Agenda for the December 1 Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

The Eighteenth Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

Date/Time

Monday, December 1, 2025

Executive Session: 5:15 p.m.

Regular Session: 6:00 p.m.

Location

Please be advised that there will be a Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee held in the Alden Memorial Chambers at Medford City Hall and via remote participation.

This meeting can be viewed live on the Medford Public Schools YouTube channel or via Medford Community Media on your local cable channel (Comcast Channel 9, 8 or 22 and Verizon Channel 43, 45 or 47). Participants can log in by using the link below.

Agenda

Agenda for the December 1, 2025 Eighteenth Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

Zoom Link

https://mps02155-org.zoom.us/j/91865428392?pwd=hd6aPsH2JaKfoVTGbJhDTs7BXSInRE.1

Questions or comments can be submitted during the meeting by emailing: medfordsc@medford.k12.ma.us

Those submitting questions or comments must include the following information:

1. Your first and last name
2. Your Medford street address
3. Your question or comment

Agenda

I. Roll Call of Members and Student Representatives

II. Salute the Flag

III. Executive Session

Executive session pursuant to G.L c. 30A (a) (3): the Medford School Committee will convene in Executive Session to discuss collective bargaining with Medford Teachers Association (MTA) regarding a grievance dated September 16, 2025 and the Chair so declares.

The Medford School Committee will convene in public session immediately following the conclusion of the Executive Session, approximately at 6:00 p.m.

IV. Good of the Order

V. Consent Agenda

• Approval of Bills and Payrolls
• Approval of Capital Purchases
• Approval of Donations
• Approval of Grants
• Approval of Field Trips
• Approval of Meeting Minutes
  • Regular Meeting  - November 17, 2025

VI. Report of Subcommittees

VII. Report of the Superintendent

1. Mustang Moment
2. McGlynn & Andrews Solar Projects Presentation - Mr. Kenneth Lord, Chief Operations Officer and Brenda Pike, Staff Planner, Climate Policy - Office of Planning, Development & Sustainability, City of Medford
3. Community Input of Space Utilization - Dr. Suzanne B. Galusi, Interim Superintendent

VIII. Presentations of the Student Advisory Council

Presentations of the Public (not to begin before 7:00 pm)

“Regular Meetings of the School Committee include this ‘Presentations of the Public’ agenda item to give any resident the opportunity to place a presentation before the School Committee. A resident may only present once at any meeting.

These presentations are an opportunity for the public to make a presentation to the Committee but are not opportunities for dialog with the Committee. If one or more members of the Committee wishes to have a conversation about the topic presented, a member may request that the item be added to a subsequent Regular Meeting.

The details for submitting a presentation can be found within the policy BEDH, Public Comment and Presentations of the Public”

Pursuant to policy BEDH, Public Comment and Presentations of the Public - any resident in the audience may be given permission to speak once on any item on the agenda for up to three (3) minutes. The speaker is expected to keep their comments to the item on the agenda. The speaker must begin their comments by providing their full name and full Medford street address where they reside. A welcoming, inclusive community is both a value of the School Committee and an aspirational goal. We ask for your help in achieving this goal and value your perspective. Employees of the Medford Public Schools are exempt from the residency requirement of this policy. The voice of our employees is welcomed on all matters before this body. When a non-Medford-resident employee is participating in public comment or submitting a presentation of the public they will include their home address and identify themselves as an employee of the Medford Public Schools.

IX. Continued Business

MSBA Update - Member Graham

2025-27       Offered by Member Reinfeld

Second Reading

IJND-AI Use of Generative AI in Medford Public Schools

Changes since first reading are indicated in bold

General Statement of Policy

Medford Public Schools views technology as an integral part of the educational experience and is committed to providing a strong, digital learning environment for all students. We are dedicated to providing all students with a 21st-century education that will enable them to be life-long learners and contributors to a diverse and rapidly changing world.

The MPS Technology Responsible Use Policy outlines the guidelines and behaviors that users are expected to follow when using all technology, including AI. MPS supports the use of developmentally appropriate technology resources, including generative AI (GenAI), to improve teaching and learning for all students.

