April 29, 2026 – School Committee – Video & Transcript
April 29, 2026 - School Committee
Thank you.
Thank you.
Welcome to the Wayland School Committee meeting on April 29th, 2026 at 6.10 p.m.
We have all of our school committee members and our administrators here with us at the table.
We are being recorded by WACAM.
We are going to pass over administrative matters item B tonight.
And is there anyone here for public comment?
Oh, I just raised my hand. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's okay. Oh, you noticed her. I'm sorry. Yeah, yeah. I got her. I apologize. Nope, that's okay.
So we will open for public comment. We'll give you three minutes since you're the only one. Yep, come on up. And can somebody just put a timer on? I'm a little nervous. I don't get to find it. I'm going to leave it behind my own computer. Don't be nervous. This is actually pertaining to 25 Holiday, but since I'm not on the invite list, I figured I would do it now. Actually, I'm Shannon Fisher at 46 Moore Road, and I am on the Conservation Commission as well. So you're speaking tonight on your own behalf and not as a member of the Conservation Commission. Correct, but we did actually run this idea past the Conservation Commission at our last meeting, and they voted in support of this idea. So you can consider this me for myself, but we do have the support. Of the Conservation Commission for this idea. Okay. And so this is about the Holiday Road parcel. I know it's very much under debate, and I'm not trying to pile onto that. All I want to do is just highlight one more potential use for this land, because I know you may wind up building schools on it, which is absolutely, you know, I respect that as your guys' right. This is your decision. But if you don't, the forest can still, and even if you do, there could still be enough for this. But this forest is actually potentially an extremely valuable land resource for you guys. This may already be on all of your radars because you're in education, but there's this really impressive growing body of literature that outdoor classrooms offer enormous benefits to students, improvements in social skills, cooperation, executive function, engagement, emotional self-regulation, reduced anxiety, reduced anger. It seems to be beneficial to kids with them. ADHD, it appeals to kids with many different sort of learning styles, like kinesthetic, visual. It even helps teachers who report feeling more refreshed and patient once they get back inside. And schools that had access to green spaces and forests were able to be a lot more resilient during COVID and have more in-person learning during then. These are not especially expensive. Numbers I saw during my little research started at $500 up to $150,000. They can be pretty much anything anybody wants. They could be buckets that kids carry their gear out in and then flip over to sit down on, or it could be more elaborate with things like outdoor libraries and amphitheaters to gather around with science stations and art stations, creativity zones, weather monitoring stations. There are, I've heard it, I've seen it read that there's no better time to be looking for grants for this kind of thing. there's more support and interest than ever even the mass government has a program for um i think it's called outdoor start that's for early education but these can be for you know preschool on up to high school and some of the leaders in this are actually in the northern states so cold is not um not a problem maine is actually the main leader on this and they've had many grants supporting everything from k to high school and they have now um a program to get all their four to eight grade kids some outdoor experience with outdoor learning these aren't necessarily different classes either they can just be the indoor classroom and take it outside so the conservation commission does have an appetite to support this there's things like cpc grants there's um there's all kinds of opportunities as well to get consultants to come out and support train help design train teachers on switching over to this kind of environment and it's a large enough piece of land to be flexible for many learning modules to evolve to have different spaces ages subjects um it could even be a bridge
and it's already under your jurisdiction so i don't mean to add pressure i really don't um the the decision is entirely undefined am i done okay thank you
getting a phone call
you yeah that was great thank you okay no one else is here for public comment right okay so we will close public comment and we will move to superintendent's update we are looking at the 25-26 school year co-teaching update first yes and we'll have our team come to the table yes so as you are all aware i'm starting to report on our goals this time of year and one of our goals was to implement co-teaching across our elementary schools co-teaching is a model and ronnie has a really good slide on different kinds of coaching so i am not going to steal the presentation co-teaching is where we have a general education teacher and special education teacher in the classroom full-time at our elementary schools and we have a number of special education students who are included full-time in the classroom and we'll talk more about that model i mentioned it's all three elementary schools at one of our elementary schools clay pitt hill it is in five grades and grades one to five so we thought it would be great to include our clay pitt hill team here tonight we have principal marie brigham and we have uh special education administrator naomi o'brien mary brigham and we have uh special education administrator naomi o'brien mary brigham and we have uh special education administrator naomi o'brien making her whalen public schools debut
welcome so this is a first we always like to just note that our folks are extra kind to people at the table for the first time naomi naomi has experienced previously she was an elementary special educator education administrator in dover server and she's been at the table many times before and it's great to have naomi here and certainly this position is a really important one that we are here to hug so i will turn it over to ronnie first thank you for marie and naomi okay i emailed this to you yesterday i just want to make sure it was the same yeah it's the same okay um so just to kind of ground us um the goal there was actually a goal under the academic achievement goal for um us to continue to increase meaningful inclusionary opportunities with the needs of all learners and one part of that was um to pilot a co-teaching model and targeted classrooms in all three elementary schools and then also to provide ongoing professional development and coaching around that model so that um was a goal that didn't live in the student services you know part but is owned by everybody so it's kind of just where they are so like david said just a reminder we had a grade this year is grades one through five at clay pit three to four at loker and three to five at happy hollow this visual is just a reminder of what co-teaching means that it can mean six different things so it's a reminder of what co-teaching means and what co-teaching means and throughout the day any of those models could be used um or one um it's really you know i think as the teachers have gotten more comfortable they've experimented with different models i'm sure you can talk about you've seen all of the different models um at different times so about a couple weeks ago before vacation we met with um i had all the co-teachers come and aspire who's been um doing our professional development um kind of uh jillian led a discussion where we talked about some of the successes and the challenges um that we experienced so this was just some of their work um if you want to um so this is where i'll let naomi and marie to talk about it this is just a summary kind of some of the successes that we talked about were that there is flexibility of support small group instruction opportunities to learn from each other more differentiation um and there are challenges and we definitely had our fair share of challenges at different schools with different things around planning time or balancing the needs of all the students balancing independence versus dependence um i don't know if you guys want to talk a little bit about what you've seen so this is yeah this is our professional practice goal as well so naomi and i have been deeply involved i evaluate all of the regular ed co-teachers and naomi all the special education co-teachers so we've been in the classrooms a lot and a lot together which is really great to see and still have to organize work and it's it's really important and now since we've been having this amazing training it's really been powerful for our own learning um and it's the most joyful place to be like it's well in our classrooms period it's the most important place to be but it's really nice to see his grow in this model what is amazing for me is that kids are getting what they need in the moment you know so in a very typical model a special educator may be scheduled to support writing let's say but now it's the social studies block and there's not someone extra to support in writing and that's where the struggle is and they're not well supported. Or worse, in my opinion, is they're cruising along so independently and beautifully, but there needs to be some explicit instruction and they're pulled away from those independent moments to get critical explicit instruction, but it's like in conflict with what we really want for kids, which is independence to skill build and then be independent in those skills. So this is kids getting what they need in the moment. We see a lot of the models. I'll talk about a model that I see often. Naomi will talk about a model. Our teachers were really grounded. I'm still feeling like new to Wayland, but station teaching is really important to kind of their core beliefs here and we're growing our practice too, right? But station teaching is where a lot of our teachers feel really comfortable. So we still see. In our classroom station teaching, what's been really nice to notice is that initially we go into classrooms and we see special educators working largely with students in their small group who have IEPs. And in many of our cases, the regular teacher, because we're Wayland and we're really well resourced, is also dual certified in special ed. So both are very skillful educators. And now as we push in, we see... There's a lot of heterogeneous groups where kids are able to build statics, be learning in small groups with kids with different skills than their own and are able to level up. And it's really hard. If I didn't know, you wouldn't know. Who are kids on IEPs and who are not? Everyone's getting what they need. I'll piggyback on that. I think what's been really nice is that since we do know who the kids are, we can see growth in terms of students who are... They're checking in with teachers, but then becoming much more independent. So it feels really interchangeable. I will say also, piggybacking on what Marie said, I think both teachers, as the year has gone on and they've gotten to know students more deeply, have really interchangeable roles, which is nice. I would say especially with some of the SEL and learning, but really SEL things, students that were really probably spending more time with special educators, now have... have more people on their team. So I think like the adults are also growing their practice, which has been super nice. And students are not getting accustomed to just working with one teacher, which is really, really helpful for a variety of reasons as well. Going back to those pairings, the regular educator is still our content specialist, right? They really have that deep subject matter knowledge. And our special educator has that really rich toolbox of strategies to use with kids who learn differently. But we're seeing both grow their capacity. Really confident special educators, leading tier one instruction, teaching fractions like bosses. And then you also see regular educators who are able to use flexible supports on the turn of a dime, identify a difficulty and make decisions as if they were a skilled everyday special educator. So it's nice to see both educators' skills growing. And I think since the classrooms, because of the two teachers, are really like accommodated, very robust, in a very robust manner, there are things that I think other students even have benefited from in terms of like the differentiation piece. So there might be like three different graphic organizers available, and they're available to all students. So some students may need them in order to succeed, but others may just feel like it allows them to do their best. And so I think it's really allowed students to know themselves as learners because there's more in front of them in terms of the like accommodation and differentiation, which has been really nice. Final point for me. Rhyme provided a lot of opportunities, so we've had a lot of learning walkthroughs with Jillian, who's come in with her expert lens and helped, you know, to refine my lens and Naomi's lens. And then we've had some different kinds of walkthroughs as well. And we were having some math walkthroughs during the month of January when we had lots of college-age subs in to support us. And what was really nice is that we made sure that our co-teachers saw other students, saw other co-taught models, and what grew out of that is like our third-grade teachers pulling, you know, our fifth-grade teachers aside to say, hey, I saw like something so interesting that's happening in your classroom. Can we talk more about that? We'd like to like replicate that in part in our classroom. Similarly, we had, you know, students obviously get, you know, transition in and out of IEPs all year. This is not like always starting September. So we've had a lot of teachers kind of rely on each other. And observe each other, providing direct instruction, like for reading in the classroom. Because especially as the grades get older, that's, I think, less familiar to them at this stage of the game. And so it's been nice to see teachers kind of hearing and observing each other to expand their growth and better meet the students' needs. And it's very joyful, just candidly. The teachers are good parents. We've gotten a lot of feedback from parents. But most importantly, the kids are really thriving. You know, we had a number of kids. That's why I said I would say less. But here goes, I say more. We had a couple of parents who were anxious about putting their child in the co-top model. And it is so nice this time of year as all of those placement letters are coming in fast and furious to say, like, please, yes, again, to the co-top model. It's really worked out for my child, really. And I think the conversations, like as Ronnie said, this is, we are, we are a work in progress always. And so there, I think there have been students where we were like, it's going to be a great year. It's going to be a great fit. And it hasn't been. But I think, like, the communication and transparency around that, even for students that we might be changing models for next year, has been done super thoughtfully. And so it's not a reflection of the model. It's just a reflection of what the student needed and how we were maybe often anticipating how that student would do in that model. But it's been very, it's been very positive in that sense as well. So we're excitedly planning next year. Could you maybe share with us some of the snippets that, and it doesn't have to be identifying, for kids or students or, or parents or anything, but just some of the positive feedback that you received? Yeah. So like just from, from parents around their kids. Yeah. If you just, I don't know, like you, you're at all the IEP meetings, so she'll be a little bit better to focus on some of that. I have heard from parents that their children are coming home saying that they like being in a classroom with other students who learn like them and they don't feel like they are pulled out and isolated quite as much. I've heard a lot of that. I've heard from parents that because it is such a mix that their students feel like they can use the tools that, that they are learning, whether it's assistive technology tools or a different version of something. And so people, the students are coming home feeling really like they are part of the community and not different from what is happening in the classroom. Feedback I've gotten is that like the benefit of being in a classroom with more than one teacher, you know, just being able to access help. What I am getting is some of the places that I've been to, I've been to a lot of different places. One of the things that I've seen in the recent letters is, can my students who does not have an IEP be considered for the co-taught classroom? They really benefited from being in that setting this year. We'd love that for them again, you know. I would say other feedback, and from students as well, is that they like that their day feels more like a consistent continuum and that there's not as much coming and going. They know, students know if they need help with something. They don't need to wait. So, you know, Marie's point is it's not like the three times 30 minutes a week that if someone is coming in to help them. And so, you know, I think it's really important that they know what they need to do and what they need to do. And so, you know, I think it's really important that they know what they need to do and what they need to do. But, we know that students always know that their teachers are there for them. However, having someone who understands their learning needs from a different lens that they were used to getting elsewhere is not happening anymore. And so, I think students feel like their day is really, um, meaningful experience. In some ways, it's the same for all of us. consistent. Have you noticed that students who were perhaps on the cusp of needing more robust help, maybe a general ed student, are no longer there? Yeah I think we've had both scenarios in all honesty where we're like not oops but like we've learned that this child might need a combination but there we have several students who were kids that were receiving a lot outside the classroom who their data is really showing that they are benefiting from the model and they're they're indefinitely receiving services in the less restrictive manner than they would have previously. Well it has to be maximizing the amount of time that students that are on a grid are getting the time because if it was three times thirty previously pull out you're not getting the thirty you're getting you know ten because it's ten to get there ten you know five to get there five to get set up right ten you're sitting at the table five you get a you know you might be with another student that whatever and then five to get back to your room so they've got to be maximizing the time which is making it more consistent too. And I think it's different I think you know sometimes kids need help outside of those allotted time and because the teaching team knows the students so well they don't you know if a student is being independent in a writing activity we're gonna let that student do their thing because every every child needs that especially if they're being successful whereas if they are in a science lesson or even like doing something with reading and something comes up that's the time to swoop in and skill build and so I think there's a lot of flexibility which allows the students to feel like they are they're getting what they need and the teachers providing what they need as opposed to providing it during the scheduled time. And in my observation just with watching my own kids now having two in high school and one in fifth grade like those are the classes where they didn't typically get that support and that's where the most complicated part is. I think it's really important to understand what that complex material is and to decode that understand it and then write on it or answer a question is was nearly impossible I think majority of them just kind of checked out and now they're checking in because somebody is looking at them and saying okay let's or let's read this aloud or let's dissect this differently and the approach seems to be a little bit different and some of those classrooms which is really helpful for those kids so thank you. Well we center you know our focus on students from the teacher perspective to have a lot of time to think about what they're doing and what they're doing in the classroom. Okay and some of the things that are clear and very clear are important about I mean what it was in class and how they're like we always had each other just in bothapa Their learning to the class so that that is really kind of maximizing our teachers talent because they have that kind of time. So that that is really kind of maximizing our because they have that time the other thing that is nice is it allows for more flexibility with the schedule during the school day so for example if the math lesson is wrapped up five minutes quicker you can transition and introduce the writing because you're not waiting for kids to come back from pull out math you can you're not like there's no hang time you know you can maximize every minute and do you think that the teachers who may have had reservations about participating in this when the teachers were approached prior to this year that they may have changed their mind a little bit or it's a nice bag yeah you know so and some may never get there they might just not have an interest and that's okay but actually intimate experience with educators at Clay Pitt they are all all those teachers who participated enjoy their year we have a teacher who is transitioning out because they're moving towards retirement and would like a final year solo you know that's fair you know we we have teachers that if we try to separate them at this point it would be very very challenging it would be an ugly divorce for us yeah and so you know we have a lot of teachers who have participated in this year and they they absolutely love it I think where we saw the most growing pain is in the students who were not in the co-taught model and we're not in our programs how do we make sure that they get what they need with the group of special educators we had on the run and boy were they on the run because their caseloads were manageable but they were serving students in maybe three classrooms that's harder it's like more collaboration more adults Ronnie has really done a lot of work for us. Like amazing work to make sure that everyone is getting what they need and we have a plan for next year that will address that better you know we've definitely has some takeaways yeah that's I think a good question how many kids are kind of in that crack of not being in a program our co-taught maybe statistically doesn't school yeah of course class level I think it's week click ass from cohort to cohort and it these early loosens. If you're so surprised I'm sorry different. But grade, like, there'll be a grade that there's a big chunk and then a grade where there's no one. Our rising third grade, like, it's just co-taught. It's a small cohort. Our rising fourth grade, as we plan for next year, we'll have co-taught fourth grade and we'll have co-taught-ish fourth grade where we'll have mostly co-taught with some C-grade pull-out instruction but mostly co-taught. You know, so it's kind of a hybrid, pretty much a hybrid. And then there's always, yeah, like the students who go through evaluation at different times of the year that are in different classes or students that move in, and, you know, so those students, obviously. It does vary. Some grade levels, everybody's in the co-taught, and some we have enough to do, too. And you're just adjusting accordingly going forward. I know this was, like, the pilot year. Yeah, creatively. Moving forward, you know, we are still going to have co-teaching at all three elementary schools, but it does have to adjust because it's a cohort. So, you know, next year at Happy Hollow and Logar, it may look a little bit different because of the cohort sizes in certain grades. But we've been having conversations with the staff about it, and everyone's, like, very much aware of those changes that may have to happen because if we only have two students on IEP, we're not going to have one, you know, dedicated special education teacher to that, you know, that we have to split a little bit, so. And, you know, at Logar, with the Spanish immersion, it adds a little bit that we need to juggle as well. So it'll look a little different, but everyone's been very flexible about it. I met with Logar and Happy Hollow teams and kind of let them kind of guide that around, like, what would be best? We've done this now for a year. What cohorts is it working? Where do we? And it is. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And most of the teams will remain, but, you know, that was it for co-teaching, but I don't want to end if there's still more questions.
I know this was a huge undertaking, so kudos to all the people who supported co-teaching because there's a real dignity to giving kids what they need in the moment. Huge payout. Like, a huge payout for a kid. Worth it. And joyful. Bravo.
It's exciting. Yeah. Thank you.
Next, I'm going to talk about programs, so you guys are welcome to chime in about that. I'm going to talk about that as well, because a lot of it lives in the clay pit. So the first goal for student services school was there's a need to develop programs that are well-coordinated vertically and effectively communicated to both staff and community, and that was around monitoring and refining programs, entrance and exit criteria, continuing our consultant collaboration, and developing our program manuals. So we have, you know, our three... I want to say three big strands. We can go to the next slide, actually. This is just a slide of all of our strands. So we have the elementary, middle, and high school. You can see all of our strands are everywhere. The opening in the middle school is because we don't have a cohort right now for that group, but when the kids move up from elementary, we'll, you know, we have a place. So we renamed. Our, you know, it used to be SCIP and ARC and ALRT, and now the whole program is our therapeutic learning center. So all of the program is called TLC, and that is, I think, really helpful for the students. So when they're in elementary school and they're in TLC, and then they go to middle school and they're in TLC, they're not going, oh, wait, why am I in ARC? That, you know, and that program has run. It's been beautiful this year. We've been doing... We've been having our ongoing consultation with Triumph, which has been really helpful. He, Tim, our consultant, meets with the team weekly. We had Naomi brought in a BCBA who does, like, therapeutic yoga and brought her in to do weekly yoga with the kids. I don't know if you want to talk a little bit about that. Yeah, it's been awesome. So she comes in every other week to do therapeutic yoga with the kids, and then she meets with ourselves. And she's a staff from TLC, and she is creating, like, binders of mindfulness, almost like a curriculum for our team to follow for the students. We use it a lot at morning meeting when we're talking about, you know, behavior regulation and thoughts and feelings, all those things. And there's lessons to go along with that. So it's been really great. Kids have loved it. And we have students not just in TLC, but who also benefit from the yoga piece. So we'll be sharing out those mindfulness binders with other teachers as well. It's been fun. And then our TLC at middle school and high school has had pretty consistent staffing, which has been nice. And our programs have really been working, now that we're in the spring, around, you know, transitions and making sure that kids are really set up for success. Our language-based classroom is now fully 3 to 12. Well, 3 to 11 next year, 3 to 12. We have two. We have two staff at each, you know, level. Thank you. We're continuing our consultation with Landmark next year, which is great. Our 20 educators were able to take a writing class through Landmark this year, and 20 educators took an executive functioning class through Landmark as well, through that consultation. So, which is great. We have our autism developmental delay communications strand, which is great. Which starts at Achieve, and then goes to SAIL, and SCOPE, and I don't know, they really like their names, and they have meaning behind them, so we've kept those. And then our milestones program, and then we have an opening, we just don't have a cohort middle school in life skills. And then our 18 to 22-year-old program, which started this year, which has been great. We actually started a consultation, and I'm sorry, not a consultation, we are partnering with Framingham State. And the students in that program go to Framingham State and take classes twice a week through the Massachusetts NAEPC program. So they go on campus, and they're like students on campus. They take classes, they are engaged in the community twice a week. So we'll continue that again next year.
Question. Yes. Can you just tell me, and I know you probably went over this last year around this time, but can you refresh my memory on what the language-based program looks like at the middle school and the high school? Sure. So at the middle school, it's, there's one, so it's a waterfall schedule, right? So it's like things, you meet a class four times a week. So everybody has like a study hall four times a week, and that four times a week would be most students would have ELA, I'm sorry, not ELA, they would have like writing or executive functioning for four times. So they would have four times 53, and then instead of a language, they would have another four times 53 of like, if they needed small group reading, like phonics, like Wilson or Orrin Gillingham, and then the English class is co-taught. So the English class is the general ed teacher and the LVP program teacher. And then there's an assistant from the LVP that goes to all of the content areas as well. And the teams, like our consultant works with the team. So they're attached to... Like there's an LVP team at each grade level, and our consultant works with all of the content area teachers at those grade levels.
