School Committee Meeting of March 5th

A couple items of particular note from last night's meeting:

* As of July 1st, all Melrose employees (including teachers) who have carried Melrose healthcare for at least two years will be able to opt out of the plan, provided they guarantee participation in another healthcare plan. In return, they will receive quarterly cash payments. This pilot program is designed to save on healthcare expense while ensuring that employees have access to an appropriate plan (and get the health support they need!). 

* ECC tuitions, athletic fees, and Education Station fees were all approved for FY15. For the ECC, there will be a 5-7% increase depending on the program (which was expected, since last year we raised the tuitions 10% but knew that they would need to be raised again this year to ensure that the program is self-sustaining). For athletics, Tier II sports increase $25; three sports move from Tier II into Tier III and Tier III pricing increases $50; the hockey fee increases by $20; and there will be no student or family caps. Education Station fees will increase across the board, but by 3% maximum.

* Supt. Taymore reviewed Revolving Account projections for FY15 (where monies for some expenses comes from) as well as her draft staffing and contracted expense budgets. It's helpful to reference her Draft FY15 Budget powerpoint from the 2/11/14 meeting to follow the items she proposes adding. We had great discussion on this topic, and the Supt. explained how the proposed new positions would improve teaching and learning.

All building principals along with Dr. Adams and a few teachers attended the meeting and they answered questions thoughtfully. We meet again next week and tackle supplies, materials, and technology. For more info on what budget topics are being addressed and when, check the packet documents (under IQM2 on the School Committee section of the melroseschools site) for the 2/11/14 meeting. Let us know what you think!

MHS Students at MIT Model UN Conference

Social Studies Department Chair Bryan Corrigan posted the following about a great group of MHS students:

"The Melrose High School Model U.N. club took part in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s 3-day Model United Nations conference recently.  MHS students participated in delegations representing multiple countries, including France and Australia.  Two Melrose High School students, Rachel Freed and Addison Dowell, were commended for their outstanding work on their respective committees.  Advisor Kevin Tierney, a 6th grade geography teacher at MVMMS expressed his delight with the team’s effort: “I am so proud of the students.  It is encouraging to see them so engaged in an activity with such real academic and personal value.”  Mr. Tierney notes that students displayed their skills in public speaking, negotiation, compromise, and persuasion."

Check it out here: 

http://melroseschools.com/2014/02/mhs-students-shine-m-t-model-u-n-conference/ 

What a wonderful experience - and well done!!

Last Night's School Committee Meeting

We reviewed two primary topics at last night's meeting. First, our district physician, Dr. Alan Wolfe, presented results from the biannual Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Although Melrose students were polled because they are a captive audience, Dr. Wolfe was clear that the results represent teenagers in all of Melrose, whether they are public, private, or charter students. The Melrose Education Foundation, in conjunction with the Health Dept. and others will present more information at a forum on May 8th so stay tuned!

Our 2015 budget discussion began in earnest, and we agreed on line items that the Committee will officially approve at the end of the budget review in April (including revolving accounts; staffing and contracted services; supplies, materials, and technology; special education; and curriculum and instruction including professional development). We then talked about next year's ECC tuitions (proposed to increase 5% in order to keep the school self-sustaining) and athletics fees (with some re-tiering and increases proposed to keep fees at approximately 44% of total athletics expenses), along with a brief overview of Education Stations financials. We will vote on those fees at our next meeting.

If you want more information on the topics above, please take a look at our meeting packet on melroseschools.com in the School Committee pull-down menu under IQM2. And don't forget - because of the State Senate primary on Tuesday, March 4th (for you lovers of language, the only date that is a command!), we are meeting on Wednesday, March 5th. Hope you will stay connected with the budget process and send along your thoughts. And of course, thanks so very much for all you do for our students!!!! 

College Entrance Exams - Do They Predict College Success?

"Virtually No Difference" is the title of an article by Scott Jaschik posted on February 19th on Inside Higher Ed. (Check it out here: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/02/19/study-finds-little-difference-academic-success-students-who-do-and-dont-submit-sat.) A study of 123,000 students at 33 different colleges/universities that don't require ACT/SAT scores found that "...there is "virtually no difference" in the academic performance (measured in grades or graduation rates) of those who do and don't submit scores." Jaschik notes "...those students with low high school grades but high test scores generally receive low college grades, while those with high grades in high school, but low test scores, generally receive high grades in college." He also points to the fact that more schools - some quite rigorous and others less so - are becoming test optional. (Here is a list: http://fairtest.org/university/optional.)