MPS recognizes that AI literacy includes the understanding, evaluation, and use of appropriate GenAI tools. These skills are important for students and staff to participate effectively in technologically driven academic and work realities.

In accordance with the above, MPS will provide guidance, training, and resources to support ethical and educationally appropriate implementation of GenAI tools across the district.

Definitions

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is a type of technology that generates content, including images, text, video, audio, and other media when prompted by a user.

Generative AI is a machine learning model that creates new content based on large amounts of training data in response to user prompts.

Predictive AI analyzes historical data to examine trends and patterns to make predictions about the future.

AI literacy includes learners’ skills and knowledge that demonstrate their understanding of the opportunities, risks, and ethical considerations of generative AI.

Guidelines for Use

Our Medford Public Schools AI Guiding Principles consider how the resource we use:

• supports teaching & learning;
• addresses data privacy & security considerations
• supports ethical & responsible use of Gen AI tools

In addition to these considerations, students and staff must ensure critical evaluation of GenAI content to recognize biases and misinformation.

Guidance for students’ default use of GenAI tools in a given department shall be consistent across each grade level and shall not infringe upon a teacher’s discretion to allow or

disallow their use for specific assignments, or to provide learning supports or accommodations to students as designated by law and documented in a student’s IEP, 504 plan, or other relevant provision.

All GenAI use must be linked to one or more specific educationally relevant objective(s) and take into account current research about the impact of such tools on critical thinking, cognitive loss, and the natural environment.

When responding to concerns about the use of GenAI tools, MPS shall apply the same criteria used to review other instructional materials and access to technology.

Students:

GenAI Tools:

Any GenAI tools being used must follow usage terms (e.g., age restrictions, caregiver permission requirements, etc.) and align with district student and data privacy and security requirements.

Students should not use any generative GenAI tools without prior approval from educators or educational teams. Students must also properly cite all AI-generated content.

Plagiarism:

AI tools are to be used only with the express permission of educators or academic teams.

Obtaining answers or completing assignments without properly attributing AI-generated content is plagiarism and is forbidden. Teachers will provide information on the purpose of assignment and how GenAI should and shouldn’t be used in classwork.

Academic Honesty Panel

If students are suspected of plagiarism with Gen AI, teachers will be required to supply relevant work samples for review and determination by the “Academic Honesty Panel." The Panel’s decision is final.

Assessments:

If allowed by educational staff, AI tools may be used to assist students in preparing for assessments, but cannot be used to complete assessments unless explicitly stated.

Bias & Critical Thinking:

All AI generated content should be checked by both students and teachers or accuracy, bias, misinformation and potentially negative content. Students should understand the limitations of AI generated information, the importance of using trusted sources for information verification, and the impact that AI tools can have on cognitive development and critical thinking skills.

Citations:

A record of prompts used in GenAI should be kept, along with the output from the AI tool used.

Any AI-generated content used in assignments must be cited, and teachers will provide guidance on how to attribute AI generated content in student work.

Data Collection & Privacy:

All technology resources utilized in the Medford Public Schools, including GenAI, will adhere to district student data privacy data collection regulations and best practices. Students should never input personally identifying information, sensitive or confidential data into any AI system, including images. Students should immediately report any security breaches, suspicious activities, or exposure to inappropriate content encountered during AI use to school authorities.

Ethical Use:

All GenAI content should be critically reviewed before use. All AI generated content should be checked by both students and teachers for accuracy, bias, misinformation and potentially negative content.

Users may not use AI tools to create or disseminate harmful content. Any form of communication with or through AI tools, including chatbots or virtual assistants, must adhere to the same standards of respect expected in human interactions. Abusive, harmful, or disrespectful conduct through AI platforms is unacceptable.

Use of GenAI for school work must be recorded and shared. GenAI tools used in the Medford Public Schools are for educational purposes only.

Students should also consider the impact of AI tools on the natural environment.

Educational Staff:

Educational staff should speak with students about the definition and use of GenAI in MPS.

