Medford School Committee Meeting May 24, 2021

 Medford School Committee Meeting
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QbVpyhaX3aqEcY5cbLhuCDEBhQydn_jv/view

 
May 24, 2021
Remote Meeting by ZOOM
Executive Session: 5:45 PM
Regular Meeting: 6:00 PM

Pursuant to Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18, and the Governor’s March 15, 2020 Order imposing strict limitations on the number of people that may gather in one place, this meeting of the Medford School Committee will be conducted via remote participation to the greatest extent possible. Specific information and the general guidelines for remote participation by members of the public and/or parties with a right and/or requirement to attend this meeting can be found on the City of Medford website, at www.medfordma.org. For this meeting, members of the public who wish to listen or watch the meeting may do so by accessing the meeting link contained herein. No in-person attendance of members of the public will be permitted, but every effort will be made to ensure that the public can adequately access the proceedings in real time, via technological means. In the event that we are unable to do so, despite best efforts, we will post on the City of Medford or Medford Community Media websites an audio or video recording, transcript, or other comprehensive record of proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting.

Additionally, questions or comments can be submitted during the meeting by emailing
medfordsc@medford.k12.ma.us. Those submitting must include the following information:

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

Medford Public Schools is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
https://mps02155-org.zoom.us/j/95045901152
Meeting ID: 950 4590 1152
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,95045901152# US (Chicago)
+19292056099,,95045901152# US (New York)
Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 950 4590 1152
Find your local number: https://mps02155-org.zoom.us/u/avCpMNTAK

1

I. Roll Call and Salute the Flag

II. Negotiations and Legal Matters - Executive Session
Executive session of the Medford School Committee pursuant to G.L. c. 30A §21(a) to conduct a collective bargaining strategy session on the basis that an open meeting may have a detrimental
effect on the bargaining positions of the Medford School Committee. The Medford School Committee will reconvene in public session following the executive session.
 

III. Approval of Minutes:
1. May 10, 2021 School Committee Meeting
IV. Approval of Bills/Transfer of Funds and Approval of Payrolls
V. Report of Secretary
VI. Report of Committees
● 5.3.2021 Curriculum Subcommittee Meeting - Paulette Van der Kloot - tabled from May 10, 2021
meeting
● 5.5.2021 Rules, Policy and Equity Subcommittee Meeting - Paul Ruseau: tabled from May 10,
2021 meeting
1. Policy on Harassment; tabled from May 10, 2021 meeting
● 5.6.2021 Committee of the Whole Meeting - Special Education Budget Hearing - Mayor Breanna
Lungo-Koehn; tabled from May 10, 2021 meeting
● 5.13.2021 Committee of the Whole Meeting - Academic Programs Budget Hearing - Mayor
Breanna Lungo-Koehn
● 5.18.2021 Committee of the Whole Meeting - Academic Programs Budget Hearing - Mayor
Breanna Lungo-Koehn
● 5.19.2021 Committee of the Whole Meeting - Final Budget Hearing - Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn

VII. Community Participation
Any citizen in the audience may be given permission to speak once at School Committee meetings
regarding any item on the agenda for up to three minutes on any one item.
A Community Participation portion of the agenda will be established which will give any citizen the
privilege of placing any item before the School Committee or be heard on any item. Any item to be
presented must be submitted in writing to the Superintendent of Schools by the Wednesday noon prior to
the scheduled meeting, with a maximum of five (5) minutes allowed for any one presentation
Public Participation Emails: Questions or comments can be submitted during the meeting by

2

emailing medfordsc@medford.k12.ma.us. Those submitting must include the following information:
1. Your first and last name
2. Your Medford street address
3. Your question or comment

VIII. Report of Superintendent
1. Superintendent’s Updates and Comments
2. COVID-19 Public Health Update & MPS COVID-19 Testing Summary and Update - Nurse
Supervisor Toni Wray & Mr. David Murphy
3. Introduction of Carmen Williams, Harvard Graduate School of Education Superintendent Candidate
in Residence
4. Recommendation to Accept Donation of $10,000 to the McGlynn School from Pastor Zenzo,
Impact Church, Dr. Marice Edouard-Vincent
5. Highlights of Brooks Elementary School Presentation - Principal Shannon Demos
6. Highlights of Columbus Elementary School Presentation - Principal Kathy Kay
7. Update on FY 22 Budget - Mr. David Murphy

IX. Old Business
X. Communications

XI. New Business
1. Request for Possible Extension from the Advisory Committee to Rename the Columbus Elementary
School, Committee Chair, Jim Lister Of ered by Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn

2. Beginning in the fall of 2021, an extract of the email addresses on file in SchoolBrains, or whatever
system is used for tracking parent/caregiver emails will be created twice each school year. This
extract will be used to create a whitelist within our email provider to allow emails in and out for any
email on that whitelist for grades K-8. Presently K-8 emails are blocked from any incoming or
outgoing email not within the Medford Public Schools and this creates a problem for
parents/caregivers and students. Workarounds are challenging, expensive, and disruptive, and
students and families should not have to purposefully circumvent our systems to perform perfectly
valid activities such as communicating with their students. Of ered by Paul Ruseau

3

3. Be it resolved: that the Medford School Committee return to having our regularly scheduled
meetings at Medford City Hall along with Zoom capability. Further, that the committee discuss a
protocol for determining in the future what meetings are held fully on zoom and which will be held
in person. Submitted by Kathy Kreatz and Paulette Van der Kloot

3. School Committee Resolution: Condolences

The Medford School Committee extends its condolences to the family of Kathleen “Ellen” Mortell,
mother in law of Joanne Mortell of the MPS Business Office.