High school's a little bit more tricky because it's an eight-day cycle, as you guys are very much well aware. We now do have two teachers. We do have co-taught ELA, I'm not talking about, we have co-taught English, and then we have the skills section, the students, it's based on need, how many skills sections they get. It could be four, it could be five, it could be eight. It could be 12 is the most. And that, if they need their, if students need phonics or Wilson, they could get that. But it's a lot of breaking down the content and the language and the vocabulary and previewing really to help with the more complex text as well. Ronnie? Oh, sorry, go ahead. No, I'm just, are you, do you have a, I know a lot of this is still iterative and a work in progress, but is there sort of attribution? Is there a trajectory we should sort of hope to see over time of either need, intervention, enrollment levels, like, is there sort of a natural arc that we should see course through the programs over time, with the understanding that kids move in and out all the time, but assuming a K through 12 journey for a learner who needs a language-based program? So, would they, I'm sorry, like, would they come out to graduate? Like, would you expect them to, yeah, at some point to graduate from the program, or if they start in early intervention? And in a Clay Pitt LVC, you know, how do we start to think about effective intervention versus we don't necessarily see them? Also, similarly, how do we think about enrollment in the LVP at the high school, and do we need to be doing more to catch them earlier? Like, I just, I'm trying to understand how we think about those pathways. Yeah, and that's where our exit criteria really comes into play a little bit. So, like, we do have students who are being recommended to exit the program at fifth grade. Every year. It's kind of re, it's not a given, it's every year, it's kind of reassessed. We've had students who have transitioned out of TLC, but have a foot in a little bit, so it's like TLC light, we call it. So, our staff is really flexible to make sure we're able to give kids what they need and not create dependence. So, when they're ready to go, we really try to have, and that can be really hard for families and for kids. You know. Often times for families. Families. Kids do okay. But we really focus on the data. We really, that's where the data is really, and we would really use evaluations. Typically, it would come at a three-year re-eval. We would have those discussions, and it's the student no longer meeting the criteria for this program. After this, I'm going to talk a little bit more about dyslexia, because the definition of dyslexia has been updated, and what we know about dyslexia has changed a little bit. And we do have, you know, we have about 60 kids in elementary school with a specific learning disability diagnosis, and we have 15 in the program. So, not everyone with dyslexia needs the program, so it's also about educating and really catching kids early. So, going to the Dyslexia Institute, we really learned some tools to use for kindergartners and first graders to really screen early, so we can catch them early.
Go ahead. I'll wait until you're... If you're going to talk... I'll wait until you're... If you're going to talk about dyslexia specifically... Oh, well, that was my next one. Yeah. But I don't know if you had anything else you want to share about the program. If there are any, like, elementary-specific questions, I'm happy to answer them. Yeah. Have we thought about introducing sign language as a language at the middle school? So, sign language has not come up at the middle school, but it's come up at the high school, and I know it is something that is, for students specifically with learning disabilities, is easier. It's something that I talked about with Alina, right? I was going to say Kendall, but it's Alina. Last year, we do have options for online right now. We don't have an... Like, if a student really wanted to take ASL, I could set up an online class. We don't have it... We haven't really formally talked about it, but it is something that I know would probably be a good option and something that we can explore. But we do have the... We do have the... We do have online as an option, which is not ideal, but something that I'm open to considering more. We would. We would. I know. For the future. I just think of the middle school kids. Like, they need to make the choice to have the support they need or take a language, and I absolutely get it. Like, we can't add more to their plate, and there's no more time in the day. So, it's just kind of might be a nice option in the future. Yeah. Something... Certainly. My kids will be gone. You should just stay in school. Somebody's good. What am I doing in there? I'm sure. There's new people coming into my seat. Good job. I'll be back in three years. How about that? How about next year? Any other... Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. You have to stay. We'll see. We'll see.
Yeah. Any other questions on that? No, I'm going to hold mine. Okay. No. I'm sure there's more. We'll continue all of our consultations next year with Triumph and Aspire. No, no, no. It's a landmark and teachers seem to really... It's a brand new one. I checked. They all want to continue with everybody. So, I thought that was good. So, speaking of dyslexia, the definition of dyslexia has actually been updated. It was originally in 2002 and in 2025 it was updated. That link I found, it breaks down, like, the difference between the old and the new. old and the new it's a lot more with phonological processing and it's spelling and it it really it is I think more accurate one of my thoughts for next year is to really focus on the definition and making sure all teachers and special educators general educators are aware we can certainly use the word dyslexia and IEP meaning dyslexia can be in an IEP and I think in the past everyone people were a little bit nervous about that that is not something that we can't you know it's something that we can certainly discuss and the what I'm hoping to do next year is working to make sure all staff has a familiarity and comfort with the new updated definition of disability when we suspect disability to make sure we're doing a robust evaluation you know we're doing a robust evaluation and we're doing a robust evaluation not just like a one-size-fits-all but really looking specifically and those are just some tests and then when determining eligibility really looking at three areas of dyslexia accuracy retrieval world oral language and really analyzing where the difficulty is between is it connected text lexical or the sub lexical level and that will really help us to hone in exactly where students are struggling and how we can best help them so it's something moving forward for next year okay now go for it um I know there were a good amount of teachers that had like volunteered to get Wilson certified I think I'm curious what that number looks like now I'd say for our elementary any teacher who wanted to get Wilson certified I have done we've done it so we have a pretty healthy healthy group of group also at the middle school we have people trained our lit boost teachers actually getting trained at a three-day training so though she'll be prepared for next year and getting her materials as well so we are consistently building enough anytime we have a new teacher come on so like Haley Rice is a new teacher at loker she got the full training another teacher came on at Happy Hollow she so any teacher who wants to get a full training any time a teacher especially teachers hired I'm giving them a drink I'm getting them the training and so as soon as they come on board so I think we pretty we have a pretty robust group now which has been really I think helpful our reading specialists on training I think we have a pretty a lot of teachers where in the past I think you had to like move around teachers to make sure that they we don't really need to do that anymore because so many teachers are trained and certified that was it for the first goal any questions well this is Africa's we just had our second day with Sarah Ward first super Wednesday which got me all jazzed thank you guys thank you thanks so much for coming thank you so executive functioning is definitely buzz buzz words right now so this was one of our goals to really develop a curriculum to have professional development and to really develop some tools to effectively monitor our curriculum and our progress and if you want to um so this is just when we say executive functioning these are the 12 parts of executive functioning so it's not just organization there's a lot that goes into it inhibition so that like student who can't not raise their hand you know it's shout down instead of raising their hand working memory, which really can impact academics. Your cognitive flexibility, your ability to shift from one thing to another, your emotional control, your ability to start a task, organize, plan, prioritize tasks, time management, having goal or directed persistence, metacognition, knowing what you don't know, monitoring yourself, and tolerate stress tolerance. That is a lot. That's executive functioning. That's, and that's a lot. We're asking kids to do that. And we're asking kids to do that. So oftentimes when kids are not doing it, we think, oh, they need, we need testing. Like, it's a lot to take on. And, you know, something that we talked about, Sarah Warr talked about today, which was great, was around that gradual release where, you know, that last step of gradual release is for the student to be able to do it and then to generalize it. And that can take some time, right? Like adults, I think, I think it's up until like 25. It's like still people, you know, brains are, people's brains are still developing. So just knowing that it is a process. Also at around sixth grade, seventh grade, around 11 to 13 is when we're asking kids to be more skillful, switch classes, make sure you have the materials you need. You're having five different teachers. And at that time, if you want to switch, they're, they're actually like have a little bit of a dip in their executive functioning because they're learning these pathways. They're learning to be better, but we're putting more on them. So it makes it a kind of, that's why middle school can be a little bit bumpy. So I was reading something that basically was saying, you know, these executive functioning pathways are like unfaved roads. You can get there, it's just may not be pretty to get there. And you have to keep driving on these bumpy roads. Eventually they'll get smoothed out and they'll get paved. But it's going to take time and it's going to get bumpy. And that's where the learning is really happening. So things that we did this year, Super Wednesday, Sarah Ward presented to all levels. Like I said, we had the last one today, which was great. She's a new tool, which everybody was very excited about. It's like an online clock where you can put in different, oh my gosh that's just so cool. I wish I, if I had gotten it earlier, I would have put it up. But like you can, we used to, like I used to shade in a clock with a dry erase marker. Now you can have it up on your board and you can say like, check in time at this time. At this time your paper should look like this. At this time your paper should look like this. It's really cool. Yeah. Like I said, about 20 educators are taking an executive functioning class, their landmark. And then next year, I have been doing a lot of research. And the middle and high school, this is an executive function, like I said, is where, you know, we're asking so much more of kids. And that's where the, their roads are bumpy. So I'm thinking of piloting using the smart software next year, which is an online tool that has executive functioning lessons and can really progress monitor skills for students. So we're thinking, I'm going to have teachers take a look at it in the next, before this, in the next couple months and see if they want to use it. I've looked at a couple of different programs that are out there. And I think that one is the most easy to use. And I think would be most effective. And that would just be middle and high? Yeah, to start. And to see how it goes. Because the elementary, I feel like because they're more contained in the classroom, they have more of the support built in, but then they get to middle school and it's, sometimes the wheels can come off a little bit. I recently saw something online and it was about the dyslexic student's backpack and how they literally pack everything into it because they have to do all of the things you just said. And I just want to say that it's a really cool thing to do. I think it's a really cool thing to do. I think it's a really cool thing to do. Yeah. I think it's a really cool thing to do. I think it's a really cool thing to do. I think machine learning is the best. I think machine learning is the best. Again, I think it's a really good way to so that voters can have a say in what their revenues are the next few weeks, and maybe even in the next three when they still do it. But I think it's gonna be fun. Yeah. One more thing. There was a little interesting story about the home care program and the newfry radio I think that we just mentioned. And the easiest way for them to cope with that is to just take everything along with them. And that kind of stuck with me. I was trying to find the article but I couldn't. I haven't really read a single article until next week, that was strange. There's, not gl global one, so I thought it was an old one. Yeah. I mean, we read it. It's okay. You know, if you think about a lot of students with dyslexia, working memory is already very low. Well, then you add executive functioning challenges. If you add any bit of anxiety and your working memory has now gone completely kaput. So, yeah, it really does impact. And that's why I think it's important to know executive functioning hits a lot of different areas. Yes, even our really hits emotional control and inhibition, which is something that we're going to focus on next year as well. Because we've got the 213 grant. The state has changed, is implementing all new timeout regulations and put out a grant, which we were lucky enough to receive. So we're having training with Jessica Minahan next year. And she really does focus on that emotional control inhibition. Working through anxiety, which I think really, she actually does a lot with Sarah Ward. Like, it really does go hand in hand. So that will be a nice carryover. Also, this year, all counselors and administrators were trained on C-STAG, which is a comprehensive school threat assessment guideline. So, not that we haven't needed it, but God forbid there was a threat. All of the counselors and administrators are trained in what to do and how to deal with it. And there's a lot of work to be done. So, yeah, I think it's important to know that. There's a whole program. It's very well-redowned through the University of Virginia. Hannah Rubio, our school adjustment counselor at the high school, is actually a trainer and really spearheaded it. So everyone is happy to have those tools in their toolbox. We'll continue our safety care training next year. A lot of staff are actually, more staff than usual, or than in the past are trained because they've moved online. And it's cut the amount of time we have to take staff out of classrooms. So it's great. And then because of our grant, we're going to expand our consultation with Triumph beyond just the TLC programs to really help in other programs. And Tim, who our consultant, has gone over to Happy Hollow to help to just give ideas on kids. He's gone to the high school beyond the TLC program. So we're going to expand that a little bit next year.
And then lastly, just looking ahead, as you know, we're shifting our preschool to Happy Hollow. Very excited. We'll continue to. With the co-teaching in, we're looking to expand it to the secondary. We're looking at middle school. There's some appetite for it. And at the high school, they've already started a little bit. I've talked about a lot of this already.
I've kind of gone over all of that. But we're going to continue. And then we'll continue our partnership with Framingham State next year. And we'll have one more student in the program, which is great. And we'll continue that.
So that is all I have. I have a question. Thank you. All great work. And wow. Thank you. Goal number one, I think it was also involved some sort of memorializing the... Oh, yeah. Next. Effectively communicated to both staff and the community.
Is that going to be on the website? Is that through this presentation? Yes. So you can go one more. Do the language-based program and the therapeutic center, those program manuals are done. And they're going to go up on our website. The autism one will be done by the end of the year. So on our new website, you can go into our policies and procedures. And there's a whole site. And they'll be uploaded there.
Sorry, that was a lot. I feel like I talked fast. No, it's great. It's great. Thank you, Ronnie. Thank you. No problem. No problem. All right. Thanks, Ronnie. Yeah, no problem.
Don't you feel like in the last three years, like five years ago, but even just since we came here, it's so different, everything.
Up next, we have our administrative matters.
And I would like to invite Jim and Chris. If you don't mind, while you're coming up here, I'm just going to run to the restroom, please. That's good. So I have some materials to hand out. Great. Okay. We're good.
These are just background materials. They're not something to be written on. Did anybody receive the email I sent? Constantly? I sent mail to the school committee trying to get these in your hands ahead of time. It was forwarded to us. It was forwarded to you. Okay, good. Did anybody have a chance to read anything? You've been really busy. I did not, but I will look. I promise I'll admit it. I'm just going to pass these around. Okay, thank you. These are for your future reference. If you could pass three to that side. And that's it. Three to this side. Make this over to Betsy, please. Thank you. Thank you. I like hard copy. I know. Me too. Me too. I hate that I do, but I do. I have a town meeting warrant. I like to do that. Actually, the topmost page may be of interest to you. Perhaps I should wait for Ellen to return. Yeah, okay.
That's really interesting that she said that. I make my windows narrower, and she encouraged all teachers to do that. What is that? Tell me. It has to do with the eye movement. Oh, the amount of text per line. You actually read faster and more efficiently on your phone. Your comprehension goes way up. Really? Yeah, because your eyes are... It's not the technology itself. It's just the size. The size. How much can fit on the screen. My outlook window, I shrink it to have a screen so I can... You know what I started doing for work? I'm like the world's worst note taker. So I now, just like I don't even take notes, I just speak. I go into my Microsoft Word after and have co-pilot summarize it. And it is pretty great. I mean, I have to go back and edit it. Yeah, we did gen and did some AI stuff with us a couple weeks ago. There's some pretty cool tools out there. Yeah. I mean, even the dictation has saved my life. I've had to do so much typing. Yeah, I don't have to do that. I speak all my emails now. You do? I'm starting to. Because I'm faster talker than I am a typer. My typing gets worse. I know. I like the last... This month I've been, I've like switched over to this. I think you're more worthy though that way. Absolutely. Absolutely. So I hear you're nice to first-time presenters at the table. So... I mean, David also is rumored to be a liar. Just kidding. No, we're very nice to first-time presenters. So this packet I handed out is background information primarily. The top most page you might find of interest, is because that's the charge from the select board for what they call a division of committee, of which the school committee has a role. But I won't be going into that now. Tonight, rather. The two of us have some brief comments to make, and then we're just going to stop talking and listen to you guys. So first, I'm going to begin formally speaking. First, nothing we say tonight should be taken as questioning the motives of the select board or any of its members. We simply have a difference of opinion that will ultimately be resolved through the democratic process. We appreciate the select board's service to the town. And second, our group, and we are part of a large group, our group strongly supports the school committee. In fact, the day after you voted to support Article 16, about 15 members of our core group met and seriously discussed whether we should withdraw our opposition to the article. After careful consideration, we voted to continue our opposition because we believe Article 16 is a good thing. However, Article 16 will ultimately be detrimental to Wayland schools. Why? Article 16 is the first step toward residential development at 25 Holiday Road. The select board has made it clear its interest in housing development there, and Article 16 initiates the process that will move the parcel in that direction. Once the study is completed, pressure will grow to remove the property from school committee control so it can be sold for development. At that point, several arguments will be made. That we have already spent $200,000 on a study and we should not waste that investment. That the town faces serious financial pressures and every asset must be used. And that because the schools have no immediate plans for the parcel, the land should generate tax revenue. These are powerful arguments, but they overlook the downstream costs of this residential development. For such a project to generate positive revenue for the town, it would need to be designed to house few or no schools. Yet Wayland's strongest selling point is its schools, which naturally attract families. That tension creates a financial risk for the town and will create costly legal disputes about what can actually be built there. In the end, development at 25 Holiday Road is far more likely to increase financial pressure on the town and to relieve it. At a time when Wayland is already facing the challenge of funding new school facilities, that risk deserves very careful consideration. For such reasons, we respectfully ask the school committee to reconsider its position on Article 16 and withdraw its support. Yeah, I'm Chris Memoli. I live at 11 Holiday Road. You probably know my wife. My two children went through the school system. I'm familiar with the school system. In fact, my granddaughter is starting Children's Way in the fall. It's very exciting. We're coming full circle here. It's a weird feeling, by the way, but I didn't just put it in. My comments are pretty simple. Co-sponsoring this article, I think the school committee has gotten themselves into a bit of an awkward position in the town. I think currently the school committee is really well respected. You're an incredible superintendent. I think most people know this is a good committee. So I think right now you're enjoying a bit of a honeymoon that way. In the near future, I know the school committee and David's going to be coming to this town asking for a lot of financial support. So I think it's really critical that the school committee maintain the current position of a lot of people loving this school committee. So I just don't want to see that tarnished in any way. Again, I care a lot about this issue. I have three grandchildren that live on Marshall Terrace. I want them to have the exact same education. Or better. That my children had. My children had first class education in the school system. So anyway, again, I just think by co-sponsoring this bill, I just think you've put yourself in a bit of an awkward position. About the land specifically, we have no idea what the future brings. The school system owns one of the last open space parcels in the town. No, the last. The last. The last. Uh, excuse me. Should retain the land. Whether or not you see use for it now. Future school committees may actually see use. Um, if you don't transfer the land, many years from now no one's ever going to question you. They're going, Oh, yeah, they should have transferred the land. However, if this land were to get transferred, the school committee, they'll go, Well, why did they transfer the land? We needed that land. Yeah. So the point is, I just think there would be no reason to transfer the land. So in that way. why would you spend $200,000 in an era where, you know, resources are very hard to come by? As we all know, I've worked in the Western Public Schools. So anyway, that's basically it. That's all we've come to say to you, and we're here to answer any questions. By the way, just so you know what we've been doing, we belong to a group of residents who've been studying this since we figured it out. It was occurring in January. We've been meeting weekly. We attend every town meeting having anything to do with this. I am tired of attending town meetings. I was here at the meeting, as you know, in the back of the room when you guys decided to vote. And we talk about this constantly. We meet every Saturday morning from 10.30 to about 12.30. We discuss what happened at the meetings. We have a mailing list. We have a newsletter. We're organized. We know a lot about. We know a lot about this problem, and we just don't think it's good for the schools. So that's all we have, really, to tell you. I have a four-and-a-half-page description of all our analysis of the finances and the political arguments there. You're happy to go to sleep to it. But, you know, I think what we've said stands for itself. Do you have any questions for us? Actually, the question I have for you is, are you willing tonight to vote on whether to draw your support for this article?
I'm willing to discuss it. I'm willing to discuss it, too. Discuss it? Fine. We're here. Something that we haven't had a chance to really discuss around this table in a while is I had kind of a, maybe a fundamental misunderstanding of how far along the road MSBA would want us to be with...
