WPS in Brief Agenda Preview: May 7 School Committee Meeting
College and Career, New Special Education Curriculum, North High Dedication
Quick reminder that there is a virtual meeting tomorrow, May 5 at 5:30pm about school boundary redistricting. Here’s the Zoom link for it. The session will include discussion around the project overview and timeline, with data shared about school capacity and locations of preschool programming. Language translations available.
Also, Worcester for Safe Student Technology has a petition requesting limited individual screen use for Pre-K to second grade students. Read the letter and sign it here.
Here’s the agenda preview:
May 7 School Committee Meeting
The next school committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 7. Executive session starts at 5pm and the regular meeting is scheduled to start at 6pm. 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.
Report of the Superintendent.
This meeting’s Report of the Superintendent is on “College and Career Highlights” Giving the report will be Director of Early College, Dan St. Louis, and Administrative Director of College and Career Readiness, Dr. Emily Lehman (who, as it happens, is also a member of the West Boylston school committee). The presentation slides touch on Early College, Advanced Placement, Worcester Nightlife, and the Worcester Adult Learning Center.
North High Dedication.
Mayor Petty is requesting a plaque at North High School in memory of Linda Bergstrom, a longtime Worcester Public Schools teacher of over 35 years. Per the dedication policy, “all proposals must begin with consultation at the school level and include staff, students, and families” and then proposals must be reviewed by the Operations and Governance subcommittee, referred to a naming committee, and then come to the full school committee for a vote.
New Special Education Curriculum and Supplemental Resource.
Up for approval is the Unique Learning System (ULS) which the backup says “serves as a core, evidence-based curriculum resource within Worcester Public Schools for students with significant cognitive disabilities who require highly individualized, standards-based instruction in both English Language Arts and Mathematics.” The cost is $96,349.44.
Also up for approval is Number Worlds, a math intervention system by McGraw Hill, for use in SAIL students. To authorize the Administration to purchase the Number Worlds Curriculum. The cost not to exceed $450,893.26.
Other Items.
Up for approval are:
an extension of an existing Parent Square contract for three (3) years, at a cost of $350,078.80.
an extension of an existing Custom Computers (Infinite Campus aka Woo Edu) contract for three (3) years, not to exceed $1,358,134.10.
There is also a report back on Special Education Transportation.
And that’s it for the agenda. The proposed budget in full is released May 8, so more from me next week! If you have feedback you can always get in touch: aislinn.doyle@me.com