> Yes.
And it's sounds like there would be a vote of it says the Santa Pluto district through a vote of a majority of its governing school committee.
So this this would be something in your experience that only the school committee needs to would would need to take a vote or is it school committee and city council? Yeah, that's layered. In order for this program to begin
operating in Holio, the city council must adopt the state law >> locally. >> Then the contract can be created that the school committee then approves. Okay. So, both governing bodies play a
very important role in in this progress toward safer streets. It's your city council that will adopt the state law at the local level, but it's your your school board that will approve the contract. >> Yeah. And then my second thing is just a
general comment. Um I'm sure that in some communities uh they don't have busing services in house. They contract out. I believe Chap is one of those communities. >> So this would require working with the
bus company that we did hire to implement a system like this. I have talked to them and they said, "Yeah, as soon as that if you know, as soon as that's available and as long as you know what I'm hearing is that it's all these installations happen at no cost."
>> That's correct. In this community >> in this community. Um my my only recommendation would be that um if and if and when we do move forward and take that vote that we be explicit
that we don't just leave it for any vehicle that's transporting students. Um because I think it would be too difficult for us to implement with other smaller van companies that we might use if if the school committee or the city council were to take a vote that it's
all transportation. I think that would be too hard to implement unless unless you guys have a solution for that. But the majority of our transportation is uh
Durham big buses and Durham mini buses. The next category would be all of our van poolool vans, >> but we do have some oneoff like sweet transportation for like one kid that gets transported far away that Durham
and Vanpool can't do. Um, and you know, so so I I just wanted to name that so that we we whenever a vote is taken, you know, like I it's a clear directive to me what the expectation is. every single
vendor that we use or big buses, mini buses. >> If I could firmly believe >> I have a solution. >> Go ahead. >> Okay. Uh well, first of all, one question. This is not going to be any cost to the city, is it? What's the cost
to the city? Number one, >> zero. >> Okay. Number two, uh Anthony, if you write that legislation and and dot all the all the eyes's and all the te's the way you think that it should be to
protect our students and the safety of our students, why can't we sign a petition to the city council as the joint committee? I'll certainly sign it in support and ask Jenny Jenny if if she
would support uh uh sign it in support to get the ball rolling and just but but you need to give us the legislation. You need to give us the legal the legal stuff that to move forward on. Okay. But we'll support I'll support it. >> Happy to do that. Thank you. I'm I'm very happy to provide you with that
information. In and one quick response to your point. I I I am very appreciative of what you said because we we as a company believe in one firm um distinctive reality which is the equality for each
and every student. Not subjugating a safe bus here but not here. We we feel if we're going to come into Holio, every child that depends on a school bus to get to school and to get to home
every day deserves a safe form of transportation and not just this kid and not this kid. We think every kid deserves a safe journey. And um that's not too much to ask for. And the the reality is because it comes at no cost
to your community. um whether or not we're outfitting x amount or this amount, it it doesn't really play that kind of role. The the large number is not daunting to us. Um
we've done communities with one bus and we have we have Suffach County, New York with 70 with 7,000 buses. Um we are we're in places like Miami and Philadelphia and Detroit all in thousands in total. Um we we will be
working in different cities in Massachusetts anywhere from two to um hundreds. So your number >> share that with you in terms of I want all kids to get safe transportation. But one thing you you should know about some
of our transportation is that it could involve kids from multiple communities and if their communities haven't adopted this law, I don't know what what there is to consider. So we we have a McKini Vento bus service with Vanpool. There
could be Chickupe kids, there could be Lello kids, there could be Springfield kids on that van. And and I don't know the legality behind installing that equipment and with a student that that uh that may not be part of Holio public schools that is utilizing one of those
dies. >> I understand um it's less about illegality and more it's about functionality. Um because the governing body in this case would to be the final eyes and approval of a
citation would be the Holio police. Uh they would only be able to govern within the circumference of Holio when the buses are there. So if you're picking up uh let's say for example a special student that is
living in Holio that star would come out at that residence and protect that student if it's if that student is leaving Holio the the ability for a Holio police officer to govern that moment changes.
>> Right. So we we can we can protect while they're here and and if that bus leaves for a separate location. There are caveats to that. Um we as as the superintendent mentioned, we are in uh
Chapi and and we're aiming to be in other um communities in in surrounding Holio areas. So there might be an ability in the future to create that kind of partnership from various police departments. So the coverage when a
student leaves a given community to have coverage extra when he he or she is in uh Chapi or Springfield or West Springfield. That's all doable in the future. So this is for um not I mean the bus
would have the camera to detect anyone who or who's who >> Yeah. Yeah. So it's always been a law >> right >> that any one of us has to stop when that stop arm is extended >> right >> um regrettably
our company exists and I'm here tonight because that just doesn't happen. We live, I'm not making light of it, but Massachusetts alone for the last four years has had the worst drivers in America.
