Agenda Preview: May 15 School Committee Meeting
Using city buildings for WPS, update from Human Resources
Hello Bill here. Since we have a bunch of new people on the mailing list of late (one of us one of us one of us) I should explain: Worcester Sucks’ goal is creating the alt weekly of the future. To get there, we’ve essentially stacked four local columns on top of each other like kids in a trench coat.
What you’re about to read is one of those columns. WPS In Brief is dedicated exclusively to coverage of our public school system—in-depth and incisive coverage, like a recent two-part series on the loaded term of “literacy” in public education. It’s written by Aislinn Doyle, a WPS parent. There’s a monthly summary post, and then short agenda previews ahead each school committee meeting, like the one below. It’s great! And comes at a time when local school coverage is in miserable decline, here and across the country. We need it more than ever!
WPS in Brief is one of four “sections” of Worcester Sucks. You can manage which ones appear in your inbox here. Oh and follow WPS In Brief on Instagram if you haven’t!
Ok that’s all for housekeeping. To Aislinn!
May 15 School Committee Meeting.
The next school committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 15. As of right now it is open to the public, but keep an eye on WPS social media to see if that changes. Executive session starts at 5 p.m. and the regular meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30pm. The actual start time depends on how long the executive session takes. See the agenda here. You can watch it via zoom or Youtube Live. Spanish translation is available on zoom.
Here’s what's on the agenda:
Executive Session.
Executive session includes two worker’s comp items, strategy on initial negotiations with transportation mechanics, and negotiations with “Superintendent of Schools-Elect” Brian Allen. Good chance that it will go beyond the 30 minutes allotted. (Related: “Meet Brian Allen, the Next Superintendent of WPS”)
Public Petitions from Councilor Khrystian King.
City Councilor At-Large Khrystian King has a public petition asking “For the School Committee to consider whether 51 and 61 Sever St., Worcester may be appropriate to use for school purposes.” Back in 2021 the city bought buildings in the Elm Park neighborhood when Becker College closed. At the time the intent was to use some of them for WPS since they are more updated and in closer proximity to more school-aged children. But unfortunately it sounds like the city is going to sell them (rumor is that the Nativity School wants to buy them, and they are putting the pressure on City Manager Batista and Mayor Petty). Since there is little hope for building new elementary schools any time soon—and as the district cites cost and available classroom space as limiting factors to expanding full-day preschool—it is important to be 100 percent sure we cannot use these buildings before selling them.
Report of the Superintendent.
This meeting’s Report of the Superintendent an “Acquire and Retain Talent Update”
Alternative School Settings.
Vanessa Alvarez (district B) is requesting reports on how students are placed in alternative school settings and how many students were transitioned to alternative schools in the last five years, including demographics.
Q-teams.
Jermaine Johnson (district F) is requesting administration have Q-teams “rotate throughout the district/quadrant on a weekly basis to help support principles, educators, and our Scholars.”
Reports Back On:
The New Citizens Center (NCC), which is “a program for English learner (EL) newcomers who meet the criteria as students with Significantly Limited and Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE). This designation is given to students of ages 8 through 21 who are in the "entering" (ages 8 through 21) and "emerging" (ages 16 through 21) stages of English language proficiency, have at least three years of educational gaps and/or have little or no formal education comparable to the public education system in the U.S.”
That’s it. Hang in there! If you have feedback you can always get in touch: aislinn.doyle@me.com