Ep. 47, Last Night @ School Committee: 1/26 Meeting Recap

Last Night At School Committee

Last night’s meeting began with the introduction of the newest School Committee member, Brandon Cardet-Hernandez, to round out the seven-member committee.

A former advisor to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Cardet-Hernandez is currently the Executive Director of the Ivy Street School, a private program serving students with autism, ADHD, anxiety, and other learning disabilities. Cardet-Hernandez joins Dr.Stephen Alkins as the two newest members appointed by Mayor Wu this month.

The meeting began with the Superintendent’s Report that first celebrated this year’s Educators of the Year. The report focused on COVID rates and updates to testing options, and concluded with a preview of the only report of the night on high school redesign. After thoughtful questions asked by committee members, the School Committee heard public comments primarily from two school communities: the P.A. Shaw School, with numerous students and parents asking for the district to keep their promise of adding a fourth and fifth grade, and the Manning Elementary School, with parents expressing concern with the new exam school policy that denies students assigned to their school the ten bonus points.

After a vote on approving a revised Code of Conduct, the School Committee then heard the only report of the night on high school redesign. The Superintendent and her team provided a high-level vision for schools that was lacking in details, metrics, or timelines. One of the more notable points of the presentation was the plan to convert the King K-8 and Trotter K-8 into K-6 schools that would have a guaranteed pathway to the Burke High School in the Grove Hall section of Roxbury. The School Committee asked targeted questions about implementation and timeline for the redesign.

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