Board in Brief
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
This is "Board in Brief," issued at the request of Commissioner David P. Driscoll to bring you up to date on Board of Education matters. This is a report on the regular meeting held on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Malden.
Comments from the Commissioner
Commissioner David Driscoll opened the meeting by sharing some highlights from a presentation that he made recently at the Council of Chief State School Officers' large-scale assessment conference in Boston. The presentation, titled "A Decade of Progress," illustrates the steady improvement that Massachusetts students have made in the past ten years, as measured by the MCAS, SAT, and NAEP.
The Commissioner also updated the Board on the FY 05 budget process. The state budget is expected to be enacted before July 1. The Commissioner highlighted two areas of particular interest in the budget proposals: (1) a proposed moratorium on charter schools, which would include some charter schools approved by the Board that have not yet opened; and (2) the proposed creation of a new department of early education and care to oversee early childhood functions currently housed at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Office for Child Care Services, and the Department of Public Health.
Commissioner Driscoll informed the Board that the Department is continuing to work with leaders in Holyoke and Winchendon as they prepare the turnaround plans for their school districts. The Commissioner expects that the Board will review and take action on the plans before the start of the new school year.
Commissioner Driscoll congratulated Department staff member Roger Hatch, the Director of School Finance, who has been selected by the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA) to receive the David F. Cronin Award, in honor of the many years of outstanding service that Roger has provided to school administrators. MAVA will present the award to Roger at its annual dinner meeting on June 29th. The Commissioner said "The Department, the Board, and state and local officials throughout the Commonwealth depend on Roger Hatch's expertise and benefit from his excellent work."
Jeff DeFlavio, the 2002-2004 student Board member and outgoing Chair of the Student Advisory Council, reported on the SAC's activities this year and introduced the 2004-2005 student Board member, Emily Levine, who is entering her senior year at Northampton High School.
Guidance for Determining Schools' Chronic Under-Performance
The Board had a discussion on a draft "rubric" to guide Department staff, the Commissioner and the Board in reviewing the progress that an under-performing school has made, and determining whether the school should be deemed chronically under-performing. Associate Commissioner Juliane Dow and Lynda Foisy led the discussion. In September 2004, the Board will be called upon to determine the question of chronic under-performance for four schools. The proposed criteria and standards will guide the decision-making with these four schools as well as others in the future.
Educator Licensure
The Board voted to adopt two amendments to the educator licensure regulations, and corresponding amendments to the regulations on licensure of teachers in vocational-technical and adult basic education programs. The amendments to 603 CMR 7.14(8), 603 CMR 4.13, and 603 CMR 47.11 strengthen the provisions for licensure revocation, suspension, limitation and denial. The amendment to 603 CMR 7.14(6) authorizes the Commissioner to modify licensure requirements in cases of hardship caused by recent regulatory changes.
Annual Performance Evaluation of the Commissioner
The Board voted unanimously to approve an overall "outstanding" rating for the Commissioner's performance review for 2003. Members rated Commissioner Driscoll on his effectiveness in supporting the Board's work, building external support for Board policies, managing the Department and raising student performance.
Charter Schools
The Board had an initial discussion on the renewal of the charter for Neighborhood House Charter School (Boston). The renewal of this charter will come to the Board for action at the August meeting.
The Board voted to approve an amendment to the Boston Evening Academy Charter School, a Horace Mann charter school located in Boston, to add a day program in addition to its evening program beginning this fall.
The Board also voted to approve a waiver request for the Holyoke Community Charter School, a Commonwealth charter school in the City of Holyoke for students in kindergarten through grade 8. The Board granted a charter to Holyoke Community Charter School in 2001. The waiver allows the school to open in the fall of 2005.
Annual Approval Items
The Board approved requests from 21 small towns that will tuition their students to public schools in other towns rather than operating their own schools. The Board also voted to authorize the Commissioner, in consultation with the Chairman and members of the Board, to approve grants that require action before the August Board meeting. The Commissioner will report to the Board on any such approvals.
Schedule for Regular Board Meetings through June 2005
The Board voted to approve a schedule for regular Board meetings from August 2004 through June 2005. All meetings are on the fourth Tuesday of the month, except for December 2004 and February 2005. The schedule will be posted on the Department's website.
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Malden.
last updated: June 25, 2004
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