Project planning, when we asked them to accept our NSOI from us. And so my thought in kind of requesting a co-sponsor of this article was that it would help us with the SOI and acceptance of an SOI, and... Getting MSBA on board behind our project, or projects. And that was wrong. And I've never been of the mindset that I was anywhere, as just a one member of a five-person committee, anywhere near a place where I would be ready to vote to dispose of this land out of school community. control I think we're just it's not even something that's in my mind and so I'm more than happy to discuss around the table our prior co-sponsorship and support of the expenditure of the two hundred thousand asking the town to appropriate two hundred thousand dollars to investigate the exact same question I just want to ask would you like us to withdraw at this point so you can discuss without any interference we might have questions for you okay right go ahead because we've been knee-deep in the facilities planning and from my perspective being knee-deep in this my personal intention was always to get to the point where we could get to the point where we could get to the point where we could get to the point where we could get to the point where we could get that process as far as quickly as we could right and that appropriation of the two hundred thousand dollars felt valuable to me assuming that MSBA would say Wayland good job doing your homework exactly prepared and this is a priority or that we would learn if I was usable or not that was a critical unknown don't want to get too far saying yeah holiday road if the site study says no you can't put a school there and I I also don't want the misunderstanding that we were ever going to say oh we don't want it so I don't think we ever had that conversation just one thing I observed that Monday night's select board meeting yeah the select board member who spoke with you asserted that the study that they do will be equally useful for housing development purposes and school building development purposes at that meeting on Monday he said almost as an assignment well actually you know we're not it doesn't really I'm not going to get I'm not going to be able to quote so I'm going to try to paraphrase he said that essentially that the larger school building actually requires a different study for in terms of support structures and things I probably really messing that up but I'm pretty sure that's it was his intent of saying that when you when he was here and he listed the studies that he wanted to do one of the things I wanted to ask it was unable to ask at the time was that he give you an exact list and that you pass that by your architect to indeed see if the study will meet your needs I'm not so certain it will and the fact that they haven't given that list and you have you have don't have the time to do architect I think is an argument withdrawing your support at this moment the money actually will still be there in the future it's in a separate fund so probably spoke too much no okay that's more about me why our what we discussed is sort of our aspirational intention of learning what sort of anyone in town might need to know about the feasible use of the parcel won't help our timeline because I think our concern was we're gonna lose another whole year right I think you only lose a year if in that year it's decided that it's going to be disposed up to the town to sell it and in the on the other side of that is we did have some discussion with MSBA and there was explicit statements made like don't come to us with your plan fully baked that's not what we want and that work if we go to them with a statement of interest they're going to start at the feasibility part so the double money could happen anyway now but what we've heard from those be in terms of this two hundred thousand that we thought we and they don't want us too far down the road okay and I think that could put us too far down the road where the and the money would be wasted they don't want us to come and say we're choosing plan so and so we've decided this is our priority we're handing this to you give us a check mark they would like to see that our community is ready for this move and that we've done our homework and we've done research but not that we've come to the conclusion that we want this building on this site so I'm gonna ask a question the same question almost a different way is it no longer required for MSBA or a statement of interest to submit this feasibility study it sounds detrimental to our submission or is it no longer beneficial maybe it was never required it might never have been MSBA will require a feasibility study of their own of their own which will cost partnership with us which will cost correct X dollars which we will have to go to the town to appropriate town meeting to ask for for us to take that step regardless if we do it now they'll still require it okay and I think that's where we you articulated well we thought that we were taking something and moving forward with it to reduce time reduce spend and move us kind of higher in the priority of MSBA acceptance on the statement of interest list well in a more fulsome right assessment of which of many options that are going to be a significant investment of both time and just town resources looks most beneficial right I mean I think we wanted to understand better we know the status of the parcels where we are using them for school use today what is less well known to us is the feasibility and the cost and the speed to which we could advance our facilities infrastructure which is a desperate need of advancement as quickly as possible and meet as many students need so I think that was I always heard that as being our chief goal which is why we that's what I voted why we asserted to work together and make it joint in the first place that yes yeah now I do have a question for our invited guests while they're here which is you know speak to this much you can you have a large group I have been very appreciative of the positive things that many representatives who have come and made public comment in yourselves tonight about the schools new permits at the schools obviously there is also a long-standing commitment to just not developing undeveloped land in Wayland and so I have some healthy skepticism that were we to say oh don't develop it for sale for real estate development in a year 18 months we suddenly are very committed that Holiday Road is a wonderful parcel for advancement in education now suddenly we want to block school development there too because that was the main impulse I think which is one that I will never and one of my formerilosy processes had a slider in it so either way summer school we don't want to develop it i will address we'll call it what it is the mb factor um i don't know when you're talking to the select board you probably didn't notice the line of people at the back of the room uh oh when i was there when you were there i did you did okay nothing gets by i was there i go to all these meetings um i asked informally that line of people whether okay if they want to build a school and and these are all people who live in the area they want to build a school there would you block it and they all said no and the reason why we would say this is when all of us have moved into the town except for one person who got lied to
the real estate agents tell us that's school land they might build a school there you have to know that when you move in and we when we move in we accept that as a condition of buying the property that's just it now we certainly have enjoyed the benefit i've lived there for 29 years i'm not going to be able to live there much longer because i'm pretty old at this point but we certainly have enjoyed the benefit of having the trees back there but if the school needs the land you won't see a fight from us and that is the truth
and i'll just add i mean i know like sort of like i'm familiar with the plan right so like i know you wouldn't want to build a big elementary school there because you don't need it you know like i think you already have the site but there could be some really creative uses like how some outdoor education center or like there could be some really interesting things you might come up with that could be built and that's why i don't want you to transfer land because we may not know what those are now but a decade from now some all school systems might be putting some cool outdoor education says building and that might be a really nice place for it but you know so yeah i think in the current makeup i don't think you're gonna put a middle school there we make any sense right yeah so but uh but yeah my last word on this is that if there's does come a point where you want to release the land i don't want you to just release it to the town and have no direct benefit to the schools i think that if you work with the neighborhood and you work among yourselves we can figure out a way so that the land can be used in some other form whatever that form they may may be which is of direct benefit to the schools not able to talk to that tonight but i think that's something i think about i wanted to uh you know so i i think i was the only one who opposed one of the stories for this and i still did i still oppose it and i my concern is that you know if we do this study um i i think only certain uses are contemplated for the housing school whatever and not all uses you know we might want to use it for fields or our ropes cores outdoor whatever right we could be doing a lot of things with it and i think um where we um where we um where we um where we might want to do this very narrow feasibility study might want to do this very narrow feasibility study might want to do this very narrow feasibility study there may be momentum behind certain uses there may be momentum behind certain uses there may be momentum behind certain uses like housing like housing like housing well we haven't considered it for other well we haven't considered it for other well we haven't considered it for other uses like uses like uses like fields for example um and i just worry fields for example um and i just worry fields for example um and i just worry about the momentum when about the momentum when about the momentum when we've gone on in with a very narrow view we've gone on in with a very narrow view we've gone on in with a very narrow view instead of a very wide view so i don't instead of a very wide view so i don't think the intent was to go in with a narrow view so if that's where it's evolving yeah like the intent did not have that this is not our article well right no i mean but it was supposed to be a joint article right and the way that it was revised and re-proposed was at least what we agreed to submit and what we submitted to the select board in response to the original draft was much more joint and much broader my only hesitation and i hear you like i don't know that any study is going to ever do all use and i do worry that we as a town have a lot of stagnation problem we have a very difficult time with momentum we have a very difficult time with advancement and we have a difficult time with progress and so my 25 studies main concern is how do we improve our facilities like when i'm sitting at this table that is the lens i am focused on and my understanding was that we believed momentum in this town meeting would actually advance the speed with which we could learn and continue to move forward on facilities improvement i mean what i'm hearing and i'm looking at you only because that's new information i'm looking at this visioning charge which does not seem as balanced as what i thought we suggest like had proposed this yeah can i speak to the vision chart sure we were there it's no longer a draft that's been accepted it was accepted monday night that's great they can do what they want oh yes exactly and uh tom well i'm going to say tom fagin is the author of this right described what he saw this vision is it's really not a visioning
it's what they see it as is the the whoever does these site studies will do the studies first and then report to the committee who then reports back to their respective interests to say what happened and it's really targeted towards housing it is they we we were the ones our neighborhood were the ones two weeks ago who said we want a visioning committee that would look at a larger set of uses and they turned it into something that is targeted towards housing yeah it frustrated us i mean i agree betsy we we do have a momentum problem in town i think i voted on the opposite side not on this article but on other things where um you know the projected momentum doesn't go in the direction that i think we need to go i stand firmly against some of those boats that i've taken on this one in particular i i did vote for kind of that broad scope that broad view of how we could use this scope that broad view of how we could use this land with the intent to move the visioning program forward and improve our school district and our schools and our facilities and it doesn't sound like based on all the information we're hearing that's the intent to this anymore and that makes me uncomfortable like i don't want to see this land the select board's already determined that this is not suitable for a school it's not the way we should do it it's not the best way to invest our money and they want to see it go toward housing which they feel is the quick short in in my opinion it's a short-sighted way to try and increase revenue and i've told them i don't and i don't vote in support of that and that's what what do we need to do would would it just be a simple vote amongst five people to relinquish the land because the five people no no i'm not saying that i'm not saying that but in the future because we don't know the five people that sit at this table in the future five years from now ten years from now two years from now we know we know um it takes a two-thirds vote at the town meeting and even then you are not required to do it because you are you have an independent you are an independent deliberate body however the town votes two-thirds to ask you to transfer the land i think you're going to feel a lot of pressure i can withstand lots of pressure can i just i need a little clarification because i understand the warrant article i don't understand the role of the visioning committee they've now created this but this only takes this only gets created if they are passives they approved it no it's as if it passes right okay but they've assumed that it's approved but this does not need town meeting approval the context no no and they didn't bring they didn't bring this to us and it's been voted on yes that's correct they did not consult you they they did reach out saying that they were going to do this but we didn't have any discussion around it okay um i guess one of my main concerns that we had even before we went back with a revised joint was our concern with residential development was that any kind of feasibility study include estimated costs to educate students that would move in and we asked for estimated costs to the schools from the Alta Oxbow development and other multi-home developments and I don't believe we ever received a response to that nor does this include any similar cost assessments and could that impede any future conversations that we have with MSBA if we have some sort of development with potentially new students moving in and could that change our numbers and how they view us my biggest concern is impeding the process with MSBA in the next hopefully few years and I'm concerned now that this could would we get too far good question Kate sorry we in that large document we have estimated costs and we did it on a per acre basis using the select boards initial numbers which are eight hundred I thought two hundred I'm gonna but anyway we estimated that for the fifty residences that they intend to build on the fourteen acres that there can be no more than two students per acre for this to break even anything they really have to build housing that has no students on it and the problem that they're going to have is that any developer who wants to build housing in Wayland, Wayland's biggest attraction is the schools so this is in the long term a losing proposition in terms of collecting tax revenues and that's why I say it's going to put a lot of pressure on us especially when we want to build new schools we're just going to be making our problems worse converting like single family residences through Dover amendments to non-tax producing like the Veritas thing do you think they take a bunch of little money from the school family like tax producing residences and convert it into a tax account school so I mean could that happen as well I don't know this was never fully based to me and so I want that vote does anyone know what the status of the other committees who voted on it I know I saw back and forth the CIPC decided they had a say and what's the current rank which committees would you like to know I know select boards FinCom and CIPC I'm sorry FinCom and the CIPC FinCom I attended the FinCom and the CIPC and I'm sorry FinCom and the CIPC FinCom and the CIPC I attended the FinCom meetings again FinCom was divided they voted twice and both times it was they were missing a member and both times the vote was four in favor and two against I think in general I brought my warrant articles but in general in the pro and cons of the FinCom people wrote were that I think they essentially want to see what the town says what the people would say about this Thank you It wasn't a slam dunk from the FinCom point of view any other committees The capital improvement planning committee I saw thought they got to take a vote No I was reading minutes from a meeting about that they decided no okay they were going back and forth about whether or not the draft warrant article required them to take a vote and I didn't see how it had netted out okay thank you I've said a lot so I'm referring to the rest of my committee members at the moment Well I mean it's just a lot of new information I actually would like to reread the final warrant article before Yeah If you would give me a minute just because I haven't I didn't have time to reread the final published warrant article before tonight and with the benefit of this information I just want to look at the language Feel free to talk amongst yourselves Somebody's ready to go ahead I'm not ready to do anything I'm happy to wait The last thing I'll say is I'm sorry I was just going to say it is the language that we proposed It was just more behind it It's just more being said About it That they're just moving And they've basically they already have a position I think we also know I was just going to say was that our original intention was to do this so we could further our facilities to show the SBA that we're ready and committed to facilities That is no longer what I feel is the case Right And I think it would hurt us rather than help us to push rather than When we did it that was the purpose that we were serving That was why we voted to get behind it It wasn't an intention to give the land No or that it was Already a foregone conclusion that we weren't going to use it for school Which I kept reiterating around the table And I kept reiterating that There's no intention for us to release the land I mean I think we were pretty I personally was pretty clear that like we were making no position To the future use of the land We simply were in favor of exploring Correct All like the potential uses listed in the draft warrant article Well really we were interested in it School use School use Right And ensuring that that was listed Assuming that we would have to spend that money Next year Or the year after So we could get this land So it was just an efficient use of And it might cost more at that time to do the evaluation We thought we were being efficient And we could go to MSBA and say look we've already done it Yay You guys move up the list No We're not going to move up the list David I know you were shaking your head yes earlier When we were saying That but you agree that that was fairly So we attended the three of us attended the meeting With the MSBA leadership And you know part of their process Is asking you to do a feasibility study I will say that they also shared That they were very appreciative and impressed With the planning we've done so far That is what speeds up the process Because of all the background work we've done So we could do that quickly and move quickly And that they were impressed by Because without the work we had done We wouldn't actually be in a position To do a feasibility study Because we wouldn't have options And so it's first getting the options Which we've done that step And then it's the feasibility study Once we do the SOI And I should also say that our options We've really almost You know the school committee Had really like two of the options As you will call it Right Narrow down the options Correct Exactly If nothing more than for a lay down area Or a construction area Swing space and yes That's really what we want to do But if we need it We need it And it's there If we're looking for informed citizenry Our website is not It's on the list It doesn't seem to be functioning At the moment Our website Not our school committee Our town Oh you have to go to like the new town Website It doesn't You can't like Google and go through Anybody need the article Because I have it right here Oh Yeah Sorry It just has one copy though I should have brought mine Maybe you're better Okay Interwebs It's I was going to say I Pardon What I have the pen at one point I'm pretty familiar We It's what we If I can just make one comment You know Been here 25 years Taxpayer If this goes Gets passed We spend 200,000 And a year from now School committee comes back to us And says Hey We need 200,000 To do this study Of 25 holiday road That's not going to go well Mm-hmm Yeah We'll be back being regular taxpayers By then And we're going to feel the same Way you do I can promise you I would like to ask you When you're reading the article To read the text of the article And not the FinCon comments No I know Okay thank you Not my first rodeo But thank you Oh thank you It's shorter than what we did though We lost some of the execution language So we can either table this And move on We will have a meeting Monday night Before town meeting That I can add this And put it on the agenda And then we can move on And then we can move on And then we can move on And then we can move on And then we can move on And then we can move on And then we can move on And then we can move on Okay Any questions For further discussion Between the committee members I think it would be helpful To vote tonight So that it's not left If we are going to vote So it's not left So right before we make it Yeah I just don't want Anybody to Communicate And feel a rush Let's do it on the floor If you want me to No Guys I can't be The only one Who makes motions You don't You wait for other people To make motions That's what I'm supposed to do What do you want To do We will have This night A meeting On the phone My motion will be wrong and I don't want to go out like this on my last night. You're going to need to edit it. It's not your last night. You have Monday night. True.
You don't have to make a motion either. I just said it, but somebody's got to... Okay, I'm going to move to have a re-vote whether to co-sponsor Article 16 for a family date.
Go ahead, family amendment. She's looking at me. Can I try again? I know. See, imagine if I did it. In light of information the committee has considered in the intervening week since its initial vote on Article 16 for the May 4th annual town meeting that suggests that the requested funds to study the feasibility use of the Holiday Road parcel may be premature in the school committee's commitment to pursuing its facility's advancement. I move that we reconsider our joint support of Article 16. You can amend it. I was just thinking withdraw support, but that's just a friendly... Oh, just to do it once? Well, I didn't know if people wanted an opportunity to vote on the procedural aspect of what I'm up to. You're right. I mean, that just takes it. So I was doing procedural step first, and then if people agreed to review it. So that's a question for you. I was doing it in two steps, not one. Got it. I'll second that motion. So we're voting first whether we're going to reconsider our support. Vote one. I was waiting for that. I don't have the button. I didn't know what to do without it. Let me call Miranda. Okay. We're ready. All in favor of reconsidering. Which is also what our invited guests asked us whether we would do tonight. Correct. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? I would entertain another motion. Keep going, Betsy.
For the same reasons as our decision to reconsider, whether or not we should decide whether to revisit our support, I would move to withdraw our support of Article 16. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? No. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for your time. Thank you.
Boy, nobody stays through till the end. Can I have a warrant? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Just a second. I'm going to keep mine. Oh, sorry. Yes, take it. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Anything else to say on that?
We passed over B at the beginning. So, C, we need to schedule our school choice hearing, which needs to occur B.
All right, I had to restart my computer. That's typically the first meeting when somebody new comes in. Mm-hmm. To June 1st.
Well, okay.
Education reform. Education Reform Act of 1993 mandates participation in school choice unless a school district opts out. Effective September 1994, every city, town, or regional school district is required to enroll non-resident students under the choice program unless the school committee votes prior to June 1 not to participate. The section of the law states in part, this obligation to enroll non-resident students shall not apply to a district for a school year in which its school committee prior to June 1 not to participate. After a public hearing, adopts a resolution withdrawing from said obligation for the school year beginning the following September. Any such resolution with said reason shall be filed with the Department of Education, provided, however, that said department shall have no power to review any such decision by a school committee.
That being said, our next meeting is to be held on... Regularly scheduled. Okay. Um, May... 13th. And then we have May 27th. So for my two members who are still willing to stand by my side... Get ugly, Christina. Which night would you prefer to do the school choice hearing? Want to do the 27th? Then that way it's not the first one back.
So we will schedule our school choice hearing for May 27th.
Diane, can you just... We just plan to stop next on our agenda. So we're going to do that May 27th. We need to discuss the scheduling of professional development days for the 26th, 27th school year. I had the same reaction. No, I think we did the Wednesdays, not the PG. Oh. But I thought we did those. Aren't they the same? I thought we did them too, but maybe we're going to discuss those system-wide Wednesdays. That's right. Up to 10 of them. They don't have to be Wednesdays, I thought, or did they have to be Wednesdays? Wednesday. I think Betsy's going to take a little more time to talk about that. More time? Got it. Okay. Did anybody forget that today was a super Wednesday but me? Karen, I told you, I left my kid at school. All of my kids walked in, I'm like, why are you here? An hour. Oh, I've done that. I'm sorry.
Only so much room. We should know. That's what Jen Soho walked up to me, she goes, can I please tease you that you schedule them? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And while I'd like to laugh at myself. You're still on the power back. You're good for now, right? Yeah, I'm good. Thank you. I feel badly that I just left her here.
She should probably have fun. It was great. They said, yeah. All right.
We are cruising right along to policy matters. And I will turn this over to our policy subcommittee with respect to item A around, discussion and potential vote to approve policy LBB, special education programs with low enrollment. Do you not know if this got into the folder? Um, and I just forwarded it to you by email. So maybe you can forward it to the committee. I can pop it into the folder. I can get some contacts. Um, thank you. Oh, it's not a separate document. I had a few things come up, so. No, that's okay. I, but okay. I just want to make sure. Yeah. Um, policy is the language from you, that two paragraph. Okay. I'm just going to pop it on a quick, give me one minute to put it on a quick document. Yes, please go ahead. So when we created the fund to be able to enable this, we talked around the table and I think the meeting before where you and I were not there about the concern of, um, you know, in the future, if the same people are not interested in this. Okay. Uh, I think a lot of people are not here kind of, uh, Not having enough spots for way on the students. Who are we to tuition and students from other districts. And so, um, I talked with Ronnie and the, the policy committee talked to Ronnie about, um, having a policy around this and some sort of guardrails, just ensuring that there were, um, always a certain amount of spots. You know, but we couldn't consider this unless there were a certain number of spots open. Um. So, we did a little digging. There is one district, I forget what it's called, it starts with a B, that has a very short policy on this. And so, we used that as our model policy, and Ronnie also considered this kind of capacity issue. Ronnie, I don't know if you want to talk about it, but you're very thoughtful about ensuring we have plenty of capacity and not overloading these diagrams to begin with. Yeah, when we talked about it, I thought about it in terms of program, but then I thought about it in terms of grade level of the program, because, like at the LBC, we have, say, five spots, but they're all in third grade, so you don't want to just say, we have five spots, because we don't have spots in fifth grade. So, I focused the policy more on that. They're grade level, but in the program, so I thought about, like, an average program has about seven kids in it, so if it's over 40%, so that would be, like, three spots, so say it was, like, seven, so if there were more than three spots available, then we could give, like, two of them, basically, to non-districts, so there has to be a certain amount of opening, and then we would only, of that opening, use a certain amount. So, that it would still leave room, so that's how I kind of thought about it, and I wanted to be grade level specific, because I didn't want to overload a specific grade, which would then impact the fidelity of the program. You know, you heard earlier, Marie and Naomi talked about the great variation sometimes in grades, and that's an example, Christina, where, you know, this could work, when you see real trends and variation. Just, you know. Yeah, so, I mean, it's a very short policy from what we were able to find in the NASC policies, and then... It should be in your... Yeah, just thought, Pop, we need permission. You do? Yeah, it says, request access. I thought when you put it in the folder, anyone who had access to the folder could see it, so that's weird now. Okay. My initial thought is, should there be, I don't know, like, a goal for us to get to, you know, some kind of something. Yeah. the additional oversight because of the monetary rate that's discussed that the school committee also needs to approve the tuition rate?
Yeah, the superintendent shall establish the tuition rate. I have to be honest, that was in the other policy. That was in the other policy. So the first paragraph is from the other policy that we saw, and then the second paragraph is the capacity agenda. Sorry, Christina. I didn't have access yet. Sorry. I'm there now. Okay. I just happened to be looking at today for other reasons, but just specific requirements, best practices, et cetera, with funds and budget line items, et cetera, and requirements. And, yeah. For the school committee, and I'm just wondering if that should be the superintendent shall establish tuition rate charge based on the cost for pupil to be confirmed by the school committee or, you know. Yeah, we do that for other things, right? Right. Like fees and whatnot. So, yeah. I mean, that's fine.
I don't know if we should just also delete that sentence. I mean, I don't know if we need it, but. Well, somebody's got to set the tuition rate. Yeah. It doesn't necessarily have to be in the policy. Well, then where is it?
Well, if we're going to have policy, we might as well. I would add as approved. One more time.
I hear the concern about capacity. Forty percent seems like high occupied. And so I also want to be fiscally mindful of your creative thinking around opportunities to tuition in. And so I guess I, like, how do I think about 30 versus 40? Because I feel like if a third of seats are open, it feels improbable to me in one year's time that we would have move-ins that would suddenly fill 30 percent of the program. Forty feels high to me. I get that. I was trying to be more conservative. But I'm open to it. I think one of the things we discussed was there are kind of DESE guidelines for capacity. And then there are guidelines that you feel comfortable with based on the needs of the students in the program and that you might not want to be at the full capacity. Kind of like our class sizes are not, you know, the school committee guidelines for class sizes are not at the DESE maximum either. Like, technically, you could have a subseparate of 12 students with a teacher and assistant. That's the DESE. That's the guidelines. We don't have any at that level, at that ratio. Yeah. I just don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. It's just, it's tricky because every year is different. So, I, 30% I'm open to. I did 40 to be conservative. But, yeah. I mean, I guess to that point, like, we don't always define our programs by DESE guidelines. No. We don't. We have a policy that staffs our classrooms at less than what we could in terms of class size. So, I feel like there are other guardrails we could do in defining specialized programs that would be eligible for tuition in. Which would define their 100% occupancy to not be the max allowed under the law. Yeah. It's tricky also, I keep saying, sorry, because we have very few programs that are full sub-separate. So, most of our programs are inclusion programs. So, for like the LVC, for instance, the reason why we keep it at seven is those seven kids go into a general education program. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. And then we have a general education classroom. They're part of a general education classroom. And to have 12, would be 50% of the class. So, we keep it at a third. And we haven't gone above needed more than that. So, I don't, I mean, I don't use the DESE guidelines or more for like the classes that are a complete 100% or over 60% of the times that's separate. And we have very, you know, we have a handful of kids who are, you know, we have one there. one or two programs like that I don't it was really tricky to kind of figure out percentage and ratios because everything is so different and every year so different so this was just my first go at it no I know you're super you're super thoughtful and I think we're balancing I think very important countervailing concerns or at least I am I feel very conflicted but I think we have very limited opportunities to take advantage of the investments we've made in these programs and I think it is a shame to leave them under enrolled if there is an opportunity both to service students who would benefit from them and to offset the cost of the investment and you know development of the program that we've made as a district so my personal feeling is 40 feels high but I would defer to your sort of educational expertise I would feel more comfortable with a third Yeah. um I'm like I said I'm open to it I just was trying to also just balance everybody's concerns and program so I'm fine going to a third you're shaking your head do you have thoughts no I think the third is reasonable in these also our goal is to keep the programs afloat right sometimes you know it's not efficient to run certain programs because of that because you need you need cohorts I'm concerned I'm concerned if we have too many years with only one or two students in a cohort in a district of our size that we will feel budgetary pressure that the program is no longer needed yeah and yeah um like we I did Debbie Dixon and I a couple years ago did like a breakdown of comparing the cost of programs versus the cost of like administrative placements and you do need about 30 students in the program to make it um cost effective. um cost effective. but also you want to think about the students and their experience if you only have a cohort of three you know or two that's very easily so um it is I mean also this is all theoretical like I have no um you know I would I'm hoping to have but I I don't have any you know I've had some knocks but I haven't answered the door yet. In terms of um maintaining the program do you feel like I see 40 percent of like 60 percent are slots for Whaling students and so those are going to be your students that are here year after year because they're residents but what we don't want is people coming and going and you know some years you may have a cohort some years you may not have a cohort so I think that to me that would favor a 40 percent um number you're trying to push it like full of people to stay here I know it's so hard to predict so I don't I don't I don't I don't have I made some changes to the language on the fly um but I also have a suggestion so if you're all looking at it right now um non-resident students may be enrolled in situations where the program will be um and my suggestion is I'm going with it in my head so it's not super articulate at the moment but basically both more efficiently run and best um the best uh experience for our students so I was thinking we could put that in there effectively which could combine both efficient and productivity efficient to me feels a little well that's why I wanted to add that it will also it's also in the best interest of our students to generally have a larger cohort than um would want to efficiently and effectively run with additional students and officially I hear you on the effectively but I I do want to specifically call in my opinion I'd like to call out in the best interest of our like the uh um students yeah experience yeah and then my brain is fried I know me too um non-resident students may be enrolled in situations where existing program well you know if you add that like sorry I don't want to interrupt no go ahead but if you add that language maybe it'd be more comfortable 30 because you're saying where existing programs will be more efficiently run
so the programs that are already at a higher capacity are efficiently running we don't want to I think you're saying like and then you're hitting that 30 percent by saying in the best interest of the students in the program with low enrollment then I would then it right but the programs that are already running effective efficiently or effectively or have a good cohort we wouldn't even be looking so does that mean that the policy by definition is programs with low enrollment are we saying that programs with low enrollment are at 30 or 40 capacity open spots maybe yeah I just don't want it to be suggestive at all yeah that makes sense yeah best serve student learning all of the programs running through my student growth on potential student experience experience exactly
I know someone feels strongly I do let's vote on numbers I mean I would be willing to vote what do we think about non-resident students may be enrolled in situations where existing programs would be more effective and best serve student experience by running with additional students student experience and outcomes oh yes I know outcomes Christina wants to know how you're going to measure it Ronnie
well yeah I mean basically if we if we don't have a cohort and we have to close a program that would be my is there a tipping point number of when you would say you'd close it close it I think that depends probably it depends on like I would never close it like our TLC middle schools is is a low number right now but I know what's coming up so I'm not going to close it because then we're just going to open it so it makes no sense and so I look at the whole trajectory like the there that we have that gap at the middle school because it's been years um once it's open it'll be open um you know our 18 to 22 may close um I hope it doesn't I know it's made such progress yeah this could help um yeah it could so I I don't know it's more you might like you know like um last year we had two classes at TLC um at Clay Pitt this year we have won so we think you know we look at um next year we may have two Milestones cohorts so um we look at maybe splitting or or um but it's really you know we want to add maybe a second grade for LBC eventually so but you wouldn't want to get rid of once you have it you don't want to get rid of it yeah it's tricky well and I think it's the way Some programs are more at risk of closure than other programs, so you need to accommodate both of that here. I definitely, to best serve the student experience.