>> Four years running, we're the worst. Um, it's not an award, it's just a distinction that we have earned. >> Um, for a variety of reasons, people, for whatever reason, they do not see a large yellow school bus in front of them. You know, they're they're
distracted. They're staring at their phones. they're they're busier than you and I and they feel that they can round the corner and not pay attention to what they're doing. All of those acts result in unsafe situations for children. Um,
you know, from Pittsfield to Gloucester, from L to New Bedford, we hear horror stories of close calls with young children and and moms uh crossing the street and just from the grace of God, these kids aren't hit. There was a kid
hit in Haveril two two years ago. There was a mom and a and a daughter hit in Northampton uh last May. Uh there was a kid hit in Plymouth last uh April. Um these are real moments. And
when I tell you that when we've conducted these pilot programs in Massachusetts, the numbers are staggering, you know, in terms of the amount of vehicles that just don't stop. It's it's truly
amazing. Um the propensity, the good news is this. When this technology is operational in your community and someone does receive a ticket, the propensity for someone to be a repeat offender diminishes to under 10%.
>> Wow. >> You become maybe you don't want to pay that fine ever again. For whatever reason, light dawn over your head and you've become a more responsible driver around a school bus. So being a repeat habitual
bad driver is is something that we curb pretty aggressively. >> Um I sort of heard a friend of mine in Syracuse, New York who shared with me a they have the set up of the lights the the the camera that picks up the if they
pass 20 miles per hour through throughout the um school zoning areas and they receive a ticket at home for having >> gone through like you know areas that are speeding and stuff. I know this one is about passing the bus, >> but um sort of kind of heard about that >> a little different than what you
described. Our technology is so explicit. It it captures morning, noon, evening, dusk, dawn, rain, doesn't matter what day of the week, what snow, what the conditions are, the cameras are
very, very adept at capturing the moment and and that's very important. Madam Chair, >> hold on. M >> M Madam Chair, I hate to I hate to butt in, but could I just ask one question? >> Go ahead. Go ahead.
>> Anthony, what do you want to do with this? >> Uh yeah, I think it's a good idea. And like I said, the uh our bus contractor said that, you know, once the city adopts this law that they'd be happy to
work with the the vendor to install it. I do think that, you know, um anything that keeps our kids safe, I'm I I would support I'd be in support of it for sure. >> Well, why don't you write it up, get it to the city council? We can support it.
It sounds like it's it's a pretty easy fix to me. I don't know. I mean, we could talk about it all night, but it's not going to do any good. Why don't we just do it? >> Well, thank you. >> Anybody else have any questions? I just thought we could just to get an idea. The other question is, I know that this
probably has nothing, but does that have any relations to the GPS? Like it was, you know, I've heard stories that a bus driver took off and had the kids for an hour or two with them. Is that going to >> No, that that technology already exists on our buses. So, we can see when the doors open. We can see when the bus is
idle. We can see when the bus is moving. We can see >> we can kind of track how >> even how fast the bus is going based on >> different stops. >> And what kind what kind of regulation do we have to go for that? I mean, how what kind of approval for that? Well, how did you go about that? >> We didn't need approval for that. That's
just it was part of our bid specs with the >> with the uh when we went out to bid, we we insisted that that technology be on the buses. >> Okay. This is different because this technology will actually ticket violators. >> They get Yeah.
>> If you're you or your bus company desired it, we would also include the interior cameras at no cost as well. >> I like that. >> I say that because their technology is
just outdated and when we need this >> security footage for whatever reason, it's just >> this is just updated. you know, we would have to talk to to them about that. >> Yep. >> You know, I think the exciting opportunity here for us is that this is us being proactive um you know,
proactive in a safety sense of not having to be in that reactive posture to protect the kids and and also um I I also had a conversation with Mr. Becker at the general manager at Durham and is familiar with this. seen it done. Um,
and he um, and so I was, you know, I was just gratified to learn that. But also the law in Massachusetts is very explicit in terms of it zeroing in on on on not just, you know, random motorists, but motorists who pass the school bus.
They're not keeping the data of people um, That's right. >> you know, who might have a tail light out or something like that. This is just about if you pass, you know, the school bus, that's what happens. Well, it's very important to note this to your point, this is only about car and plate.
>> It does not capture the person in the in the vehicle. >> And it's also important to note that um this technology is here to improve the lives of your community and we want to be a partner in that long term.
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. Mr. >> I think the correct order if I may would be that it be uh this move uh the the order would be for that this to go back to the school committee so that the school
committee make a recommendation to the city council to do this uh concurrently. You guys could also take a motion that this gets sent to the city council so that it goes to the city council agenda
and then gets, you know, the legal department over there works with um works with whoever is going to support them in whatever language needs to happen to adopt this locally because it is a state law, but it has to be adopted
locally. I have no knowledge on you know what the city council has what the law department has to do to make that happen. >> So I I think that this needs to go back to both bot you know to the school committee. So make sure the school committee wants to make that
recommendation as a whole body and then that then at the school committee they vote to recommend that the city council adopt this law locally. Does that sound like the right approach Irene? like >> yeah it would have to go yeah the motion
would have to be to bring back into discussion because he said a majority of the school committees has to vote on it right >> well the city council is adopting the state law at the local level >> so that is the important step number one
after you have reviewed the contract and are copesthetic with it your board your your school committee then votes on that contract. >> So the super superintendent has to review it first.
