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Agenda for the September 9 Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

Agenda for the September 9 Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee
Medford School Committee Meeting

The Thirteenth Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

Date/Time

Monday, September 9, 2024
Regular Meeting: 6:00 p.m.

Location

Please be advised that there will be a Meeting of the Medford School Committee held at the Howard Alden Memorial Chambers, 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 September 9, 2024 Thirteenth Regular Medford School Committee Meeting

Zoom Link

https://mps02155-org.zoom.us/j/92476991263

Complete Agenda

I. Roll Call for Attendance of Members and Student Representatives

II. Salute the Flag

III. Good of the Order

IV. Consent Agenda

  • Bills and Payrolls
  • Approval of Capital Purchases
  • Approval of Meeting Minutes
    • Regular Meeting Minutes, June 10, 2024
    • Special Meeting Minutes, June 24, 2024
    • Special Meeting Minutes, July 3, 2024
    • Special Meeting Minutes, July 24, 2024
    • Special Meeting Minutes, July 31, 2024
    • Special Meeting Minutes, August 21, 2024

V. Report of Subcommittees

VI. Report of the Superintendent

  1. Superintendent’s Updates and Comments - Dr. Marice Edouard-Vincent, Superintendent
  2. Recommendation to Approve $35,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation to the Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility (CCSR) for the 2024-2025 school year. - Dr. Marice Edouard-Vincent, Superintendent
  3. Recommendation to Approve $50,000 grant from Ernie Boch Jr. Music Drives Us Organization to the Roberts Elementary School - Ms. Michelle Crowell, Principal of Roberts Elementary 
  4. Recommendation to Approve $200,000 grant from the Barr Foundation to Medford High School - Ms. Marta Cabral, Principal of Medford High School
  5. Recommendation to Approve a field trip for the Culinary Arts Program to visit Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island - Dr. Peter J. Cushing, Assistant Superintendent
  6. Report on Summer Programming - Dr. Suzanne B. Galusi, Assistant Superintendent; Ms. Joan Bowen, Director of Pupil Services; Ms. Suzanne Fee, Director of Fine Arts; Mr. Paul Teixeira, Director of EL and Ms. Marta Cabral, Principal of Medford High School
  7. Report on Personnel and Enrollment - Dr. Suzanne B. Galusi, Assistant Superintendent
  8. Report on Operations - Dr. Peter J. Cushing, Assistant Superintendent

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.

VII. Continued Business

VIII. New Business

2024-31: Offered by Member Ruseau

First Reading of Policy AC - Non-Discrimination Including Harassment and Retaliation

The Medford School Committee and the Medford Public Schools are committed to maintaining an education and work environment for all school community members free from all forms of discrimination, including harassment and retaliation. The school community members include the School Committee, employees, administration, faculty, staff, students, volunteers in the schools, and parties contracted to perform work for the Medford Public Schools.

The Medford Public Schools does not exclude from participation, deny the benefits of the Medford Public Schools from or otherwise discriminate against individuals on the basis of race*, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, religion, disability, age, genetic information, active military/veteran status, marital status, familial status, pregnancy, or pregnancy-related condition, housing status, ancestry, ethnic background, national origin, or any other category protected by state or federal law in the administration of its educational and employment policies, or in its programs and activities.

This commitment to the community is affirmed by the following statements. The School Committee commits to:

  1. Promoting the rights and responsibilities of all individuals as set forth in the State and Federal Constitutions, pertinent legislation, and applicable judicial interpretations.
  2. Encouraging positive experiences in human values for children, youth, and adults, all of whom have differing personal and family characteristics and come from various socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic groups.
  3. Working toward a more integrated society and enlisting the support of individuals as well as groups and agencies, both private and governmental, in such an effort.
  4. Using all appropriate communication and action techniques to air and address the grievances of individuals and groups.
  5. Carefully consider, in all the decisions made within the school district, the potential benefits or adverse consequences of those decisions on human relations.
  6. Initiating a process of reviewing policies and practices of the school district to achieve, to the greatest extent possible, the objectives of this statement.

The Medford Public Schools require all members of the school community to conduct themselves in accordance with this policy.

It shall be a violation of this policy for any member of the school community to engage in any form of discrimination, including harassment and retaliation, or to violate any other civil right of any member of the school community. We recognize that discrimination can take a range of forms and can be targeted or unintentional; however, discrimination in any form, including harassment and retaliation, will not be tolerated.

It shall also be a violation of this policy for any school community member to subject any other member of the school community to any form of retaliation, including, but not limited to, coercion, intimidation, interference, punishment, discrimination, or harassment for reporting or filing a complaint of discrimination, cooperating in an investigation, aiding or encouraging another member of the school community to report such conduct or file a complaint, or opposing any act or practice reasonably believed to be prohibited by this policy.

*race to include traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture, hair type, hair length, and protective hairstyles.

Policy Information
First Adopted: Unknown
Last Amended: TBD
Last Reviewed: TBD
Review Frequency: five (5) years Next Review: TBD
Version: 2
Policy ID: AC
Original Source: MASC - July 2024

Legal References:

  • Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964
  • Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 Executive Order 11246, as amended by E.O. 11375
  • Equal Pay Act, as amended by the Education Amendments of 1972 Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972                         
  • Rehabilitation Act of 1973                                                                                                                                                     
  • Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975
  • No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 20 U.S.C. § 7905 (The Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act)
  • M.G.L. 71B1 et seq. (Chapter 766 of the Acts of 1972)
  • M.G.L. 117

Cross References:

  • ACE, Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability
  • ACAB, Harassment
  • ACAB-R, Policy Prohibiting Sexual Harassment and Violence GBA, Equal Employment Opportunity
  • IJ, Instructional Materials
  • JB, Equal Educational Opportunities

Date Submitted: 9/3/2024
Date Requested to be on the Agenda: 9/9/2024

2024-32: Offered by Member Ruseau

Policy BEDB III. Consent Agenda will have ', Grant Approvals, Field Trip Approvals ' added after 'Approval of Bills'.

Date Submitted: 9/4/2024
Date Requested to be on the Agenda: 9/9/2024

IX. Reports Requested

X. Condolences

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the
family of Helen A. Gogolos, a retired cafeteria worker for Medford Public Schools.

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the
family of John J. Bailey Jr., husband of former Medford Public School teacher Janice Bailey
and father to Medford’s Recreation Director, Kevin Bailey.

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the
family of Joseph Tortora, grandfather of Anthony Tortora who is part of our District Tech
Support Team.

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the
family of Dr. Melvyn Levine, father of Ian Levine of the Andrews Middle School.

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the
family of Robin Irving, an McGlynn Middle School teacher and Medford Public Schools
employee for over 40+ years.

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the
family of Pauline Lenox Davis, aunt of former Mayor, Michael J. McGlynn and Karen McGlynn
Devine. Our sincerest apologies for the original misprint.

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the
family of Cesar A. Gomez, father of Brooks Elementary staff member Loren Gomez. Mr.
Gomez was a US Veteran and passed away just before his 100th birthday.

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the
family of Wede Fegerson “Wade” Desir, who was a Class of 2019 Robotics and Engineering
Mustang graduate of the Medford Vocational Technical High School.

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the
family of Francis P. “Frank” Zizzo, father of middle school teacher Frankie Zizzo and uncle of
high school teachers Brittani Lanzilli and Kayli Lanzilli.

XI. Next Meeting

September, 23 2024 - held at Alden Memorial Chambers in addition to Zoom.

XI. Adjournment