I mean, I wish I could just have a person to walk with. It just makes it shorter. Whoever is making these decisions in future years will just be as mind-responsible about it. Yeah, as mind-responsible. I don't know how. That's the fear, right? It's like there's no concerns now, it's later. I don't think it doesn't work. I appreciate how thoughtful you have been. I know you've tried. I've tried. It's just so there's no perfect. Well, they're all unique. Get rid of that. You're not going to use your policy for every specific program. We want to give you some flexibility. Just say with additional students instead of by including with it. Just get rid of with it. Just say with additional students, right?
I was just kind of struggling with if you change it to 30% at first. 40% if you have to run a program with 25% or more Whelan students. I got it. The math worked out in my head. I got it. I honestly like. Truth. I know. I literally just had to write it out. And I was like circling and I'm like, okay, Whelan students, non-resident, how many open? Yeah. I needed Betsy's math help. So if you change it to 30 and you still have to have 25, it wouldn't exceed 25%. Wait a minute. Am I looking at the wrong thing, right? So does that, does that math work? Yes. Because it increases capacity for out of district students.
I mean, do we have any programs right now that are in between that 30 and that 40 in which someone came knocking at the door and you're like, well, I can't because the number. We're not there. No, I'm not. If we have concerns about 40, we could start at 40. Yeah. And then I'd rather start at 30 if the whole goal of this is that we want to make sure that we're not worried about what future people are coming. So I mean, whatever we can, we're obviously we're going to vote on it if we go out on it tonight. I would prefer to see it 30 personally. Um, no, I don't think there's, it's, it's, it's interesting because it's either like a low number or it's a high number. Like the middle is, it's rare. Yeah. Um, so I mean, I'm just trying to think 30, um, I, I air on this side of 30 only because of those tiny programs that don't have a good cohort. I'm concerned about the students that don't have, um, a cohort, right. And the viability of those programs. Well, yeah, I guess like if you think about like if a program, like a sub separate program, say you had nine seats and three and yeah, 30%. So that would be more than three seats open and that would be dangerous. Yeah.
Yeah, I guess that feels like a very isolating, not inclusive. I mean, yeah.
So. I mean, this is just an idea. I don't actually know that it's a good idea, but I'm going to still ask it. Do you want to leave it at 40 and then put, um, something about, or to be considered by school committee or by somebody? Does that make sense? I mean, I, I'm actually okay with changing it to 32. I know everybody's jaw is going to drop. Um, but for those reasons, Kate, I think if it's good for kids. I know Ronnie will make. The right choice is just beyond Ronnie. So if, you know, hopefully she outlives all of us on the committee and that's never a problem, but it's a legacy, right?
You just changed that one statement, right? So we're going to read it again. Oh yeah. Go ahead. Okay.
Can I ask one more question? Let's say you're in the situation where you need to increase capacity for out of district students next year. This could come back to the table and it could be voted on to change that percentage. Right. Let's see. Yeah. If we ever wanted to change the percentage of this in the future, we could, this is not forever. It's for now. Oh, I'm right. Any point in time with 30 days out to the public. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Can always change it.
So I think it's a good framework. I think the only question is Betsy should do like Betsy and Kate. I think you guys are both kind of in favor of moving it from 40 to 30.
What do we think about that? I'm just moving this along.
I'm game for whatever. I'm going to mess that up tonight. So I'm happy with 30, 40. I personally like 40. If your purpose is for programs with very low enrollment, then the 40 should take care of it. But if you can feel 30, then I'm open to that as well.
How about 35? Not 33 is what I was going to say because 33 is an actual third. A third of the program. I was going to say can you do 30 to 40, but then that'll leave it. I will sold at 33. I mean, is that a silly number to put it, but I actually would probably not do a percentage. I would just say a third. What? Yeah. Right. It makes over one third of the available seats. We can do that. I mean, I would have done one third or more, but I'm willing to give you over a third. Right. But just to be clear, we have over one third of the available seats because we are not staffing our programs. Ah, so you will easily in a very well attended program. This is for programs. This is for programs with low enrollment. I don't understand how you get to 33% as low enrollment, but we're looking at it as our current and current capacity. So we are saying we're not at capacity. We don't want to overload our programs and our teachers. And so this is designed for programs at risk of closing. This is but I can see that other people feel that it's to maybe optimize or maximize enrollment.
I don't see it as maximizing. Well, then maybe back to my statement of it comes something where additional consideration beyond that comes to the committee. I'm not saying it the right way. Betsy's going to have to say it for me. Well, my concern with that is it only comes to the committee if it comes to like a policy only comes to the committee. If it gets put on an agenda, it gets voted. So if we're looking at future proofing, then I think you would have to include a policy that allows the director of student services or the superintendent to request that the committee revisit the number. Or it's just built in that it gets reviewed every year, which is kind of that, but it's defeats the purpose labor intensive. No, I'm saying if we have reached the maximum or are the level of seats unoccupied is higher. You know what I mean? Can it be brought to the committee for special consideration in the right way?
I don't know. I mean, I am I am mindful of the like future fiscal realities as well. And as I. Said, I'm very concerned that these programs that we invest in, that if they're not enrolled and we are not showing that we are committed to getting enrollment for them, that they are also at risk for future funding support, not just people. And so I want to protect both. I want to protect. We don't want to be at capacity, but in some respects that is a financial luxury. And so I also want to make sure that. We. Are leaving our ability to keep these programs funded, and if that requires us to enroll them without tuition and students, I'd rather keep the program running than risk losing the program, and I don't know, sitting here that 40% unoccupied carries carries the day. So I hear you that the policy title is low enrollment. I actually was thinking whether it was titled correctly or not. I was thinking more like policy around like appropriate tuition and non. Residence. Or non resident tuition situations or because I do think that there's a fiscal responsibility piece here that we want to preserve programs we've invested in designing and developing and staffing, and that requires students who need those programs over time, and so I think that's the piece that I'm I'm wrestling with, even though I am very sensitive to the other sort of quality of student experience and staff, but I also want to be. Very. Fiscally mindful that if we're going to invest in these programs, we have to have students to educate in order for their funding to continue to be justified. I would just have to go along. You're saying that, you know, I think there's going to be a greater chance of under enrollment in the future just because of our decline in enrollment. You know, we have certain programs now, you know, that are just third grade and above, and our numbers drops in second grade and below, or numbers are. Much. Lower. You know, we're just not seeing classes of 200, and we obviously have over 200 students in grades above a certain amount, and that just could impact the challenge of filling these programs. We're certain to see that if we look at our TCW numbers next year, they're low. They're low. Right, a rising ninth grade is over 250, and our current kindergarten is 166. Mm-hmm, yes. That's almost a hundred kids difference, which. Mm-hmm. That's. Mm-hmm. Yeah, our older, yeah, like our third grade next year for LVC is very low, you know, our sevens is higher. When you say very low, is it under 50% capacity? So that's what I'm talking about. So I think there's just a difference in thinking here. If a program is at risk of closing, you're probably well under 50% capacity, right? I don't think that, from what I've been hearing. If you're at 60% capacity, you're not at risk of closing a program. No. Right, this is to save the program. That's what I view this as, to make the program viable. Not to, we have one or two extra seats, like fiscal responsibility. But that's not what I'm hearing. I'm hearing this is to save the program. And I think it's both. I do think it's probably both. Well, it could be both, but. Yeah. Like I can say. That's not how I understood it when it was brought to us last week to create a fund about it. I understood it as these are not financially viable to run these programs. I mean, yeah, I think it is both. I mean, I do think it is like the small program is tricky for a lot of reasons. So that's where it came from. But oftentimes, like the third grade for next year, I'm not going anywhere. We'll still have third grade, even if there's only two or three students, and fourth grade, we're, sorry, fourth grade next year, we're at a little higher, probably 50% capacity. But it's like a, it's something that we have that a lot of just like, obviously, my first responsibility is to Wayland, but it's something that we can offer to others that other districts just don't, obviously. But I'm getting, I'm like, you know, when you think about something for too long, yeah. I'm trying to look at the numbers to like, put more behind it, and they're just so all over the place. Am I, if we had a program that, and I had to use a big number, because I'm really bad at math, but if we had 24 seats, this would mean that if we went to a third, eight of those seats would have to be open. And then up to, only up to six of those seats could be out of district. That's what I was doing earlier. Yeah. And if it was 40, then it would be that, what's 40%, like five people, 40%, sorry, 10 people. 10 people. Yeah. I thought you were still doing the third. But so it's 10 people, so there's still going to be four open seats if we left it, and there would be two open seats if it was a third versus 40. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Take your word for it. I was doing that, too. That's where I was trying to arrive. I'm going to take your word for it. But our programs aren't that big. No, I know, but I don't, I can't. It's cut that in half. But so, even if there's nine, we're talking about three open seats, and like- It can only be two. Two of them. That's what I drew up. That's right. I drew up nine. Right. You know, if we had three. Still have one extra. Right. You'd still have one flex. You'd still have one. Or one lower half. Yeah. And still just open. If you have, if you have nine, if you have three openings, you can fill two. When on- You'd still have one and the odds of, of the other full six being full, maybe. But I think your concern is that's the Wayland standard, not the DESE standard. Right. So, I don't know the DESE standard, but if we have nine and that's our max, if DESE standard is 12, then that changes it. Yes. And the percentage of available students to come in would also change. And this, the DESE is, it's standard regulation is for a full sub-separate, so none of our programs are, well not none, some of our programs, but like most districts have those programs. Like we're not going to tech, we probably aren't going to tuition into our milestones program because many districts have a program like that. The language-based program or therapeutic program might be more where you might see it in our high school are, are 18 to 22. And then, and there's no regulation because it's not a full sub-separate, it's a partial sub-separate. Yeah. Okay. Well, in my opinion, this is already in motion to be able to tuition in students. We've already created this, the fund, so I think this is our chance to put some guardwheels around it. And I think we should take a vote on whether it's leaving that 40 or reducing it to a third. I understand it could still be revisited at any time, but I would like to take a vote to and put this out to public comment. You've got to. I know. Make a motion. Yeah. Okay. With a number. It can't be with anyone. I know. I'm just, that's my statement because I'm not going to make the motion. Someone else's. I'll do it. All right. I'm going to make the motion. I'm going to make the motion to, I guess, approve and put out for public comment, policy LBB, as is. We can always change it. Okay. Do we have a second? I'll second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Yeah. You're opposed or you're? We're both opposed. So don't say yes. You said nay. Sorry. Well, you said aye. I said aye. You said no. Any opposed? I'm opposed. It's your turn, Kristina. Sorry. Passes. Put it out for public comment. Thank you. This is momentum, Betsy. Thank you. Thank you for working on this. Appreciate it. Thank you, Ronnie. Sorry. I didn't mean to make it more. Can I give that to you, Diane, to work with Jen to get it put out for public? Actually, no. I don't know if Jen can actually do it because I don't think she moved the policy. It's still on the Google. I got to do it. It's okay. I got it. We should have a, while you're on that topic, we should have a responsible person because our next policy, IJND, was put out for public comment and then never moved into the policy manual. So we had a meeting, policy subcommittee meeting, on a policy that was not even correct. So IJND went out for comment in April of 2020. That's okay. It's still a policy. It is. But it wasn't. But when we go to pull the policy, it's still a policy. It's still a policy. But it's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. But it wasn't. But when we go to pull the policy, you know. To meet about it. Yes. To meet about it. I go into the policy manual and I cannot remember every single thing between now and April. Okay. So it just needs to be added to the policy manual? Yes. But I think we should have somebody who is not a volunteer to do that because there's a learning curve to a lot of things on the school committee and this is an administrative thing that needs to be covered. So IJND went out for comment in April of 2020. It's still a policy. It is. But when we go to pull the policy, you know. Meet about it. Yes. To meet about it. I go into the policy manual and I cannot remember every single thing between now and April. curve to a lot of things on the school committee and this is a administrative thing that you know maybe someone with more institutional knowledge just some food for thought for efficiency can you take that up with my secretary please we can move on to do we actually need to discuss it or is it we do okay just quickly okay so we um policy subcommittee opened up ijnd again because of the concerns a few concerns that we have one is teams or clubs mostly at the high school but perhaps at the middle school using social media to communicate team things i.e practices whatever we had heard that this was an issue we wanted to tighten up the policy around how communications should be should be happening can i jump in quickly this is very important because when it's a school-sponsored activity those are subject to foyer requirements and if it's not done through a school-approved medium then we do not have custody of those records and it's very difficult to get them so especially if they're on someone's personal device or snapchat or facebook so for searchability and those are our records because it's a school-sponsored activity we need those to go through a searchable medium like google chat you know the student gmail whatever so that's one why this is really important and then the other thing is that because we prohibit staff from being on social media with students these chats are unmonitored by staff for these school-sponsored activities and so that's another violation of our policy so there are two very big reasons why we cannot have school communications going through in the school yeah we really needed to tighten that up because the previous policy said of course no social media for staff but also that any communication that happens with a team or an organization needs to have a staff member attached to it for all the reasons that you just said but you know we've heard that social media is being used by students to communicate and parents don't want their students necessarily always on social media that get practice updates so if you look at the draft policy for ij and d in your folder everything read is new we had a really good discussion with jen so not only did we tighten up that language there jen worked with her team to also tighten up language around ai which she's been thinking a lot about and having a lot of communication with staff about so on page one that's where that language has been tightened up about um staff well the first part is student right the red part under student technology use guidelines so school related communication student leaders or organizers school sponsored activities must use district communication tools or work through their advisor coach yeah um she was supposed to link something right so she also knows exactly what those school approved tools are yeah it's right there district approved tools she's also going to be talking about what those school approved tools are so you can see specifically what those approved tools are it's also being updated in the student um policies which are just these policies but easier to read for students she's updating those now i think that we should tighten this a little bit more and say for the avoidance of doubt facebook messenger snapchat etc where are those two tools i'm missing that what the actress said it doesn't link on a mac oh i'm sorry oh okay sorry oh this no under number two school related communication this one thank you okay i'm there oh you're somewhere else isn't that it though too that isn't so maybe it needs to be listed further up as the first point of yeah no i'm you know i'm still up before that student technology use guidelines yeah i'm talking about student communication yeah so jen is updating that student friendly responsible use guidelines and yeah we've added all this language to be crystal clear that district approved communication tools should be used and i think you are right um that we should add this hyperlink there i would like to add for the avoidance of though facebook messenger snapchat instagram are not school approved tools i want to be crystal clear but follow the audio uh thanks well um and yeah so if be crystal clear on this what do you guys think about i have no problem with that i am um i'm just mindful in the like town like there's all sorts of sports team apps in use are they being used for school sports too i'm not my kids aren't in any school sponsored sports yet what are you talking about like team member app no i'm sorry whatever all this stuff they shouldn't be and if they are they shouldn't be okay i don't understand okay okay so um okay so i'm gonna add a little text here and just so we're clear we're talking about coaches and teachers this is utilizing this for communication you need to go up more so right here right here we're talking about students we're talking about student leaders so you also not want sports team captains using this to coordinate yeah they considered school sponsored activities yes okay any school sponsored activity that has a student as a leader they are violating the policy because they should not be communicating a without a staff member involved in that that's in in the policy already that was previously in the policy that any communication about any school sponsored activity needed to be paired with a staff member that's clearly not happening because staff members are not on social media with snapchat i don't know the answer to that but i'm not sure well i don't think so but people are using snapchat and facebook and whatever to organize things which is a violation of our policy already so we're just being crystal clear that we need to use district approved communication tools for any and all things so yeah it's clear on the student technology use guidelines here um we can combine those two sentences i thought you were going to put for avoidance of doubt after that sentence all right the personal social media one i think it works those are the ones that people are reporting are being used most frequently so like fundraisers and things like they'll use social media or instagram or something to communicate that out to community to the school we're saying that they can't use that so their parents do that are the students doing that willing decisions as students and that's on instagram yeah just saying yeah like that's where they post network right wspn they have a facebook page i don't think so but i want to say yes probably an instagram the decisions would you call that an official communication related to school activities though no we don't i don't know like that's not like there's a practice or a rehearsal at 4 p.m true do we fund that or not i think that's what a school sponsored activity is do we pay for a bus do we pay for a field do we pay for a auditorium i would say it would go to whether we have a paid staff member who is expected to participate in school i would say it would go to whether we have a paid staff member who is expected to participate in school or not participate and lead in some way and oversee that but i worry that the class fundraisers have advisors that are involved now the fundraisers are a tricky one do we want to allow some kind of like advertising exception that they can seek approval for for class sponsored it's a good point it's a fair point i forgot because we get a lot of those right like the chipotle night this class this one okay but there's but there's some class or something yes like the pto they can use whatever they want yeah and we're a tiny town like how this there's just one more mechanism i'm trying to like i'm running directionally i'm fully in favor i just want to make sure we're not creating yeah totally unintended blockers to things that aren't a problem
well and we say personal social media platforms do activities fundraisers do they have their own social media they do there is yeah so that's what i that's a little bit that's not personal well i think it's like world that's a that's a timeline that's a big gray area but i think that you could they can create it however they create it and there's generally parents involved in that or there's a parent that runs like and follows it because coaches do use like there's whalen basketball instagram there's boosters there's yeah but boosters it's boosters that's what a support organization that's not okay okay okay yeah i think we need to be really clear with this because the policy already says that staff members are not supposed to be back they're not though that's so but but this is where we're talking about yeah yeah yeah i don't know if we're going to resolve all of this tonight is my people can disagree with me i'm here but i'm i don't know enough to wordsmith what the exception would be but i think we need to drill down closer on whether or not class fundraising is a good idea i think we need to throw down closer on whether or not class fundraising is a good idea i think we need to throw down closer on whether or not class fundraisers fit within a school-sponsored activity because they have an assigned advisor as part of that advisor's role as a staff member and i think we would need to carve out an exception because there's no question they're using all of these platforms today to generate fundraising and we don't want to end that i don't think at least i don't think it's the source of the problem yeah yeah i would agree push no right that's not the issue um i mean i would want i think i mean david disagree i would ask jen if she be comfortable with proposed language for either approval or exceptions for okay yeah i mean that makes sense because i also don't want staff to feel like they i'm not sure and i think there is the feeling of that on other things not just this right like there's sometimes too many parameters um okay i yeah i agree betsy please don't forget about it because this is important to me and i would like to you know there are reasons why we're doing this the foia the supervision and those are really important this isn't because all right massachusetts superintendents i am coming for you i can't wait my name is joseph david's paying attention at least at least he was trying to lay on point
wasn't the celtics okay
you found a way to have ai
i'm very focused on this until it's resolved yeah i want this on the agenda for monday in addition to jen added a lot of other important things that we need to get to our current yeah so we didn't get a chance to you know discuss and so those are important things we thought maybe those things would be best addressed by the next committee but um i do not want this to get lost in the shuffle otherwise i'll be here giving public comment i know i thought about that it could come from public comment settle down okay we'll be holding you to five seconds each
i'll follow up with her we can follow up with jen about those additions i also wonder if it's sorry not to uh the term official communication is a high school i don't know what that means is that a i know what that means very easily but i don't know i would just take out official and say
it already says school-sponsored activities so i'd love to see some ai language i didn't i admittedly didn't have a chance to read it ahead of the meeting so i didn't discuss it at the policy subcommittee we wanted to move that to the next committee i understand uh rashaun is very interested in ai and probably would be very well suited to okay thank you for doing this thank you for updating it thank you guys we might be moving on aaron well that's good because i just published out for comment policy lbv so i'm not doing anything with ijnd and we're not making a motion okay we are on the consent agenda i had you guys ahead by about um 25 minutes you've now put me behind so i moved to approve it do we have a second okay all in favor any opposed
any matters not reasonably anticipated by the chair okay i move to for the purposes of discussing strategy related to collective bargaining with the ae wayland educational association wea units a and b as permitted by mgl chapter 30a section 21 a 3 and reviewing and approving executive session minutes with intent to redact and release said minutes as permitted by mgl chapter 30a section 22 for april 8th 2026. school committee will be joined by superintendent betsy gavron assistant superintendent kirstine patterson director of finance and operations ronnie kessler director of student services and diane marabella recording secretary the school committee will adjourn an executive session and will not reconvene an open session do i have a second second uh betsy yes kate yes aaron yes christina yes aaron gibbons yes
Oh, I just raised my hand. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's okay. Oh, you noticed her. I'm sorry. Yeah, yeah. I got her. I apologize. Nope, that's okay.