>> No, they they don't vote on the school committee doesn't vote on contracts. I think the school committee needs to make a recommendation ahead of time that the city council adopt this. And by doing that, once that change gets, you know, once that change
happens in city hall locally, it just allows us to move forward or we can come back for a full vote from the committee, but not to not to >> not to approve a contract. >> Right. >> Right. Yeah. >> Okay. So, >> there's another another little issue
just popped up. If you're going to film, if you're going to put films inside these buses and film the students, doesn't there has to be certain permissions granted by the parents and all of that stuff? There's >> legality on our buses. We already have that.
>> That's been okay. >> Okay, that's good. >> So again, you're saying that we first vote in the school committee a recommendation over to the city council to go ahead and do that, not both at the same time. >> I think it could go at the same time. I
think that I think like if if you as a school committee body want to adopt that then the full body has to vote on that >> right >> and he's right the city council has to vote first but like we can go to school
committee and say hey we had a good discussion we really want the city council to adopt this locally so we want to you know write a letter to the school committee and say that we support this and that they those two things I I believe can happen simultaneously. We
don't if the city if if you as a city councelor want to support this, you can file an order to adopt adopt that and then work with your law department to figure out what needs to happen to actually adopt the state law locally. >> Thank you.
>> So I would say, you know, I wouldn't wait for one or the other. Like those two things can happen simultaneously. >> Okay, that's great. >> That makes sense. Councelor Councelor Jenny Rivera, if you want to write that that order up,
I'll co- sign it with you. >> Perfect. And anything you can provide for me. >> You'll have it tomorrow. >> Perfect. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So, so I just need somebody to clarify the motion. >> Oh, I know what the motion is. I just >> There's going to be two motions. One
motion is that uh this get referred to back to the full school committee with a recommendation to request that the city adopt that the city adopt >> the Mass General Law Chapter 40 section 41 school bus violations detection
monitoring systems. >> Yes. >> Ination chapter 47 section 71. >> Yes. So that would go to school committee. They'd say, "Yep, we want to recommend that the city council adopt that." And then the second motion would
be that um it'd be the same motion but to the not that this school committee is recommending to the city council but an order by uh both Grainy and uh Jenny Rivera that the city council work with
their law law department to adopt chapter 40 section 71 locally. Does that make sense? But in our case, so in our case, >> one second, Mr. Green. So we would have to file another order to say to adopt
this or no, we just bring it back as a as a discussion. >> I don't think we would need to file another order. I think this body is making a recommendation to the school committee, >> right, >> to ask recommend to the city council to
adopt this locally. Okay. and Jenny's actually file filing an order jointly with Grainy to the city council, okay, that the city adopt this locally. So, both of those things are happening at the same time. >> I guess once we cross that bridge, if we
have to come back to school committee for anything, we will. But I think once you guys make a recommendation to the >> to the that the city council adopt this, there's your there's your your majority vote from the school committee >> and then and then the next step to follow through once that if that happens
in all the affirmative then then we have an opportunity to um work with the vendor to address what we were just talking about. And I, you know, I I don't know the Well, there's no procurement because, >> right, >> we're not procuring anything, but I' I'd
follow up on my end. >> We're actually both your uh your city and us are both tips approved vendors with Massachusetts, so we've already been RFP uh vetted with >> Yeah. I just don't know.
We talked about like this is going to come at no cost to the district or the bus company. So like you just mentioned like right >> the state >> it's it's through the violations the the
work we do with the police >> but we're only paid through the violations. >> That makes sense. So there will be an agreement >> and based on our conversation I'll have to sit down with the mayor and the police chief
>> to work on that and figure out yeah >> what language needs to >> and I'm happy to come back and and meet with the chief or the mayor >> I did I did let the chief know that we were having that this was happening just because I don't know if he know gets the all the agendas but so he's aware she
did her homework she did her homework Well, thank you. I'm very grateful that you gave me the chance to talk tonight. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. What else? >> Motion. >> So, we have a motion. >> Oh, yes. Motion. >> Motion. Yeah. I just need a motion by first and second.
>> Motion. >> Okay. >> A second. >> A long one. >> Glattus. Yeah. >> Do you want me to do the roll call, Glattus? Because I think it'll be easier. >> Yeah. >> Um, Mr. Grainy. >> Yes. >> Yes.
So yes, >> Mr. Lebron. Sorry. >> Yes. I'm sorry. >> M Rivera. >> Yes. >> And M. >> Yes.