Using a test as one method of evaluation is fast and easy. It's hard data in an environment that is difficult to measure - and of course no school will use it as the only selection criteria. But it is big business, supported unwittingly and/or unwillingly, by families and students who have plenty of financial stresses with respect to college admission and attendance without adding test-taking and prep course expenses. Hopefully colleges and universities will soon get to critical mass on this issue and focus on evidence-based indicators in the area of candidate selection. If entrance exams are truly not effective predictors of students' higher ed success, let's save students and families the time, effort, and money required to be one-and-done test-takers and focus on areas that improve real learning and clearly point to future achievement.

MPS Commended in National Education Newsletter

Featuring thoughtful quotes from Asst. Supt. Margaret Adams, the Ed.gov blog from the US Department of Education (posted January 30, 2014) highlighted the Melrose Public Schools as one of the first adopters of MassCore which requires more instruction in math, English, science, social studies, and foreign language. This federal validation not only speaks to Supt. Taymore's mantra of more rigor in our schools, but is clear evidence that Melrose is leading the charge to prepare students as effectively as possible for their post-secondary plans.

Read more here: http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/progress/2014/01/massachusetts-districts-adopt-rigorous-masscore-course-requirements-for-high-school-graduates/

February 11th School Committee Meeting

Hoping you are all shovelled out - this was a tough one! 

We held a very useful School Committee meeting on Tuesday and here are some of the highlights...........

* Thanks to the hard work of Food Service Manager Ken Dolce and our wonderful cafeteria crews, food service financials are in the black which is such a help for our bottom line (and a struggle for all school districts since the federal requirements are very stringent). Best of all, I'm thinking that students find the food tasty and satisfying so they can focus on their school work.

* Melrose High School is once again fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Quality partnering between the schools and the Department of Public Works resulted in a systematic tackling of facility issues (like dealing with worn rugs, strict oversight of the cleaning company, making plans for capital improvements like the HVAC system, and opening the beautiful new science wing). All other standards were previously deemed appropriate with many commendations.

* Supt. Taymore introduced the draft FY15 Budget, sharing her goals and challenges for the coming year. We will not have a good handle on state revenues until May or June, so no bottom-line information was provided - just some rough estimates. Mayor Dolan registered some concern by indicating that the city does not "have a sustainable economic model to fund the schools." The Committee will hear about different expense categories from the end of February through the beginning of April so stay tuned and send along your thoughts on the tough choices we must make. (The presentation along with the budget timeline is on IQM2.)

* Our collective bargaining agreements with the 284 Melrose teachers were combined into one document, marrying the compensation and work environment pieces with accountability expectations. Having sat on the bargaining committee, I truly feel that we all worked together to support student learning. Neither "side" (although I don't really like to think of it that way) received everything they had hoped for, but both sides clearly heard the most important issues from the other, and worked to find solutions that ultimately support learning. I think the agreement helps us all focus more on rigor and professional culture - two areas proven to improve student outcomes.

Ok - back to spreading kitty litter on the stairs. Thanks for getting out - rain or snow or sleet - to help support our students!!

Melrose High a "BioTeach" School!

https://www.massbioed.org/news/80-massbioed-foundation-names-four-new-schools-to-bioteach-program

Melrose High School has been selected as a "BioTeach School," and will receive $15,000 in grant funding for lab equipment and supplies, three days of teacher training, and opportunities for students to participate is science exploratory experiences.

The science department is increasingly employing ways to support science, technology, engineering, math education for students, with new science labs, more course offerings at MHS for 2014-2015, and a growing STEM Pathway.

For more information on courses and the pathway, check out the MHS Program of Studies in the 2/4/14 School Committee agenda packet. To volunteer in support of STEM education in the Melrose Public Schools, contact Bridge Director Jennifer McAllister at jmcallister@melrose.mec.edu or 781-979-2299.