So we will open for public comment. We'll give you three minutes since you're the only one. Yep, come on up. And can somebody just put a timer on? I'm a little nervous. I don't get to find it. I'm going to leave it behind my own computer. Don't be nervous. This is actually pertaining to 25 Holiday, but since I'm not on the invite list, I figured I would do it now. Actually, I'm Shannon Fisher at 46 Moore Road, and I am on the Conservation Commission as well. So you're speaking tonight on your own behalf and not as a member of the Conservation Commission. Correct, but we did actually run this idea past the Conservation Commission at our last meeting, and they voted in support of this idea. So you can consider this me for myself, but we do have the support. Of the Conservation Commission for this idea. Okay. And so this is about the Holiday Road parcel. I know it's very much under debate, and I'm not trying to pile onto that. All I want to do is just highlight one more potential use for this land, because I know you may wind up building schools on it, which is absolutely, you know, I respect that as your guys' right. This is your decision. But if you don't, the forest can still, and even if you do, there could still be enough for this. But this forest is actually potentially an extremely valuable land resource for you guys. This may already be on all of your radars because you're in education, but there's this really impressive growing body of literature that outdoor classrooms offer enormous benefits to students, improvements in social skills, cooperation, executive function, engagement, emotional self-regulation, reduced anxiety, reduced anger. It seems to be beneficial to kids with them. ADHD, it appeals to kids with many different sort of learning styles, like kinesthetic, visual. It even helps teachers who report feeling more refreshed and patient once they get back inside. And schools that had access to green spaces and forests were able to be a lot more resilient during COVID and have more in-person learning during then. These are not especially expensive. Numbers I saw during my little research started at $500 up to $150,000. They can be pretty much anything anybody wants. They could be buckets that kids carry their gear out in and then flip over to sit down on, or it could be more elaborate with things like outdoor libraries and amphitheaters to gather around with science stations and art stations, creativity zones, weather monitoring stations. There are, I've heard it, I've seen it read that there's no better time to be looking for grants for this kind of thing. there's more support and interest than ever even the mass government has a program for um i think it's called outdoor start that's for early education but these can be for you know preschool on up to high school and some of the leaders in this are actually in the northern states so cold is not um not a problem maine is actually the main leader on this and they've had many grants supporting everything from k to high school and they have now um a program to get all their four to eight grade kids some outdoor experience with outdoor learning these aren't necessarily different classes either they can just be the indoor classroom and take it outside so the conservation commission does have an appetite to support this there's things like cpc grants there's um there's all kinds of opportunities as well to get consultants to come out and support train help design train teachers on switching over to this kind of environment and it's a large enough piece of land to be flexible for many learning modules to evolve to have different spaces ages subjects um it could even be a bridge
and it's already under your jurisdiction so i don't mean to add pressure i really don't um the the decision is entirely undefined am i done okay thank you
getting a phone call
you yeah that was great thank you okay no one else is here for public comment right okay so we will close public comment and we will move to superintendent's update we are looking at the 25-26 school year co-teaching update first yes and we'll have our team come to the table yes so as you are all aware i'm starting to report on our goals this time of year and one of our goals was to implement co-teaching across our elementary schools co-teaching is a model and ronnie has a really good slide on different kinds of coaching so i am not going to steal the presentation co-teaching is where we have a general education teacher and special education teacher in the classroom full-time at our elementary schools and we have a number of special education students who are included full-time in the classroom and we'll talk more about that model i mentioned it's all three elementary schools at one of our elementary schools clay pitt hill it is in five grades and grades one to five so we thought it would be great to include our clay pitt hill team here tonight we have principal marie brigham and we have uh special education administrator naomi o'brien mary brigham and we have uh special education administrator naomi o'brien mary brigham and we have uh special education administrator naomi o'brien making her whalen public schools debut
welcome so this is a first we always like to just note that our folks are extra kind to people at the table for the first time naomi naomi has experienced previously she was an elementary special educator education administrator in dover server and she's been at the table many times before and it's great to have naomi here and certainly this position is a really important one that we are here to hug so i will turn it over to ronnie first thank you for marie and naomi okay i emailed this to you yesterday i just want to make sure it was the same yeah it's the same okay um so just to kind of ground us um the goal there was actually a goal under the academic achievement goal for um us to continue to increase meaningful inclusionary opportunities with the needs of all learners and one part of that was um to pilot a co-teaching model and targeted classrooms in all three elementary schools and then also to provide ongoing professional development and coaching around that model so that um was a goal that didn't live in the student services you know part but is owned by everybody so it's kind of just where they are so like david said just a reminder we had a grade this year is grades one through five at clay pit three to four at loker and three to five at happy hollow this visual is just a reminder of what co-teaching means that it can mean six different things so it's a reminder of what co-teaching means and what co-teaching means and throughout the day any of those models could be used um or one um it's really you know i think as the teachers have gotten more comfortable they've experimented with different models i'm sure you can talk about you've seen all of the different models um at different times so about a couple weeks ago before vacation we met with um i had all the co-teachers come and aspire who's been um doing our professional development um kind of uh jillian led a discussion where we talked about some of the successes and the challenges um that we experienced so this was just some of their work um if you want to um so this is where i'll let naomi and marie to talk about it this is just a summary kind of some of the successes that we talked about were that there is flexibility of support small group instruction opportunities to learn from each other more differentiation um and there are challenges and we definitely had our fair share of challenges at different schools with different things around planning time or balancing the needs of all the students balancing independence versus dependence um i don't know if you guys want to talk a little bit about what you've seen so this is yeah this is our professional practice goal as well so naomi and i have been deeply involved i evaluate all of the regular ed co-teachers and naomi all the special education co-teachers so we've been in the classrooms a lot and a lot together which is really great to see and still have to organize work and it's it's really important and now since we've been having this amazing training it's really been powerful for our own learning um and it's the most joyful place to be like it's well in our classrooms period it's the most important place to be but it's really nice to see his grow in this model what is amazing for me is that kids are getting what they need in the moment you know so in a very typical model a special educator may be scheduled to support writing let's say but now it's the social studies block and there's not someone extra to support in writing and that's where the struggle is and they're not well supported. Or worse, in my opinion, is they're cruising along so independently and beautifully, but there needs to be some explicit instruction and they're pulled away from those independent moments to get critical explicit instruction, but it's like in conflict with what we really want for kids, which is independence to skill build and then be independent in those skills. So this is kids getting what they need in the moment. We see a lot of the models. I'll talk about a model that I see often. Naomi will talk about a model. Our teachers were really grounded. I'm still feeling like new to Wayland, but station teaching is really important to kind of their core beliefs here and we're growing our practice too, right? But station teaching is where a lot of our teachers feel really comfortable. So we still see. In our classroom station teaching, what's been really nice to notice is that initially we go into classrooms and we see special educators working largely with students in their small group who have IEPs. And in many of our cases, the regular teacher, because we're Wayland and we're really well resourced, is also dual certified in special ed. So both are very skillful educators. And now as we push in, we see... There's a lot of heterogeneous groups where kids are able to build statics, be learning in small groups with kids with different skills than their own and are able to level up. And it's really hard. If I didn't know, you wouldn't know. Who are kids on IEPs and who are not? Everyone's getting what they need. I'll piggyback on that. I think what's been really nice is that since we do know who the kids are, we can see growth in terms of students who are... They're checking in with teachers, but then becoming much more independent. So it feels really interchangeable. I will say also, piggybacking on what Marie said, I think both teachers, as the year has gone on and they've gotten to know students more deeply, have really interchangeable roles, which is nice. I would say especially with some of the SEL and learning, but really SEL things, students that were really probably spending more time with special educators, now have... have more people on their team. So I think like the adults are also growing their practice, which has been super nice. And students are not getting accustomed to just working with one teacher, which is really, really helpful for a variety of reasons as well. Going back to those pairings, the regular educator is still our content specialist, right? They really have that deep subject matter knowledge. And our special educator has that really rich toolbox of strategies to use with kids who learn differently. But we're seeing both grow their capacity. Really confident special educators, leading tier one instruction, teaching fractions like bosses. And then you also see regular educators who are able to use flexible supports on the turn of a dime, identify a difficulty and make decisions as if they were a skilled everyday special educator. So it's nice to see both educators' skills growing. And I think since the classrooms, because of the two teachers, are really like accommodated, very robust, in a very robust manner, there are things that I think other students even have benefited from in terms of like the differentiation piece. So there might be like three different graphic organizers available, and they're available to all students. So some students may need them in order to succeed, but others may just feel like it allows them to do their best. And so I think it's really allowed students to know themselves as learners because there's more in front of them in terms of the like accommodation and differentiation, which has been really nice. Final point for me. Rhyme provided a lot of opportunities, so we've had a lot of learning walkthroughs with Jillian, who's come in with her expert lens and helped, you know, to refine my lens and Naomi's lens. And then we've had some different kinds of walkthroughs as well. And we were having some math walkthroughs during the month of January when we had lots of college-age subs in to support us. And what was really nice is that we made sure that our co-teachers saw other students, saw other co-taught models, and what grew out of that is like our third-grade teachers pulling, you know, our fifth-grade teachers aside to say, hey, I saw like something so interesting that's happening in your classroom. Can we talk more about that? We'd like to like replicate that in part in our classroom. Similarly, we had, you know, students obviously get, you know, transition in and out of IEPs all year. This is not like always starting September. So we've had a lot of teachers kind of rely on each other. And observe each other, providing direct instruction, like for reading in the classroom. Because especially as the grades get older, that's, I think, less familiar to them at this stage of the game. And so it's been nice to see teachers kind of hearing and observing each other to expand their growth and better meet the students' needs. And it's very joyful, just candidly. The teachers are good parents. We've gotten a lot of feedback from parents. But most importantly, the kids are really thriving. You know, we had a number of kids. That's why I said I would say less. But here goes, I say more. We had a couple of parents who were anxious about putting their child in the co-top model. And it is so nice this time of year as all of those placement letters are coming in fast and furious to say, like, please, yes, again, to the co-top model. It's really worked out for my child, really. And I think the conversations, like as Ronnie said, this is, we are, we are a work in progress always. And so there, I think there have been students where we were like, it's going to be a great year. It's going to be a great fit. And it hasn't been. But I think, like, the communication and transparency around that, even for students that we might be changing models for next year, has been done super thoughtfully. And so it's not a reflection of the model. It's just a reflection of what the student needed and how we were maybe often anticipating how that student would do in that model. But it's been very, it's been very positive in that sense as well. So we're excitedly planning next year. Could you maybe share with us some of the snippets that, and it doesn't have to be identifying, for kids or students or, or parents or anything, but just some of the positive feedback that you received? Yeah. So like just from, from parents around their kids. Yeah. If you just, I don't know, like you, you're at all the IEP meetings, so she'll be a little bit better to focus on some of that. I have heard from parents that their children are coming home saying that they like being in a classroom with other students who learn like them and they don't feel like they are pulled out and isolated quite as much. I've heard a lot of that. I've heard from parents that because it is such a mix that their students feel like they can use the tools that, that they are learning, whether it's assistive technology tools or a different version of something. And so people, the students are coming home feeling really like they are part of the community and not different from what is happening in the classroom. Feedback I've gotten is that like the benefit of being in a classroom with more than one teacher, you know, just being able to access help. What I am getting is some of the places that I've been to, I've been to a lot of different places. One of the things that I've seen in the recent letters is, can my students who does not have an IEP be considered for the co-taught classroom? They really benefited from being in that setting this year. We'd love that for them again, you know. I would say other feedback, and from students as well, is that they like that their day feels more like a consistent continuum and that there's not as much coming and going. They know, students know if they need help with something. They don't need to wait. So, you know, Marie's point is it's not like the three times 30 minutes a week that if someone is coming in to help them. And so, you know, I think it's really important that they know what they need to do and what they need to do. And so, you know, I think it's really important that they know what they need to do and what they need to do. But, we know that students always know that their teachers are there for them. However, having someone who understands their learning needs from a different lens that they were used to getting elsewhere is not happening anymore. And so, I think students feel like their day is really, um, meaningful experience. In some ways, it's the same for all of us. consistent. Have you noticed that students who were perhaps on the cusp of needing more robust help, maybe a general ed student, are no longer there? Yeah I think we've had both scenarios in all honesty where we're like not oops but like we've learned that this child might need a combination but there we have several students who were kids that were receiving a lot outside the classroom who their data is really showing that they are benefiting from the model and they're they're indefinitely receiving services in the less restrictive manner than they would have previously. Well it has to be maximizing the amount of time that students that are on a grid are getting the time because if it was three times thirty previously pull out you're not getting the thirty you're getting you know ten because it's ten to get there ten you know five to get there five to get set up right ten you're sitting at the table five you get a you know you might be with another student that whatever and then five to get back to your room so they've got to be maximizing the time which is making it more consistent too. And I think it's different I think you know sometimes kids need help outside of those allotted time and because the teaching team knows the students so well they don't you know if a student is being independent in a writing activity we're gonna let that student do their thing because every every child needs that especially if they're being successful whereas if they are in a science lesson or even like doing something with reading and something comes up that's the time to swoop in and skill build and so I think there's a lot of flexibility which allows the students to feel like they are they're getting what they need and the teachers providing what they need as opposed to providing it during the scheduled time. And in my observation just with watching my own kids now having two in high school and one in fifth grade like those are the classes where they didn't typically get that support and that's where the most complicated part is. I think it's really important to understand what that complex material is and to decode that understand it and then write on it or answer a question is was nearly impossible I think majority of them just kind of checked out and now they're checking in because somebody is looking at them and saying okay let's or let's read this aloud or let's dissect this differently and the approach seems to be a little bit different and some of those classrooms which is really helpful for those kids so thank you. Well we center you know our focus on students from the teacher perspective to have a lot of time to think about what they're doing and what they're doing in the classroom. Okay and some of the things that are clear and very clear are important about I mean what it was in class and how they're like we always had each other just in bothapa Their learning to the class so that that is really kind of maximizing our teachers talent because they have that kind of time. So that that is really kind of maximizing our because they have that time the other thing that is nice is it allows for more flexibility with the schedule during the school day so for example if the math lesson is wrapped up five minutes quicker you can transition and introduce the writing because you're not waiting for kids to come back from pull out math you can you're not like there's no hang time you know you can maximize every minute and do you think that the teachers who may have had reservations about participating in this when the teachers were approached prior to this year that they may have changed their mind a little bit or it's a nice bag yeah you know so and some may never get there they might just not have an interest and that's okay but actually intimate experience with educators at Clay Pitt they are all all those teachers who participated enjoy their year we have a teacher who is transitioning out because they're moving towards retirement and would like a final year solo you know that's fair you know we we have teachers that if we try to separate them at this point it would be very very challenging it would be an ugly divorce for us yeah and so you know we have a lot of teachers who have participated in this year and they they absolutely love it I think where we saw the most growing pain is in the students who were not in the co-taught model and we're not in our programs how do we make sure that they get what they need with the group of special educators we had on the run and boy were they on the run because their caseloads were manageable but they were serving students in maybe three classrooms that's harder it's like more collaboration more adults Ronnie has really done a lot of work for us. Like amazing work to make sure that everyone is getting what they need and we have a plan for next year that will address that better you know we've definitely has some takeaways yeah that's I think a good question how many kids are kind of in that crack of not being in a program our co-taught maybe statistically doesn't school yeah of course class level I think it's week click ass from cohort to cohort and it these early loosens. If you're so surprised I'm sorry different. But grade, like, there'll be a grade that there's a big chunk and then a grade where there's no one. Our rising third grade, like, it's just co-taught. It's a small cohort. Our rising fourth grade, as we plan for next year, we'll have co-taught fourth grade and we'll have co-taught-ish fourth grade where we'll have mostly co-taught with some C-grade pull-out instruction but mostly co-taught. You know, so it's kind of a hybrid, pretty much a hybrid. And then there's always, yeah, like the students who go through evaluation at different times of the year that are in different classes or students that move in, and, you know, so those students, obviously. It does vary. Some grade levels, everybody's in the co-taught, and some we have enough to do, too. And you're just adjusting accordingly going forward. I know this was, like, the pilot year. Yeah, creatively. Moving forward, you know, we are still going to have co-teaching at all three elementary schools, but it does have to adjust because it's a cohort. So, you know, next year at Happy Hollow and Logar, it may look a little bit different because of the cohort sizes in certain grades. But we've been having conversations with the staff about it, and everyone's, like, very much aware of those changes that may have to happen because if we only have two students on IEP, we're not going to have one, you know, dedicated special education teacher to that, you know, that we have to split a little bit, so. And, you know, at Logar, with the Spanish immersion, it adds a little bit that we need to juggle as well. So it'll look a little different, but everyone's been very flexible about it. I met with Logar and Happy Hollow teams and kind of let them kind of guide that around, like, what would be best? We've done this now for a year. What cohorts is it working? Where do we? And it is. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And most of the teams will remain, but, you know, that was it for co-teaching, but I don't want to end if there's still more questions.
I know this was a huge undertaking, so kudos to all the people who supported co-teaching because there's a real dignity to giving kids what they need in the moment. Huge payout. Like, a huge payout for a kid. Worth it. And joyful. Bravo.
It's exciting. Yeah. Thank you.
Next, I'm going to talk about programs, so you guys are welcome to chime in about that. I'm going to talk about that as well, because a lot of it lives in the clay pit. So the first goal for student services school was there's a need to develop programs that are well-coordinated vertically and effectively communicated to both staff and community, and that was around monitoring and refining programs, entrance and exit criteria, continuing our consultant collaboration, and developing our program manuals. So we have, you know, our three... I want to say three big strands. We can go to the next slide, actually. This is just a slide of all of our strands. So we have the elementary, middle, and high school. You can see all of our strands are everywhere. The opening in the middle school is because we don't have a cohort right now for that group, but when the kids move up from elementary, we'll, you know, we have a place. So we renamed. Our, you know, it used to be SCIP and ARC and ALRT, and now the whole program is our therapeutic learning center. So all of the program is called TLC, and that is, I think, really helpful for the students. So when they're in elementary school and they're in TLC, and then they go to middle school and they're in TLC, they're not going, oh, wait, why am I in ARC? That, you know, and that program has run. It's been beautiful this year. We've been doing... We've been having our ongoing consultation with Triumph, which has been really helpful. He, Tim, our consultant, meets with the team weekly. We had Naomi brought in a BCBA who does, like, therapeutic yoga and brought her in to do weekly yoga with the kids. I don't know if you want to talk a little bit about that. Yeah, it's been awesome. So she comes in every other week to do therapeutic yoga with the kids, and then she meets with ourselves. And she's a staff from TLC, and she is creating, like, binders of mindfulness, almost like a curriculum for our team to follow for the students. We use it a lot at morning meeting when we're talking about, you know, behavior regulation and thoughts and feelings, all those things. And there's lessons to go along with that. So it's been really great. Kids have loved it. And we have students not just in TLC, but who also benefit from the yoga piece. So we'll be sharing out those mindfulness binders with other teachers as well. It's been fun. And then our TLC at middle school and high school has had pretty consistent staffing, which has been nice. And our programs have really been working, now that we're in the spring, around, you know, transitions and making sure that kids are really set up for success. Our language-based classroom is now fully 3 to 12. Well, 3 to 11 next year, 3 to 12. We have two. We have two staff at each, you know, level. Thank you. We're continuing our consultation with Landmark next year, which is great. Our 20 educators were able to take a writing class through Landmark this year, and 20 educators took an executive functioning class through Landmark as well, through that consultation. So, which is great. We have our autism developmental delay communications strand, which is great. Which starts at Achieve, and then goes to SAIL, and SCOPE, and I don't know, they really like their names, and they have meaning behind them, so we've kept those. And then our milestones program, and then we have an opening, we just don't have a cohort middle school in life skills. And then our 18 to 22-year-old program, which started this year, which has been great. We actually started a consultation, and I'm sorry, not a consultation, we are partnering with Framingham State. And the students in that program go to Framingham State and take classes twice a week through the Massachusetts NAEPC program. So they go on campus, and they're like students on campus. They take classes, they are engaged in the community twice a week. So we'll continue that again next year.
Question. Yes. Can you just tell me, and I know you probably went over this last year around this time, but can you refresh my memory on what the language-based program looks like at the middle school and the high school? Sure. So at the middle school, it's, there's one, so it's a waterfall schedule, right? So it's like things, you meet a class four times a week. So everybody has like a study hall four times a week, and that four times a week would be most students would have ELA, I'm sorry, not ELA, they would have like writing or executive functioning for four times. So they would have four times 53, and then instead of a language, they would have another four times 53 of like, if they needed small group reading, like phonics, like Wilson or Orrin Gillingham, and then the English class is co-taught. So the English class is the general ed teacher and the LVP program teacher. And then there's an assistant from the LVP that goes to all of the content areas as well. And the teams, like our consultant works with the team. So they're attached to... Like there's an LVP team at each grade level, and our consultant works with all of the content area teachers at those grade levels.
High school's a little bit more tricky because it's an eight-day cycle, as you guys are very much well aware. We now do have two teachers. We do have co-taught ELA, I'm not talking about, we have co-taught English, and then we have the skills section, the students, it's based on need, how many skills sections they get. It could be four, it could be five, it could be eight. It could be 12 is the most. And that, if they need their, if students need phonics or Wilson, they could get that. But it's a lot of breaking down the content and the language and the vocabulary and previewing really to help with the more complex text as well. Ronnie? Oh, sorry, go ahead. No, I'm just, are you, do you have a, I know a lot of this is still iterative and a work in progress, but is there sort of attribution? Is there a trajectory we should sort of hope to see over time of either need, intervention, enrollment levels, like, is there sort of a natural arc that we should see course through the programs over time, with the understanding that kids move in and out all the time, but assuming a K through 12 journey for a learner who needs a language-based program? So, would they, I'm sorry, like, would they come out to graduate? Like, would you expect them to, yeah, at some point to graduate from the program, or if they start in early intervention? And in a Clay Pitt LVC, you know, how do we start to think about effective intervention versus we don't necessarily see them? Also, similarly, how do we think about enrollment in the LVP at the high school, and do we need to be doing more to catch them earlier? Like, I just, I'm trying to understand how we think about those pathways. Yeah, and that's where our exit criteria really comes into play a little bit. So, like, we do have students who are being recommended to exit the program at fifth grade. Every year. It's kind of re, it's not a given, it's every year, it's kind of reassessed. We've had students who have transitioned out of TLC, but have a foot in a little bit, so it's like TLC light, we call it. So, our staff is really flexible to make sure we're able to give kids what they need and not create dependence. So, when they're ready to go, we really try to have, and that can be really hard for families and for kids. You know. Often times for families. Families. Kids do okay. But we really focus on the data. We really, that's where the data is really, and we would really use evaluations. Typically, it would come at a three-year re-eval. We would have those discussions, and it's the student no longer meeting the criteria for this program. After this, I'm going to talk a little bit more about dyslexia, because the definition of dyslexia has been updated, and what we know about dyslexia has changed a little bit. And we do have, you know, we have about 60 kids in elementary school with a specific learning disability diagnosis, and we have 15 in the program. So, not everyone with dyslexia needs the program, so it's also about educating and really catching kids early. So, going to the Dyslexia Institute, we really learned some tools to use for kindergartners and first graders to really screen early, so we can catch them early.