GenAI Tools

Any GenAI tools being used must follow usage terms (e.g. age restrictions, caregiver permission requirements, etc.) and align with district student and data privacy and security requirements.

Educators use of genAI should be as a tool to support the teaching and learning environment, but is not to be solely relied upon in place of educator review and judgement.

Assignments/Assessments:

Teachers are responsible for posting expectations, allowable and/or prohibited uses of GenAI tools for student use in their classes. These expectations may be specified in assignment directions, the syllabus, Google Classroom information, classroom postings or other relevant locations for students to access. Teachers might allow the limited use of generative AI on entire assignments or parts of assignments. Educators should identify when and how GenAI can be used and why, and discuss with students the impact of AI tools on cognitive development and critical thinking skills.

Bias & Critical Thinking:

All AI generated content should be checked for accuracy, bias, misinformation and potentially negative content. Educational staff should understand the limitations of AI generated information, and the importance of using trusted sources for information verification.

AI Detection Tools:

Currently, detection tools that claim to detect content developed by generative AI are not reliable enough to accurately identify cheating and plagiarism on their own.

Data Collection & Privacy:

All technology resources utilized in the Medford Public Schools, including GenAI, will adhere to district student data privacy data collection regulations and best practices. No private, confidential or personally identifying information should be entered into GenAI tools. The district’s approved list of online platforms, software and resources including AI tools should always be consulted.

Ethical Use:

All GenAI content should be critically reviewed before use. All AI generated content should be checked for accuracy, bias, misinformation and potentially negative content. Users cannot use AI tools to create or disseminate harmful content. All use of GenAI for school work must be recorded and shared with teachers, such as with a transcript of prompts and responses. GenAI tools used in the Medford Public Schools are for educational purposes only. Educational staff should also consider the impact of AI tools on the natural environment.

District Operations:

Medford Public Schools recognize that GenAI is increasingly embedded in the tools and systems that districts use for budgeting, staffing, resource allocation, and operational decision-making. These systems can help forecast trends, streamline processes, and identify patterns in data, but may also reflect flawed assumptions, limit human discretion, or reinforce inequities in funding, hiring, or access to services.

Medford Public Schools commits to operational uses of GenAI with the same attention to ethical principles, communication, equity, and legality as with instructional tools. Specifically, any use of GenAI tools for operational purposes will:

• Ensure transparency and oversight;
• Support human judgment and review;
• Monitor for bias and equity risks;
• Strengthen data literacy and interpretation;
• Use responsible procurement practices; and
• Align with legal requirements and community values

In addition, MPS staff will consider the impact on the natural environment before employing AI tools.

Monitoring and Review

The district has a right to monitor the use of AI technologies to ensure compliance with this policy. Monitoring will be conducted in an ethical manner, respecting the privacy and rights of students and staff.

Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action, including but not limited to, restriction of access to AI resources, educational interventions, or other disciplinary measures as deemed appropriate by the school administration.

MPS guidance as to responsible, ethical use of GenAI will be reviewed and updated annually to reflect new developments in AI technology, changes in legal and ethical standards, the evolving needs of the educational environment, and the latest research into how AI tools impact student learning, cognitive development, and the natural environment.

Policy Information

First Adopted: Unknown

Last Amended: TBD

Last Reviewed: None

Review Frequency: one year

Next Review: TBD

Version: 1

Policy ID: IJND-AI

Related Policies: IJ (Instructional Materials), INJD (Curriculum and Instruction - Access to Electronic Media), INJDB (Internet Acceptable Use), IJNDD (Software Policy), BGI (Policy Hygiene)

X. New Business

XI. Reports Requested

XII. Condolences

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the family of Anna M. (Ferrante) Binda, retired Medford Public Schools Teacher who started her career at the Forest Park School in Medford.

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the family of Janice (Rumley) O’Hearn, mother of Kelly Malloy, Computer Teacher at the Roberts Elementary School.

XIII. Next Meeting

December 15, 2025 - Alden Memorial Chambers, Medford City Hall in addition to Zoom

XIV. Adjournment