Go ahead. I'll wait until you're... If you're going to talk... I'll wait until you're... If you're going to talk about dyslexia specifically... Oh, well, that was my next one. Yeah. But I don't know if you had anything else you want to share about the program. If there are any, like, elementary-specific questions, I'm happy to answer them. Yeah. Have we thought about introducing sign language as a language at the middle school? So, sign language has not come up at the middle school, but it's come up at the high school, and I know it is something that is, for students specifically with learning disabilities, is easier. It's something that I talked about with Alina, right? I was going to say Kendall, but it's Alina. Last year, we do have options for online right now. We don't have an... Like, if a student really wanted to take ASL, I could set up an online class. We don't have it... We haven't really formally talked about it, but it is something that I know would probably be a good option and something that we can explore. But we do have the... We do have the... We do have online as an option, which is not ideal, but something that I'm open to considering more. We would. We would. I know. For the future. I just think of the middle school kids. Like, they need to make the choice to have the support they need or take a language, and I absolutely get it. Like, we can't add more to their plate, and there's no more time in the day. So, it's just kind of might be a nice option in the future. Yeah. Something... Certainly. My kids will be gone. You should just stay in school. Somebody's good. What am I doing in there? I'm sure. There's new people coming into my seat. Good job. I'll be back in three years. How about that? How about next year? Any other... Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. You have to stay. We'll see. We'll see.
Yeah. Any other questions on that? No, I'm going to hold mine. Okay. No. I'm sure there's more. We'll continue all of our consultations next year with Triumph and Aspire. No, no, no. It's a landmark and teachers seem to really... It's a brand new one. I checked. They all want to continue with everybody. So, I thought that was good. So, speaking of dyslexia, the definition of dyslexia has actually been updated. It was originally in 2002 and in 2025 it was updated. That link I found, it breaks down, like, the difference between the old and the new. old and the new it's a lot more with phonological processing and it's spelling and it it really it is I think more accurate one of my thoughts for next year is to really focus on the definition and making sure all teachers and special educators general educators are aware we can certainly use the word dyslexia and IEP meaning dyslexia can be in an IEP and I think in the past everyone people were a little bit nervous about that that is not something that we can't you know it's something that we can certainly discuss and the what I'm hoping to do next year is working to make sure all staff has a familiarity and comfort with the new updated definition of disability when we suspect disability to make sure we're doing a robust evaluation you know we're doing a robust evaluation and we're doing a robust evaluation not just like a one-size-fits-all but really looking specifically and those are just some tests and then when determining eligibility really looking at three areas of dyslexia accuracy retrieval world oral language and really analyzing where the difficulty is between is it connected text lexical or the sub lexical level and that will really help us to hone in exactly where students are struggling and how we can best help them so it's something moving forward for next year okay now go for it um I know there were a good amount of teachers that had like volunteered to get Wilson certified I think I'm curious what that number looks like now I'd say for our elementary any teacher who wanted to get Wilson certified I have done we've done it so we have a pretty healthy healthy group of group also at the middle school we have people trained our lit boost teachers actually getting trained at a three-day training so though she'll be prepared for next year and getting her materials as well so we are consistently building enough anytime we have a new teacher come on so like Haley Rice is a new teacher at loker she got the full training another teacher came on at Happy Hollow she so any teacher who wants to get a full training any time a teacher especially teachers hired I'm giving them a drink I'm getting them the training and so as soon as they come on board so I think we pretty we have a pretty robust group now which has been really I think helpful our reading specialists on training I think we have a pretty a lot of teachers where in the past I think you had to like move around teachers to make sure that they we don't really need to do that anymore because so many teachers are trained and certified that was it for the first goal any questions well this is Africa's we just had our second day with Sarah Ward first super Wednesday which got me all jazzed thank you guys thank you thanks so much for coming thank you so executive functioning is definitely buzz buzz words right now so this was one of our goals to really develop a curriculum to have professional development and to really develop some tools to effectively monitor our curriculum and our progress and if you want to um so this is just when we say executive functioning these are the 12 parts of executive functioning so it's not just organization there's a lot that goes into it inhibition so that like student who can't not raise their hand you know it's shout down instead of raising their hand working memory, which really can impact academics. Your cognitive flexibility, your ability to shift from one thing to another, your emotional control, your ability to start a task, organize, plan, prioritize tasks, time management, having goal or directed persistence, metacognition, knowing what you don't know, monitoring yourself, and tolerate stress tolerance. That is a lot. That's executive functioning. That's, and that's a lot. We're asking kids to do that. And we're asking kids to do that. So oftentimes when kids are not doing it, we think, oh, they need, we need testing. Like, it's a lot to take on. And, you know, something that we talked about, Sarah Warr talked about today, which was great, was around that gradual release where, you know, that last step of gradual release is for the student to be able to do it and then to generalize it. And that can take some time, right? Like adults, I think, I think it's up until like 25. It's like still people, you know, brains are, people's brains are still developing. So just knowing that it is a process. Also at around sixth grade, seventh grade, around 11 to 13 is when we're asking kids to be more skillful, switch classes, make sure you have the materials you need. You're having five different teachers. And at that time, if you want to switch, they're, they're actually like have a little bit of a dip in their executive functioning because they're learning these pathways. They're learning to be better, but we're putting more on them. So it makes it a kind of, that's why middle school can be a little bit bumpy. So I was reading something that basically was saying, you know, these executive functioning pathways are like unfaved roads. You can get there, it's just may not be pretty to get there. And you have to keep driving on these bumpy roads. Eventually they'll get smoothed out and they'll get paved. But it's going to take time and it's going to get bumpy. And that's where the learning is really happening. So things that we did this year, Super Wednesday, Sarah Ward presented to all levels. Like I said, we had the last one today, which was great. She's a new tool, which everybody was very excited about. It's like an online clock where you can put in different, oh my gosh that's just so cool. I wish I, if I had gotten it earlier, I would have put it up. But like you can, we used to, like I used to shade in a clock with a dry erase marker. Now you can have it up on your board and you can say like, check in time at this time. At this time your paper should look like this. At this time your paper should look like this. It's really cool. Yeah. Like I said, about 20 educators are taking an executive functioning class, their landmark. And then next year, I have been doing a lot of research. And the middle and high school, this is an executive function, like I said, is where, you know, we're asking so much more of kids. And that's where the, their roads are bumpy. So I'm thinking of piloting using the smart software next year, which is an online tool that has executive functioning lessons and can really progress monitor skills for students. So we're thinking, I'm going to have teachers take a look at it in the next, before this, in the next couple months and see if they want to use it. I've looked at a couple of different programs that are out there. And I think that one is the most easy to use. And I think would be most effective. And that would just be middle and high? Yeah, to start. And to see how it goes. Because the elementary, I feel like because they're more contained in the classroom, they have more of the support built in, but then they get to middle school and it's, sometimes the wheels can come off a little bit. I recently saw something online and it was about the dyslexic student's backpack and how they literally pack everything into it because they have to do all of the things you just said. And I just want to say that it's a really cool thing to do. I think it's a really cool thing to do. I think it's a really cool thing to do. Yeah. I think it's a really cool thing to do. I think it's a really cool thing to do. I think machine learning is the best. I think machine learning is the best. Again, I think it's a really good way to so that voters can have a say in what their revenues are the next few weeks, and maybe even in the next three when they still do it. But I think it's gonna be fun. Yeah. One more thing. There was a little interesting story about the home care program and the newfry radio I think that we just mentioned. And the easiest way for them to cope with that is to just take everything along with them. And that kind of stuck with me. I was trying to find the article but I couldn't. I haven't really read a single article until next week, that was strange. There's, not gl global one, so I thought it was an old one. Yeah. I mean, we read it. It's okay. You know, if you think about a lot of students with dyslexia, working memory is already very low. Well, then you add executive functioning challenges. If you add any bit of anxiety and your working memory has now gone completely kaput. So, yeah, it really does impact. And that's why I think it's important to know executive functioning hits a lot of different areas. Yes, even our really hits emotional control and inhibition, which is something that we're going to focus on next year as well. Because we've got the 213 grant. The state has changed, is implementing all new timeout regulations and put out a grant, which we were lucky enough to receive. So we're having training with Jessica Minahan next year. And she really does focus on that emotional control inhibition. Working through anxiety, which I think really, she actually does a lot with Sarah Ward. Like, it really does go hand in hand. So that will be a nice carryover. Also, this year, all counselors and administrators were trained on C-STAG, which is a comprehensive school threat assessment guideline. So, not that we haven't needed it, but God forbid there was a threat. All of the counselors and administrators are trained in what to do and how to deal with it. And there's a lot of work to be done. So, yeah, I think it's important to know that. There's a whole program. It's very well-redowned through the University of Virginia. Hannah Rubio, our school adjustment counselor at the high school, is actually a trainer and really spearheaded it. So everyone is happy to have those tools in their toolbox. We'll continue our safety care training next year. A lot of staff are actually, more staff than usual, or than in the past are trained because they've moved online. And it's cut the amount of time we have to take staff out of classrooms. So it's great. And then because of our grant, we're going to expand our consultation with Triumph beyond just the TLC programs to really help in other programs. And Tim, who our consultant, has gone over to Happy Hollow to help to just give ideas on kids. He's gone to the high school beyond the TLC program. So we're going to expand that a little bit next year.
And then lastly, just looking ahead, as you know, we're shifting our preschool to Happy Hollow. Very excited. We'll continue to. With the co-teaching in, we're looking to expand it to the secondary. We're looking at middle school. There's some appetite for it. And at the high school, they've already started a little bit. I've talked about a lot of this already.
I've kind of gone over all of that. But we're going to continue. And then we'll continue our partnership with Framingham State next year. And we'll have one more student in the program, which is great. And we'll continue that.
So that is all I have. I have a question. Thank you. All great work. And wow. Thank you. Goal number one, I think it was also involved some sort of memorializing the... Oh, yeah. Next. Effectively communicated to both staff and the community.
Is that going to be on the website? Is that through this presentation? Yes. So you can go one more. Do the language-based program and the therapeutic center, those program manuals are done. And they're going to go up on our website. The autism one will be done by the end of the year. So on our new website, you can go into our policies and procedures. And there's a whole site. And they'll be uploaded there.
Sorry, that was a lot. I feel like I talked fast. No, it's great. It's great. Thank you, Ronnie. Thank you. No problem. No problem. All right. Thanks, Ronnie. Yeah, no problem.
Don't you feel like in the last three years, like five years ago, but even just since we came here, it's so different, everything.
Up next, we have our administrative matters.
And I would like to invite Jim and Chris. If you don't mind, while you're coming up here, I'm just going to run to the restroom, please. That's good. So I have some materials to hand out. Great. Okay. We're good.
These are just background materials. They're not something to be written on. Did anybody receive the email I sent? Constantly? I sent mail to the school committee trying to get these in your hands ahead of time. It was forwarded to us. It was forwarded to you. Okay, good. Did anybody have a chance to read anything? You've been really busy. I did not, but I will look. I promise I'll admit it. I'm just going to pass these around. Okay, thank you. These are for your future reference. If you could pass three to that side. And that's it. Three to this side. Make this over to Betsy, please. Thank you. Thank you. I like hard copy. I know. Me too. Me too. I hate that I do, but I do. I have a town meeting warrant. I like to do that. Actually, the topmost page may be of interest to you. Perhaps I should wait for Ellen to return. Yeah, okay.
That's really interesting that she said that. I make my windows narrower, and she encouraged all teachers to do that. What is that? Tell me. It has to do with the eye movement. Oh, the amount of text per line. You actually read faster and more efficiently on your phone. Your comprehension goes way up. Really? Yeah, because your eyes are... It's not the technology itself. It's just the size. The size. How much can fit on the screen. My outlook window, I shrink it to have a screen so I can... You know what I started doing for work? I'm like the world's worst note taker. So I now, just like I don't even take notes, I just speak. I go into my Microsoft Word after and have co-pilot summarize it. And it is pretty great. I mean, I have to go back and edit it. Yeah, we did gen and did some AI stuff with us a couple weeks ago. There's some pretty cool tools out there. Yeah. I mean, even the dictation has saved my life. I've had to do so much typing. Yeah, I don't have to do that. I speak all my emails now. You do? I'm starting to. Because I'm faster talker than I am a typer. My typing gets worse. I know. I like the last... This month I've been, I've like switched over to this. I think you're more worthy though that way. Absolutely. Absolutely. So I hear you're nice to first-time presenters at the table. So... I mean, David also is rumored to be a liar. Just kidding. No, we're very nice to first-time presenters. So this packet I handed out is background information primarily. The top most page you might find of interest, is because that's the charge from the select board for what they call a division of committee, of which the school committee has a role. But I won't be going into that now. Tonight, rather. The two of us have some brief comments to make, and then we're just going to stop talking and listen to you guys. So first, I'm going to begin formally speaking. First, nothing we say tonight should be taken as questioning the motives of the select board or any of its members. We simply have a difference of opinion that will ultimately be resolved through the democratic process. We appreciate the select board's service to the town. And second, our group, and we are part of a large group, our group strongly supports the school committee. In fact, the day after you voted to support Article 16, about 15 members of our core group met and seriously discussed whether we should withdraw our opposition to the article. After careful consideration, we voted to continue our opposition because we believe Article 16 is a good thing. However, Article 16 will ultimately be detrimental to Wayland schools. Why? Article 16 is the first step toward residential development at 25 Holiday Road. The select board has made it clear its interest in housing development there, and Article 16 initiates the process that will move the parcel in that direction. Once the study is completed, pressure will grow to remove the property from school committee control so it can be sold for development. At that point, several arguments will be made. That we have already spent $200,000 on a study and we should not waste that investment. That the town faces serious financial pressures and every asset must be used. And that because the schools have no immediate plans for the parcel, the land should generate tax revenue. These are powerful arguments, but they overlook the downstream costs of this residential development. For such a project to generate positive revenue for the town, it would need to be designed to house few or no schools. Yet Wayland's strongest selling point is its schools, which naturally attract families. That tension creates a financial risk for the town and will create costly legal disputes about what can actually be built there. In the end, development at 25 Holiday Road is far more likely to increase financial pressure on the town and to relieve it. At a time when Wayland is already facing the challenge of funding new school facilities, that risk deserves very careful consideration. For such reasons, we respectfully ask the school committee to reconsider its position on Article 16 and withdraw its support. Yeah, I'm Chris Memoli. I live at 11 Holiday Road. You probably know my wife. My two children went through the school system. I'm familiar with the school system. In fact, my granddaughter is starting Children's Way in the fall. It's very exciting. We're coming full circle here. It's a weird feeling, by the way, but I didn't just put it in. My comments are pretty simple. Co-sponsoring this article, I think the school committee has gotten themselves into a bit of an awkward position in the town. I think currently the school committee is really well respected. You're an incredible superintendent. I think most people know this is a good committee. So I think right now you're enjoying a bit of a honeymoon that way. In the near future, I know the school committee and David's going to be coming to this town asking for a lot of financial support. So I think it's really critical that the school committee maintain the current position of a lot of people loving this school committee. So I just don't want to see that tarnished in any way. Again, I care a lot about this issue. I have three grandchildren that live on Marshall Terrace. I want them to have the exact same education. Or better. That my children had. My children had first class education in the school system. So anyway, again, I just think by co-sponsoring this bill, I just think you've put yourself in a bit of an awkward position. About the land specifically, we have no idea what the future brings. The school system owns one of the last open space parcels in the town. No, the last. The last. The last. Uh, excuse me. Should retain the land. Whether or not you see use for it now. Future school committees may actually see use. Um, if you don't transfer the land, many years from now no one's ever going to question you. They're going, Oh, yeah, they should have transferred the land. However, if this land were to get transferred, the school committee, they'll go, Well, why did they transfer the land? We needed that land. Yeah. So the point is, I just think there would be no reason to transfer the land. So in that way. why would you spend $200,000 in an era where, you know, resources are very hard to come by? As we all know, I've worked in the Western Public Schools. So anyway, that's basically it. That's all we've come to say to you, and we're here to answer any questions. By the way, just so you know what we've been doing, we belong to a group of residents who've been studying this since we figured it out. It was occurring in January. We've been meeting weekly. We attend every town meeting having anything to do with this. I am tired of attending town meetings. I was here at the meeting, as you know, in the back of the room when you guys decided to vote. And we talk about this constantly. We meet every Saturday morning from 10.30 to about 12.30. We discuss what happened at the meetings. We have a mailing list. We have a newsletter. We're organized. We know a lot about. We know a lot about this problem, and we just don't think it's good for the schools. So that's all we have, really, to tell you. I have a four-and-a-half-page description of all our analysis of the finances and the political arguments there. You're happy to go to sleep to it. But, you know, I think what we've said stands for itself. Do you have any questions for us? Actually, the question I have for you is, are you willing tonight to vote on whether to draw your support for this article?
I'm willing to discuss it. I'm willing to discuss it, too. Discuss it? Fine. We're here. Something that we haven't had a chance to really discuss around this table in a while is I had kind of a, maybe a fundamental misunderstanding of how far along the road MSBA would want us to be with...
Project planning, when we asked them to accept our NSOI from us. And so my thought in kind of requesting a co-sponsor of this article was that it would help us with the SOI and acceptance of an SOI, and... Getting MSBA on board behind our project, or projects. And that was wrong. And I've never been of the mindset that I was anywhere, as just a one member of a five-person committee, anywhere near a place where I would be ready to vote to dispose of this land out of school community. control I think we're just it's not even something that's in my mind and so I'm more than happy to discuss around the table our prior co-sponsorship and support of the expenditure of the two hundred thousand asking the town to appropriate two hundred thousand dollars to investigate the exact same question I just want to ask would you like us to withdraw at this point so you can discuss without any interference we might have questions for you okay right go ahead because we've been knee-deep in the facilities planning and from my perspective being knee-deep in this my personal intention was always to get to the point where we could get to the point where we could get to the point where we could get to the point where we could get to the point where we could get that process as far as quickly as we could right and that appropriation of the two hundred thousand dollars felt valuable to me assuming that MSBA would say Wayland good job doing your homework exactly prepared and this is a priority or that we would learn if I was usable or not that was a critical unknown don't want to get too far saying yeah holiday road if the site study says no you can't put a school there and I I also don't want the misunderstanding that we were ever going to say oh we don't want it so I don't think we ever had that conversation just one thing I observed that Monday night's select board meeting yeah the select board member who spoke with you asserted that the study that they do will be equally useful for housing development purposes and school building development purposes at that meeting on Monday he said almost as an assignment well actually you know we're not it doesn't really I'm not going to get I'm not going to be able to quote so I'm going to try to paraphrase he said that essentially that the larger school building actually requires a different study for in terms of support structures and things I probably really messing that up but I'm pretty sure that's it was his intent of saying that when you when he was here and he listed the studies that he wanted to do one of the things I wanted to ask it was unable to ask at the time was that he give you an exact list and that you pass that by your architect to indeed see if the study will meet your needs I'm not so certain it will and the fact that they haven't given that list and you have you have don't have the time to do architect I think is an argument withdrawing your support at this moment the money actually will still be there in the future it's in a separate fund so probably spoke too much no okay that's more about me why our what we discussed is sort of our aspirational intention of learning what sort of anyone in town might need to know about the feasible use of the parcel won't help our timeline because I think our concern was we're gonna lose another whole year right I think you only lose a year if in that year it's decided that it's going to be disposed up to the town to sell it and in the on the other side of that is we did have some discussion with MSBA and there was explicit statements made like don't come to us with your plan fully baked that's not what we want and that work if we go to them with a statement of interest they're going to start at the feasibility part so the double money could happen anyway now but what we've heard from those be in terms of this two hundred thousand that we thought we and they don't want us too far down the road okay and I think that could put us too far down the road where the and the money would be wasted they don't want us to come and say we're choosing plan so and so we've decided this is our priority we're handing this to you give us a check mark they would like to see that our community is ready for this move and that we've done our homework and we've done research but not that we've come to the conclusion that we want this building on this site so I'm gonna ask a question the same question almost a different way is it no longer required for MSBA or a statement of interest to submit this feasibility study it sounds detrimental to our submission or is it no longer beneficial maybe it was never required it might never have been MSBA will require a feasibility study of their own of their own which will cost partnership with us which will cost correct X dollars which we will have to go to the town to appropriate town meeting to ask for for us to take that step regardless if we do it now they'll still require it okay and I think that's where we you articulated well we thought that we were taking something and moving forward with it to reduce time reduce spend and move us kind of higher in the priority of MSBA acceptance on the statement of interest list well in a more fulsome right assessment of which of many options that are going to be a significant investment of both time and just town resources looks most beneficial right I mean I think we wanted to understand better we know the status of the parcels where we are using them for school use today what is less well known to us is the feasibility and the cost and the speed to which we could advance our facilities infrastructure which is a desperate need of advancement as quickly as possible and meet as many students need so I think that was I always heard that as being our chief goal which is why we that's what I voted why we asserted to work together and make it joint in the first place that yes yeah now I do have a question for our invited guests while they're here which is you know speak to this much you can you have a large group I have been very appreciative of the positive things that many representatives who have come and made public comment in yourselves tonight about the schools new permits at the schools obviously there is also a long-standing commitment to just not developing undeveloped land in Wayland and so I have some healthy skepticism that were we to say oh don't develop it for sale for real estate development in a year 18 months we suddenly are very committed that Holiday Road is a wonderful parcel for advancement in education now suddenly we want to block school development there too because that was the main impulse I think which is one that I will never and one of my formerilosy processes had a slider in it so either way summer school we don't want to develop it i will address we'll call it what it is the mb factor um i don't know when you're talking to the select board you probably didn't notice the line of people at the back of the room uh oh when i was there when you were there i did you did okay nothing gets by i was there i go to all these meetings um i asked informally that line of people whether okay if they want to build a school and and these are all people who live in the area they want to build a school there would you block it and they all said no and the reason why we would say this is when all of us have moved into the town except for one person who got lied to
the real estate agents tell us that's school land they might build a school there you have to know that when you move in and we when we move in we accept that as a condition of buying the property that's just it now we certainly have enjoyed the benefit i've lived there for 29 years i'm not going to be able to live there much longer because i'm pretty old at this point but we certainly have enjoyed the benefit of having the trees back there but if the school needs the land you won't see a fight from us and that is the truth
and i'll just add i mean i know like sort of like i'm familiar with the plan right so like i know you wouldn't want to build a big elementary school there because you don't need it you know like i think you already have the site but there could be some really creative uses like how some outdoor education center or like there could be some really interesting things you might come up with that could be built and that's why i don't want you to transfer land because we may not know what those are now but a decade from now some all school systems might be putting some cool outdoor education says building and that might be a really nice place for it but you know so yeah i think in the current makeup i don't think you're gonna put a middle school there we make any sense right yeah so but uh but yeah my last word on this is that if there's does come a point where you want to release the land i don't want you to just release it to the town and have no direct benefit to the schools i think that if you work with the neighborhood and you work among yourselves we can figure out a way so that the land can be used in some other form whatever that form they may may be which is of direct benefit to the schools not able to talk to that tonight but i think that's something i think about i wanted to uh you know so i i think i was the only one who opposed one of the stories for this and i still did i still oppose it and i my concern is that you know if we do this study um i i think only certain uses are contemplated for the housing school whatever and not all uses you know we might want to use it for fields or our ropes cores outdoor whatever right we could be doing a lot of things with it and i think um where we um where we um where we um where we might want to do this very narrow feasibility study might want to do this very narrow feasibility study might want to do this very narrow feasibility study there may be momentum behind certain uses there may be momentum behind certain uses there may be momentum behind certain uses like housing like housing like housing well we haven't considered it for other well we haven't considered it for other well we haven't considered it for other uses like uses like uses like fields for example um and i just worry fields for example um and i just worry fields for example um and i just worry about the momentum when about the momentum when about the momentum when we've gone on in with a very narrow view we've gone on in with a very narrow view we've gone on in with a very narrow view instead of a very wide view so i don't instead of a very wide view so i don't think the intent was to go in with a narrow view so if that's where it's evolving yeah like the intent did not have that this is not our article well right no i mean but it was supposed to be a joint article right and the way that it was revised and re-proposed was at least what we agreed to submit and what we submitted to the select board in response to the original draft was much more joint and much broader my only hesitation and i hear you like i don't know that any study is going to ever do all use and i do worry that we as a town have a lot of stagnation problem we have a very difficult time with momentum we have a very difficult time with advancement and we have a difficult time with progress and so my 25 studies main concern is how do we improve our facilities like when i'm sitting at this table that is the lens i am focused on and my understanding was that we believed momentum in this town meeting would actually advance the speed with which we could learn and continue to move forward on facilities improvement i mean what i'm hearing and i'm looking at you only because that's new information i'm looking at this visioning charge which does not seem as balanced as what i thought we suggest like had proposed this yeah can i speak to the vision chart sure we were there it's no longer a draft that's been accepted it was accepted monday night that's great they can do what they want oh yes exactly and uh tom well i'm going to say tom fagin is the author of this right described what he saw this vision is it's really not a visioning
it's what they see it as is the the whoever does these site studies will do the studies first and then report to the committee who then reports back to their respective interests to say what happened and it's really targeted towards housing it is they we we were the ones our neighborhood were the ones two weeks ago who said we want a visioning committee that would look at a larger set of uses and they turned it into something that is targeted towards housing yeah it frustrated us i mean i agree betsy we we do have a momentum problem in town i think i voted on the opposite side not on this article but on other things where um you know the projected momentum doesn't go in the direction that i think we need to go i stand firmly against some of those boats that i've taken on this one in particular i i did vote for kind of that broad scope that broad view of how we could use this scope that broad view of how we could use this land with the intent to move the visioning program forward and improve our school district and our schools and our facilities and it doesn't sound like based on all the information we're hearing that's the intent to this anymore and that makes me uncomfortable like i don't want to see this land the select board's already determined that this is not suitable for a school it's not the way we should do it it's not the best way to invest our money and they want to see it go toward housing which they feel is the quick short in in my opinion it's a short-sighted way to try and increase revenue and i've told them i don't and i don't vote in support of that and that's what what do we need to do would would it just be a simple vote amongst five people to relinquish the land because the five people no no i'm not saying that i'm not saying that but in the future because we don't know the five people that sit at this table in the future five years from now ten years from now two years from now we know we know um it takes a two-thirds vote at the town meeting and even then you are not required to do it because you are you have an independent you are an independent deliberate body however the town votes two-thirds to ask you to transfer the land i think you're going to feel a lot of pressure i can withstand lots of pressure can i just i need a little clarification because i understand the warrant article i don't understand the role of the visioning committee they've now created this but this only takes this only gets created if they are passives they approved it no it's as if it passes right okay but they've assumed that it's approved but this does not need town meeting approval the context no no and they didn't bring they didn't bring this to us and it's been voted on yes that's correct they did not consult you they they did reach out saying that they were going to do this but we didn't have any discussion around it okay um i guess one of my main concerns that we had even before we went back with a revised joint was our concern with residential development was that any kind of feasibility study include estimated costs to educate students that would move in and we asked for estimated costs to the schools from the Alta Oxbow development and other multi-home developments and I don't believe we ever received a response to that nor does this include any similar cost assessments and could that impede any future conversations that we have with MSBA if we have some sort of development with potentially new students moving in and could that change our numbers and how they view us my biggest concern is impeding the process with MSBA in the next hopefully few years and I'm concerned now that this could would we get too far good question Kate sorry we in that large document we have estimated costs and we did it on a per acre basis using the select boards initial numbers which are eight hundred I thought two hundred I'm gonna but anyway we estimated that for the fifty residences that they intend to build on the fourteen acres that there can be no more than two students per acre for this to break even anything they really have to build housing that has no students on it and the problem that they're going to have is that any developer who wants to build housing in Wayland, Wayland's biggest attraction is the schools so this is in the long term a losing proposition in terms of collecting tax revenues and that's why I say it's going to put a lot of pressure on us especially when we want to build new schools we're just going to be making our problems worse converting like single family residences through Dover amendments to non-tax producing like the Veritas thing do you think they take a bunch of little money from the school family like tax producing residences and convert it into a tax account school so I mean could that happen as well I don't know this was never fully based to me and so I want that vote does anyone know what the status of the other committees who voted on it I know I saw back and forth the CIPC decided they had a say and what's the current rank which committees would you like to know I know select boards FinCom and CIPC I'm sorry FinCom and the CIPC FinCom I attended the FinCom and the CIPC and I'm sorry FinCom and the CIPC FinCom and the CIPC I attended the FinCom meetings again FinCom was divided they voted twice and both times it was they were missing a member and both times the vote was four in favor and two against I think in general I brought my warrant articles but in general in the pro and cons of the FinCom people wrote were that I think they essentially want to see what the town says what the people would say about this Thank you It wasn't a slam dunk from the FinCom point of view any other committees The capital improvement planning committee I saw thought they got to take a vote No I was reading minutes from a meeting about that they decided no okay they were going back and forth about whether or not the draft warrant article required them to take a vote and I didn't see how it had netted out okay thank you I've said a lot so I'm referring to the rest of my committee members at the moment Well I mean it's just a lot of new information I actually would like to reread the final warrant article before Yeah If you would give me a minute just because I haven't I didn't have time to reread the final published warrant article before tonight and with the benefit of this information I just want to look at the language Feel free to talk amongst yourselves Somebody's ready to go ahead I'm not ready to do anything I'm happy to wait The last thing I'll say is I'm sorry I was just going to say it is the language that we proposed It was just more behind it It's just more being said About it That they're just moving And they've basically they already have a position I think we also know I was just going to say was that our original intention was to do this so we could further our facilities to show the SBA that we're ready and committed to facilities That is no longer what I feel is the case Right And I think it would hurt us rather than help us to push rather than When we did it that was the purpose that we were serving That was why we voted to get behind it It wasn't an intention to give the land No or that it was Already a foregone conclusion that we weren't going to use it for school Which I kept reiterating around the table And I kept reiterating that There's no intention for us to release the land I mean I think we were pretty I personally was pretty clear that like we were making no position To the future use of the land We simply were in favor of exploring Correct All like the potential uses listed in the draft warrant article Well really we were interested in it School use School use Right And ensuring that that was listed Assuming that we would have to spend that money Next year Or the year after So we could get this land So it was just an efficient use of And it might cost more at that time to do the evaluation We thought we were being efficient And we could go to MSBA and say look we've already done it Yay You guys move up the list No We're not going to move up the list David I know you were shaking your head yes earlier When we were saying That but you agree that that was fairly So we attended the three of us attended the meeting With the MSBA leadership And you know part of their process Is asking you to do a feasibility study I will say that they also shared That they were very appreciative and impressed With the planning we've done so far That is what speeds up the process Because of all the background work we've done So we could do that quickly and move quickly And that they were impressed by Because without the work we had done We wouldn't actually be in a position To do a feasibility study Because we wouldn't have options And so it's first getting the options Which we've done that step And then it's the feasibility study Once we do the SOI And I should also say that our options We've really almost You know the school committee Had really like two of the options As you will call it Right Narrow down the options Correct Exactly If nothing more than for a lay down area Or a construction area Swing space and yes That's really what we want to do But if we need it We need it And it's there If we're looking for informed citizenry Our website is not It's on the list It doesn't seem to be functioning At the moment Our website Not our school committee Our town Oh you have to go to like the new town Website It doesn't You can't like Google and go through Anybody need the article Because I have it right here Oh Yeah Sorry It just has one copy though I should have brought mine Maybe you're better Okay Interwebs It's I was going to say I Pardon What I have the pen at one point I'm pretty familiar We It's what we If I can just make one comment You know Been here 25 years Taxpayer If this goes Gets passed We spend 200,000 And a year from now School committee comes back to us And says Hey We need 200,000 To do this study Of 25 holiday road That's not going to go well Mm-hmm Yeah We'll be back being regular taxpayers By then And we're going to feel the same Way you do I can promise you I would like to ask you When you're reading the article To read the text of the article And not the FinCon comments No I know Okay thank you Not my first rodeo But thank you Oh thank you It's shorter than what we did though We lost some of the execution language So we can either table this And move on We will have a meeting Monday night Before town meeting That I can add this And put it on the agenda And then we can move on And then we can move on And then we can move on And then we can move on And then we can move on And then we can move on And then we can move on And then we can move on Okay Any questions For further discussion Between the committee members I think it would be helpful To vote tonight So that it's not left If we are going to vote So it's not left So right before we make it Yeah I just don't want Anybody to Communicate And feel a rush Let's do it on the floor If you want me to No Guys I can't be The only one Who makes motions You don't You wait for other people To make motions That's what I'm supposed to do What do you want To do We will have This night A meeting On the phone My motion will be wrong and I don't want to go out like this on my last night. You're going to need to edit it. It's not your last night. You have Monday night. True.
You don't have to make a motion either. I just said it, but somebody's got to... Okay, I'm going to move to have a re-vote whether to co-sponsor Article 16 for a family date.
Go ahead, family amendment. She's looking at me. Can I try again? I know. See, imagine if I did it. In light of information the committee has considered in the intervening week since its initial vote on Article 16 for the May 4th annual town meeting that suggests that the requested funds to study the feasibility use of the Holiday Road parcel may be premature in the school committee's commitment to pursuing its facility's advancement. I move that we reconsider our joint support of Article 16. You can amend it. I was just thinking withdraw support, but that's just a friendly... Oh, just to do it once? Well, I didn't know if people wanted an opportunity to vote on the procedural aspect of what I'm up to. You're right. I mean, that just takes it. So I was doing procedural step first, and then if people agreed to review it. So that's a question for you. I was doing it in two steps, not one. Got it. I'll second that motion. So we're voting first whether we're going to reconsider our support. Vote one. I was waiting for that. I don't have the button. I didn't know what to do without it. Let me call Miranda. Okay. We're ready. All in favor of reconsidering. Which is also what our invited guests asked us whether we would do tonight. Correct. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? I would entertain another motion. Keep going, Betsy.
For the same reasons as our decision to reconsider, whether or not we should decide whether to revisit our support, I would move to withdraw our support of Article 16. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? No. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for your time. Thank you.
Boy, nobody stays through till the end. Can I have a warrant? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Just a second. I'm going to keep mine. Oh, sorry. Yes, take it. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Anything else to say on that?
We passed over B at the beginning. So, C, we need to schedule our school choice hearing, which needs to occur B.
All right, I had to restart my computer. That's typically the first meeting when somebody new comes in. Mm-hmm. To June 1st.
Well, okay.
Education reform. Education Reform Act of 1993 mandates participation in school choice unless a school district opts out. Effective September 1994, every city, town, or regional school district is required to enroll non-resident students under the choice program unless the school committee votes prior to June 1 not to participate. The section of the law states in part, this obligation to enroll non-resident students shall not apply to a district for a school year in which its school committee prior to June 1 not to participate. After a public hearing, adopts a resolution withdrawing from said obligation for the school year beginning the following September. Any such resolution with said reason shall be filed with the Department of Education, provided, however, that said department shall have no power to review any such decision by a school committee.
That being said, our next meeting is to be held on... Regularly scheduled. Okay. Um, May... 13th. And then we have May 27th. So for my two members who are still willing to stand by my side... Get ugly, Christina. Which night would you prefer to do the school choice hearing? Want to do the 27th? Then that way it's not the first one back.
So we will schedule our school choice hearing for May 27th.
Diane, can you just... We just plan to stop next on our agenda. So we're going to do that May 27th. We need to discuss the scheduling of professional development days for the 26th, 27th school year. I had the same reaction. No, I think we did the Wednesdays, not the PG. Oh. But I thought we did those. Aren't they the same? I thought we did them too, but maybe we're going to discuss those system-wide Wednesdays. That's right. Up to 10 of them. They don't have to be Wednesdays, I thought, or did they have to be Wednesdays? Wednesday. I think Betsy's going to take a little more time to talk about that. More time? Got it. Okay. Did anybody forget that today was a super Wednesday but me? Karen, I told you, I left my kid at school. All of my kids walked in, I'm like, why are you here? An hour. Oh, I've done that. I'm sorry.
Only so much room. We should know. That's what Jen Soho walked up to me, she goes, can I please tease you that you schedule them? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And while I'd like to laugh at myself. You're still on the power back. You're good for now, right? Yeah, I'm good. Thank you. I feel badly that I just left her here.
She should probably have fun. It was great. They said, yeah. All right.
We are cruising right along to policy matters. And I will turn this over to our policy subcommittee with respect to item A around, discussion and potential vote to approve policy LBB, special education programs with low enrollment. Do you not know if this got into the folder? Um, and I just forwarded it to you by email. So maybe you can forward it to the committee. I can pop it into the folder. I can get some contacts. Um, thank you. Oh, it's not a separate document. I had a few things come up, so. No, that's okay. I, but okay. I just want to make sure. Yeah. Um, policy is the language from you, that two paragraph. Okay. I'm just going to pop it on a quick, give me one minute to put it on a quick document. Yes, please go ahead. So when we created the fund to be able to enable this, we talked around the table and I think the meeting before where you and I were not there about the concern of, um, you know, in the future, if the same people are not interested in this. Okay. Uh, I think a lot of people are not here kind of, uh, Not having enough spots for way on the students. Who are we to tuition and students from other districts. And so, um, I talked with Ronnie and the, the policy committee talked to Ronnie about, um, having a policy around this and some sort of guardrails, just ensuring that there were, um, always a certain amount of spots. You know, but we couldn't consider this unless there were a certain number of spots open. Um. So, we did a little digging. There is one district, I forget what it's called, it starts with a B, that has a very short policy on this. And so, we used that as our model policy, and Ronnie also considered this kind of capacity issue. Ronnie, I don't know if you want to talk about it, but you're very thoughtful about ensuring we have plenty of capacity and not overloading these diagrams to begin with. Yeah, when we talked about it, I thought about it in terms of program, but then I thought about it in terms of grade level of the program, because, like at the LBC, we have, say, five spots, but they're all in third grade, so you don't want to just say, we have five spots, because we don't have spots in fifth grade. So, I focused the policy more on that. They're grade level, but in the program, so I thought about, like, an average program has about seven kids in it, so if it's over 40%, so that would be, like, three spots, so say it was, like, seven, so if there were more than three spots available, then we could give, like, two of them, basically, to non-districts, so there has to be a certain amount of opening, and then we would only, of that opening, use a certain amount. So, that it would still leave room, so that's how I kind of thought about it, and I wanted to be grade level specific, because I didn't want to overload a specific grade, which would then impact the fidelity of the program. You know, you heard earlier, Marie and Naomi talked about the great variation sometimes in grades, and that's an example, Christina, where, you know, this could work, when you see real trends and variation. Just, you know. Yeah, so, I mean, it's a very short policy from what we were able to find in the NASC policies, and then... It should be in your... Yeah, just thought, Pop, we need permission. You do? Yeah, it says, request access. I thought when you put it in the folder, anyone who had access to the folder could see it, so that's weird now. Okay. My initial thought is, should there be, I don't know, like, a goal for us to get to, you know, some kind of something. Yeah. the additional oversight because of the monetary rate that's discussed that the school committee also needs to approve the tuition rate?
Yeah, the superintendent shall establish the tuition rate. I have to be honest, that was in the other policy. That was in the other policy. So the first paragraph is from the other policy that we saw, and then the second paragraph is the capacity agenda. Sorry, Christina. I didn't have access yet. Sorry. I'm there now. Okay. I just happened to be looking at today for other reasons, but just specific requirements, best practices, et cetera, with funds and budget line items, et cetera, and requirements. And, yeah. For the school committee, and I'm just wondering if that should be the superintendent shall establish tuition rate charge based on the cost for pupil to be confirmed by the school committee or, you know. Yeah, we do that for other things, right? Right. Like fees and whatnot. So, yeah. I mean, that's fine.
I don't know if we should just also delete that sentence. I mean, I don't know if we need it, but. Well, somebody's got to set the tuition rate. Yeah. It doesn't necessarily have to be in the policy. Well, then where is it?
Well, if we're going to have policy, we might as well. I would add as approved. One more time.
I hear the concern about capacity. Forty percent seems like high occupied. And so I also want to be fiscally mindful of your creative thinking around opportunities to tuition in. And so I guess I, like, how do I think about 30 versus 40? Because I feel like if a third of seats are open, it feels improbable to me in one year's time that we would have move-ins that would suddenly fill 30 percent of the program. Forty feels high to me. I get that. I was trying to be more conservative. But I'm open to it. I think one of the things we discussed was there are kind of DESE guidelines for capacity. And then there are guidelines that you feel comfortable with based on the needs of the students in the program and that you might not want to be at the full capacity. Kind of like our class sizes are not, you know, the school committee guidelines for class sizes are not at the DESE maximum either. Like, technically, you could have a subseparate of 12 students with a teacher and assistant. That's the DESE. That's the guidelines. We don't have any at that level, at that ratio. Yeah. I just don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. It's just, it's tricky because every year is different. So, I, 30% I'm open to. I did 40 to be conservative. But, yeah. I mean, I guess to that point, like, we don't always define our programs by DESE guidelines. No. We don't. We have a policy that staffs our classrooms at less than what we could in terms of class size. So, I feel like there are other guardrails we could do in defining specialized programs that would be eligible for tuition in. Which would define their 100% occupancy to not be the max allowed under the law. Yeah. It's tricky also, I keep saying, sorry, because we have very few programs that are full sub-separate. So, most of our programs are inclusion programs. So, for like the LVC, for instance, the reason why we keep it at seven is those seven kids go into a general education program. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. And then we have a general education classroom. They're part of a general education classroom. And to have 12, would be 50% of the class. So, we keep it at a third. And we haven't gone above needed more than that. So, I don't, I mean, I don't use the DESE guidelines or more for like the classes that are a complete 100% or over 60% of the times that's separate. And we have very, you know, we have a handful of kids who are, you know, we have one there. one or two programs like that I don't it was really tricky to kind of figure out percentage and ratios because everything is so different and every year so different so this was just my first go at it no I know you're super you're super thoughtful and I think we're balancing I think very important countervailing concerns or at least I am I feel very conflicted but I think we have very limited opportunities to take advantage of the investments we've made in these programs and I think it is a shame to leave them under enrolled if there is an opportunity both to service students who would benefit from them and to offset the cost of the investment and you know development of the program that we've made as a district so my personal feeling is 40 feels high but I would defer to your sort of educational expertise I would feel more comfortable with a third Yeah. um I'm like I said I'm open to it I just was trying to also just balance everybody's concerns and program so I'm fine going to a third you're shaking your head do you have thoughts no I think the third is reasonable in these also our goal is to keep the programs afloat right sometimes you know it's not efficient to run certain programs because of that because you need you need cohorts I'm concerned I'm concerned if we have too many years with only one or two students in a cohort in a district of our size that we will feel budgetary pressure that the program is no longer needed yeah and yeah um like we I did Debbie Dixon and I a couple years ago did like a breakdown of comparing the cost of programs versus the cost of like administrative placements and you do need about 30 students in the program to make it um cost effective. um cost effective. but also you want to think about the students and their experience if you only have a cohort of three you know or two that's very easily so um it is I mean also this is all theoretical like I have no um you know I would I'm hoping to have but I I don't have any you know I've had some knocks but I haven't answered the door yet. In terms of um maintaining the program do you feel like I see 40 percent of like 60 percent are slots for Whaling students and so those are going to be your students that are here year after year because they're residents but what we don't want is people coming and going and you know some years you may have a cohort some years you may not have a cohort so I think that to me that would favor a 40 percent um number you're trying to push it like full of people to stay here I know it's so hard to predict so I don't I don't I don't I don't have I made some changes to the language on the fly um but I also have a suggestion so if you're all looking at it right now um non-resident students may be enrolled in situations where the program will be um and my suggestion is I'm going with it in my head so it's not super articulate at the moment but basically both more efficiently run and best um the best uh experience for our students so I was thinking we could put that in there effectively which could combine both efficient and productivity efficient to me feels a little well that's why I wanted to add that it will also it's also in the best interest of our students to generally have a larger cohort than um would want to efficiently and effectively run with additional students and officially I hear you on the effectively but I I do want to specifically call in my opinion I'd like to call out in the best interest of our like the uh um students yeah experience yeah and then my brain is fried I know me too um non-resident students may be enrolled in situations where existing program well you know if you add that like sorry I don't want to interrupt no go ahead but if you add that language maybe it'd be more comfortable 30 because you're saying where existing programs will be more efficiently run
so the programs that are already at a higher capacity are efficiently running we don't want to I think you're saying like and then you're hitting that 30 percent by saying in the best interest of the students in the program with low enrollment then I would then it right but the programs that are already running effective efficiently or effectively or have a good cohort we wouldn't even be looking so does that mean that the policy by definition is programs with low enrollment are we saying that programs with low enrollment are at 30 or 40 capacity open spots maybe yeah I just don't want it to be suggestive at all yeah that makes sense yeah best serve student learning all of the programs running through my student growth on potential student experience experience exactly
I know someone feels strongly I do let's vote on numbers I mean I would be willing to vote what do we think about non-resident students may be enrolled in situations where existing programs would be more effective and best serve student experience by running with additional students student experience and outcomes oh yes I know outcomes Christina wants to know how you're going to measure it Ronnie
well yeah I mean basically if we if we don't have a cohort and we have to close a program that would be my is there a tipping point number of when you would say you'd close it close it I think that depends probably it depends on like I would never close it like our TLC middle schools is is a low number right now but I know what's coming up so I'm not going to close it because then we're just going to open it so it makes no sense and so I look at the whole trajectory like the there that we have that gap at the middle school because it's been years um once it's open it'll be open um you know our 18 to 22 may close um I hope it doesn't I know it's made such progress yeah this could help um yeah it could so I I don't know it's more you might like you know like um last year we had two classes at TLC um at Clay Pitt this year we have won so we think you know we look at um next year we may have two Milestones cohorts so um we look at maybe splitting or or um but it's really you know we want to add maybe a second grade for LBC eventually so but you wouldn't want to get rid of once you have it you don't want to get rid of it yeah it's tricky well and I think it's the way Some programs are more at risk of closure than other programs, so you need to accommodate both of that here. I definitely, to best serve the student experience.
I mean, I wish I could just have a person to walk with. It just makes it shorter. Whoever is making these decisions in future years will just be as mind-responsible about it. Yeah, as mind-responsible. I don't know how. That's the fear, right? It's like there's no concerns now, it's later. I don't think it doesn't work. I appreciate how thoughtful you have been. I know you've tried. I've tried. It's just so there's no perfect. Well, they're all unique. Get rid of that. You're not going to use your policy for every specific program. We want to give you some flexibility. Just say with additional students instead of by including with it. Just get rid of with it. Just say with additional students, right?
I was just kind of struggling with if you change it to 30% at first. 40% if you have to run a program with 25% or more Whelan students. I got it. The math worked out in my head. I got it. I honestly like. Truth. I know. I literally just had to write it out. And I was like circling and I'm like, okay, Whelan students, non-resident, how many open? Yeah. I needed Betsy's math help. So if you change it to 30 and you still have to have 25, it wouldn't exceed 25%. Wait a minute. Am I looking at the wrong thing, right? So does that, does that math work? Yes. Because it increases capacity for out of district students.
I mean, do we have any programs right now that are in between that 30 and that 40 in which someone came knocking at the door and you're like, well, I can't because the number. We're not there. No, I'm not. If we have concerns about 40, we could start at 40. Yeah. And then I'd rather start at 30 if the whole goal of this is that we want to make sure that we're not worried about what future people are coming. So I mean, whatever we can, we're obviously we're going to vote on it if we go out on it tonight. I would prefer to see it 30 personally. Um, no, I don't think there's, it's, it's, it's interesting because it's either like a low number or it's a high number. Like the middle is, it's rare. Yeah. Um, so I mean, I'm just trying to think 30, um, I, I air on this side of 30 only because of those tiny programs that don't have a good cohort. I'm concerned about the students that don't have, um, a cohort, right. And the viability of those programs. Well, yeah, I guess like if you think about like if a program, like a sub separate program, say you had nine seats and three and yeah, 30%. So that would be more than three seats open and that would be dangerous. Yeah.
Yeah, I guess that feels like a very isolating, not inclusive. I mean, yeah.
So. I mean, this is just an idea. I don't actually know that it's a good idea, but I'm going to still ask it. Do you want to leave it at 40 and then put, um, something about, or to be considered by school committee or by somebody? Does that make sense? I mean, I, I'm actually okay with changing it to 32. I know everybody's jaw is going to drop. Um, but for those reasons, Kate, I think if it's good for kids. I know Ronnie will make. The right choice is just beyond Ronnie. So if, you know, hopefully she outlives all of us on the committee and that's never a problem, but it's a legacy, right?
You just changed that one statement, right? So we're going to read it again. Oh yeah. Go ahead. Okay.
Can I ask one more question? Let's say you're in the situation where you need to increase capacity for out of district students next year. This could come back to the table and it could be voted on to change that percentage. Right. Let's see. Yeah. If we ever wanted to change the percentage of this in the future, we could, this is not forever. It's for now. Oh, I'm right. Any point in time with 30 days out to the public. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Can always change it.
So I think it's a good framework. I think the only question is Betsy should do like Betsy and Kate. I think you guys are both kind of in favor of moving it from 40 to 30.
What do we think about that? I'm just moving this along.
I'm game for whatever. I'm going to mess that up tonight. So I'm happy with 30, 40. I personally like 40. If your purpose is for programs with very low enrollment, then the 40 should take care of it. But if you can feel 30, then I'm open to that as well.
How about 35? Not 33 is what I was going to say because 33 is an actual third. A third of the program. I was going to say can you do 30 to 40, but then that'll leave it. I will sold at 33. I mean, is that a silly number to put it, but I actually would probably not do a percentage. I would just say a third. What? Yeah. Right. It makes over one third of the available seats. We can do that. I mean, I would have done one third or more, but I'm willing to give you over a third. Right. But just to be clear, we have over one third of the available seats because we are not staffing our programs. Ah, so you will easily in a very well attended program. This is for programs. This is for programs with low enrollment. I don't understand how you get to 33% as low enrollment, but we're looking at it as our current and current capacity. So we are saying we're not at capacity. We don't want to overload our programs and our teachers. And so this is designed for programs at risk of closing. This is but I can see that other people feel that it's to maybe optimize or maximize enrollment.
I don't see it as maximizing. Well, then maybe back to my statement of it comes something where additional consideration beyond that comes to the committee. I'm not saying it the right way. Betsy's going to have to say it for me. Well, my concern with that is it only comes to the committee if it comes to like a policy only comes to the committee. If it gets put on an agenda, it gets voted. So if we're looking at future proofing, then I think you would have to include a policy that allows the director of student services or the superintendent to request that the committee revisit the number. Or it's just built in that it gets reviewed every year, which is kind of that, but it's defeats the purpose labor intensive. No, I'm saying if we have reached the maximum or are the level of seats unoccupied is higher. You know what I mean? Can it be brought to the committee for special consideration in the right way?
I don't know. I mean, I am I am mindful of the like future fiscal realities as well. And as I. Said, I'm very concerned that these programs that we invest in, that if they're not enrolled and we are not showing that we are committed to getting enrollment for them, that they are also at risk for future funding support, not just people. And so I want to protect both. I want to protect. We don't want to be at capacity, but in some respects that is a financial luxury. And so I also want to make sure that. We. Are leaving our ability to keep these programs funded, and if that requires us to enroll them without tuition and students, I'd rather keep the program running than risk losing the program, and I don't know, sitting here that 40% unoccupied carries carries the day. So I hear you that the policy title is low enrollment. I actually was thinking whether it was titled correctly or not. I was thinking more like policy around like appropriate tuition and non. Residence. Or non resident tuition situations or because I do think that there's a fiscal responsibility piece here that we want to preserve programs we've invested in designing and developing and staffing, and that requires students who need those programs over time, and so I think that's the piece that I'm I'm wrestling with, even though I am very sensitive to the other sort of quality of student experience and staff, but I also want to be. Very. Fiscally mindful that if we're going to invest in these programs, we have to have students to educate in order for their funding to continue to be justified. I would just have to go along. You're saying that, you know, I think there's going to be a greater chance of under enrollment in the future just because of our decline in enrollment. You know, we have certain programs now, you know, that are just third grade and above, and our numbers drops in second grade and below, or numbers are. Much. Lower. You know, we're just not seeing classes of 200, and we obviously have over 200 students in grades above a certain amount, and that just could impact the challenge of filling these programs. We're certain to see that if we look at our TCW numbers next year, they're low. They're low. Right, a rising ninth grade is over 250, and our current kindergarten is 166. Mm-hmm, yes. That's almost a hundred kids difference, which. Mm-hmm. That's. Mm-hmm. Yeah, our older, yeah, like our third grade next year for LVC is very low, you know, our sevens is higher. When you say very low, is it under 50% capacity? So that's what I'm talking about. So I think there's just a difference in thinking here. If a program is at risk of closing, you're probably well under 50% capacity, right? I don't think that, from what I've been hearing. If you're at 60% capacity, you're not at risk of closing a program. No. Right, this is to save the program. That's what I view this as, to make the program viable. Not to, we have one or two extra seats, like fiscal responsibility. But that's not what I'm hearing. I'm hearing this is to save the program. And I think it's both. I do think it's probably both. Well, it could be both, but. Yeah. Like I can say. That's not how I understood it when it was brought to us last week to create a fund about it. I understood it as these are not financially viable to run these programs. I mean, yeah, I think it is both. I mean, I do think it is like the small program is tricky for a lot of reasons. So that's where it came from. But oftentimes, like the third grade for next year, I'm not going anywhere. We'll still have third grade, even if there's only two or three students, and fourth grade, we're, sorry, fourth grade next year, we're at a little higher, probably 50% capacity. But it's like a, it's something that we have that a lot of just like, obviously, my first responsibility is to Wayland, but it's something that we can offer to others that other districts just don't, obviously. But I'm getting, I'm like, you know, when you think about something for too long, yeah. I'm trying to look at the numbers to like, put more behind it, and they're just so all over the place. Am I, if we had a program that, and I had to use a big number, because I'm really bad at math, but if we had 24 seats, this would mean that if we went to a third, eight of those seats would have to be open. And then up to, only up to six of those seats could be out of district. That's what I was doing earlier. Yeah. And if it was 40, then it would be that, what's 40%, like five people, 40%, sorry, 10 people. 10 people. Yeah. I thought you were still doing the third. But so it's 10 people, so there's still going to be four open seats if we left it, and there would be two open seats if it was a third versus 40. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Take your word for it. I was doing that, too. That's where I was trying to arrive. I'm going to take your word for it. But our programs aren't that big. No, I know, but I don't, I can't. It's cut that in half. But so, even if there's nine, we're talking about three open seats, and like- It can only be two. Two of them. That's what I drew up. That's right. I drew up nine. Right. You know, if we had three. Still have one extra. Right. You'd still have one flex. You'd still have one. Or one lower half. Yeah. And still just open. If you have, if you have nine, if you have three openings, you can fill two. When on- You'd still have one and the odds of, of the other full six being full, maybe. But I think your concern is that's the Wayland standard, not the DESE standard. Right. So, I don't know the DESE standard, but if we have nine and that's our max, if DESE standard is 12, then that changes it. Yes. And the percentage of available students to come in would also change. And this, the DESE is, it's standard regulation is for a full sub-separate, so none of our programs are, well not none, some of our programs, but like most districts have those programs. Like we're not going to tech, we probably aren't going to tuition into our milestones program because many districts have a program like that. The language-based program or therapeutic program might be more where you might see it in our high school are, are 18 to 22. And then, and there's no regulation because it's not a full sub-separate, it's a partial sub-separate. Yeah. Okay. Well, in my opinion, this is already in motion to be able to tuition in students. We've already created this, the fund, so I think this is our chance to put some guardwheels around it. And I think we should take a vote on whether it's leaving that 40 or reducing it to a third. I understand it could still be revisited at any time, but I would like to take a vote to and put this out to public comment. You've got to. I know. Make a motion. Yeah. Okay. With a number. It can't be with anyone. I know. I'm just, that's my statement because I'm not going to make the motion. Someone else's. I'll do it. All right. I'm going to make the motion. I'm going to make the motion to, I guess, approve and put out for public comment, policy LBB, as is. We can always change it. Okay. Do we have a second? I'll second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Yeah. You're opposed or you're? We're both opposed. So don't say yes. You said nay. Sorry. Well, you said aye. I said aye. You said no. Any opposed? I'm opposed. It's your turn, Kristina. Sorry. Passes. Put it out for public comment. Thank you. This is momentum, Betsy. Thank you. Thank you for working on this. Appreciate it. Thank you, Ronnie. Sorry. I didn't mean to make it more. Can I give that to you, Diane, to work with Jen to get it put out for public? Actually, no. I don't know if Jen can actually do it because I don't think she moved the policy. It's still on the Google. I got to do it. It's okay. I got it. We should have a, while you're on that topic, we should have a responsible person because our next policy, IJND, was put out for public comment and then never moved into the policy manual. So we had a meeting, policy subcommittee meeting, on a policy that was not even correct. So IJND went out for comment in April of 2020. That's okay. It's still a policy. It is. But it wasn't. But when we go to pull the policy, it's still a policy. It's still a policy. But it's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. It's a policy. But it wasn't. But when we go to pull the policy, you know. To meet about it. Yes. To meet about it. I go into the policy manual and I cannot remember every single thing between now and April. Okay. So it just needs to be added to the policy manual? Yes. But I think we should have somebody who is not a volunteer to do that because there's a learning curve to a lot of things on the school committee and this is an administrative thing that needs to be covered. So IJND went out for comment in April of 2020. It's still a policy. It is. But when we go to pull the policy, you know. Meet about it. Yes. To meet about it. I go into the policy manual and I cannot remember every single thing between now and April. curve to a lot of things on the school committee and this is a administrative thing that you know maybe someone with more institutional knowledge just some food for thought for efficiency can you take that up with my secretary please we can move on to do we actually need to discuss it or is it we do okay just quickly okay so we um policy subcommittee opened up ijnd again because of the concerns a few concerns that we have one is teams or clubs mostly at the high school but perhaps at the middle school using social media to communicate team things i.e practices whatever we had heard that this was an issue we wanted to tighten up the policy around how communications should be should be happening can i jump in quickly this is very important because when it's a school-sponsored activity those are subject to foyer requirements and if it's not done through a school-approved medium then we do not have custody of those records and it's very difficult to get them so especially if they're on someone's personal device or snapchat or facebook so for searchability and those are our records because it's a school-sponsored activity we need those to go through a searchable medium like google chat you know the student gmail whatever so that's one why this is really important and then the other thing is that because we prohibit staff from being on social media with students these chats are unmonitored by staff for these school-sponsored activities and so that's another violation of our policy so there are two very big reasons why we cannot have school communications going through in the school yeah we really needed to tighten that up because the previous policy said of course no social media for staff but also that any communication that happens with a team or an organization needs to have a staff member attached to it for all the reasons that you just said but you know we've heard that social media is being used by students to communicate and parents don't want their students necessarily always on social media that get practice updates so if you look at the draft policy for ij and d in your folder everything read is new we had a really good discussion with jen so not only did we tighten up that language there jen worked with her team to also tighten up language around ai which she's been thinking a lot about and having a lot of communication with staff about so on page one that's where that language has been tightened up about um staff well the first part is student right the red part under student technology use guidelines so school related communication student leaders or organizers school sponsored activities must use district communication tools or work through their advisor coach yeah um she was supposed to link something right so she also knows exactly what those school approved tools are yeah it's right there district approved tools she's also going to be talking about what those school approved tools are so you can see specifically what those approved tools are it's also being updated in the student um policies which are just these policies but easier to read for students she's updating those now i think that we should tighten this a little bit more and say for the avoidance of doubt facebook messenger snapchat etc where are those two tools i'm missing that what the actress said it doesn't link on a mac oh i'm sorry oh okay sorry oh this no under number two school related communication this one thank you okay i'm there oh you're somewhere else isn't that it though too that isn't so maybe it needs to be listed further up as the first point of yeah no i'm you know i'm still up before that student technology use guidelines yeah i'm talking about student communication yeah so jen is updating that student friendly responsible use guidelines and yeah we've added all this language to be crystal clear that district approved communication tools should be used and i think you are right um that we should add this hyperlink there i would like to add for the avoidance of though facebook messenger snapchat instagram are not school approved tools i want to be crystal clear but follow the audio uh thanks well um and yeah so if be crystal clear on this what do you guys think about i have no problem with that i am um i'm just mindful in the like town like there's all sorts of sports team apps in use are they being used for school sports too i'm not my kids aren't in any school sponsored sports yet what are you talking about like team member app no i'm sorry whatever all this stuff they shouldn't be and if they are they shouldn't be okay i don't understand okay okay so um okay so i'm gonna add a little text here and just so we're clear we're talking about coaches and teachers this is utilizing this for communication you need to go up more so right here right here we're talking about students we're talking about student leaders so you also not want sports team captains using this to coordinate yeah they considered school sponsored activities yes okay any school sponsored activity that has a student as a leader they are violating the policy because they should not be communicating a without a staff member involved in that that's in in the policy already that was previously in the policy that any communication about any school sponsored activity needed to be paired with a staff member that's clearly not happening because staff members are not on social media with snapchat i don't know the answer to that but i'm not sure well i don't think so but people are using snapchat and facebook and whatever to organize things which is a violation of our policy already so we're just being crystal clear that we need to use district approved communication tools for any and all things so yeah it's clear on the student technology use guidelines here um we can combine those two sentences i thought you were going to put for avoidance of doubt after that sentence all right the personal social media one i think it works those are the ones that people are reporting are being used most frequently so like fundraisers and things like they'll use social media or instagram or something to communicate that out to community to the school we're saying that they can't use that so their parents do that are the students doing that willing decisions as students and that's on instagram yeah just saying yeah like that's where they post network right wspn they have a facebook page i don't think so but i want to say yes probably an instagram the decisions would you call that an official communication related to school activities though no we don't i don't know like that's not like there's a practice or a rehearsal at 4 p.m true do we fund that or not i think that's what a school sponsored activity is do we pay for a bus do we pay for a field do we pay for a auditorium i would say it would go to whether we have a paid staff member who is expected to participate in school i would say it would go to whether we have a paid staff member who is expected to participate in school or not participate and lead in some way and oversee that but i worry that the class fundraisers have advisors that are involved now the fundraisers are a tricky one do we want to allow some kind of like advertising exception that they can seek approval for for class sponsored it's a good point it's a fair point i forgot because we get a lot of those right like the chipotle night this class this one okay but there's but there's some class or something yes like the pto they can use whatever they want yeah and we're a tiny town like how this there's just one more mechanism i'm trying to like i'm running directionally i'm fully in favor i just want to make sure we're not creating yeah totally unintended blockers to things that aren't a problem
well and we say personal social media platforms do activities fundraisers do they have their own social media they do there is yeah so that's what i that's a little bit that's not personal well i think it's like world that's a that's a timeline that's a big gray area but i think that you could they can create it however they create it and there's generally parents involved in that or there's a parent that runs like and follows it because coaches do use like there's whalen basketball instagram there's boosters there's yeah but boosters it's boosters that's what a support organization that's not okay okay okay yeah i think we need to be really clear with this because the policy already says that staff members are not supposed to be back they're not though that's so but but this is where we're talking about yeah yeah yeah i don't know if we're going to resolve all of this tonight is my people can disagree with me i'm here but i'm i don't know enough to wordsmith what the exception would be but i think we need to drill down closer on whether or not class fundraising is a good idea i think we need to throw down closer on whether or not class fundraising is a good idea i think we need to throw down closer on whether or not class fundraisers fit within a school-sponsored activity because they have an assigned advisor as part of that advisor's role as a staff member and i think we would need to carve out an exception because there's no question they're using all of these platforms today to generate fundraising and we don't want to end that i don't think at least i don't think it's the source of the problem yeah yeah i would agree push no right that's not the issue um i mean i would want i think i mean david disagree i would ask jen if she be comfortable with proposed language for either approval or exceptions for okay yeah i mean that makes sense because i also don't want staff to feel like they i'm not sure and i think there is the feeling of that on other things not just this right like there's sometimes too many parameters um okay i yeah i agree betsy please don't forget about it because this is important to me and i would like to you know there are reasons why we're doing this the foia the supervision and those are really important this isn't because all right massachusetts superintendents i am coming for you i can't wait my name is joseph david's paying attention at least at least he was trying to lay on point
wasn't the celtics okay
you found a way to have ai
i'm very focused on this until it's resolved yeah i want this on the agenda for monday in addition to jen added a lot of other important things that we need to get to our current yeah so we didn't get a chance to you know discuss and so those are important things we thought maybe those things would be best addressed by the next committee but um i do not want this to get lost in the shuffle otherwise i'll be here giving public comment i know i thought about that it could come from public comment settle down okay we'll be holding you to five seconds each
i'll follow up with her we can follow up with jen about those additions i also wonder if it's sorry not to uh the term official communication is a high school i don't know what that means is that a i know what that means very easily but i don't know i would just take out official and say
it already says school-sponsored activities so i'd love to see some ai language i didn't i admittedly didn't have a chance to read it ahead of the meeting so i didn't discuss it at the policy subcommittee we wanted to move that to the next committee i understand uh rashaun is very interested in ai and probably would be very well suited to okay thank you for doing this thank you for updating it thank you guys we might be moving on aaron well that's good because i just published out for comment policy lbv so i'm not doing anything with ijnd and we're not making a motion okay we are on the consent agenda i had you guys ahead by about um 25 minutes you've now put me behind so i moved to approve it do we have a second okay all in favor any opposed
any matters not reasonably anticipated by the chair okay i move to for the purposes of discussing strategy related to collective bargaining with the ae wayland educational association wea units a and b as permitted by mgl chapter 30a section 21 a 3 and reviewing and approving executive session minutes with intent to redact and release said minutes as permitted by mgl chapter 30a section 22 for april 8th 2026. school committee will be joined by superintendent betsy gavron assistant superintendent kirstine patterson director of finance and operations ronnie kessler director of student services and diane marabella recording secretary the school committee will adjourn an executive session and will not reconvene an open session do i have a second second uh betsy yes kate yes aaron yes christina yes aaron gibbons yes