Words from Grace
2020 is a year we will remember for all time. In spite of the pandemic, the racial and political divide in our country, and losses of cherished BPS leaders and loved ones, we still have much to be grateful. I think about Keith Love, George Cox, and Jinny Chalmers - I did not know these people first hand, but I feel the impact they've had. We stand upon the shoulders of these leaders and build upon their legacies. Each day we plant seeds for others who will make contributions we could never predict - they will stand upon our shoulders and become educators and leaders to carry on the work to ensure all students have access and opportunities they deserve. As we enter the Thanksgiving season, I reflect upon all we have to be grateful for in spite of the pandemic, in spite of the losses. I believe in the human spirit and our ability to overcome whatever challenge presented us. As Jinny Chalmers would say, "Keep the faith."
Projections/Budget
Last night you received your projections. As Nate and Jamie have stated - don't panic. Since we are in a time where nothing is predictable, I'm glad we will not be applying the same weighted student funding formulas/process as in the past. Go with the flow - be creative since previous rules may not apply.
A/B/4 day HIPP
You should be seeing changes in Aspen based on work you completed with your PandA liaison - for region 6 that was with either Karen Book or Daniela Reyes-Saade. If the family preference for HIPP = 4 days and they fit, you should see those changes reflected in Aspen. In all regions K-8, we have 83 total homerooms where students do not fit because of social distancing. On Monday or Tuesday, I'll be reaching out to Kenny (11 rooms), Mildred (8), Murphy (2), Shaw (1), and Timilty (3) to try to resolve the overages with the goal being as many students being allowed to return as possible.
No changes have been made based on 1) A/B switch request from families 2) School referral to increase number of days for existing HIPP or adding students to the HIPP category based on tiered support (that needs to be documented in Panorama). All of these pieces have to fit together in order for us to accommodate all hybrid A/Bs. Beware of filling your classrooms with four day HIPPs that will then result in A/B's not being able to fit. In other words, make sure there's space for all hybrid requests before fulfilling four day HIPP requests.
You know your schools the best - I will work with you in order to be prepared for the eventual return to in-person learning for all students, not just our students designated as high priority.
Region 6 Meeting Time on Tuesday
Thanks for working through all the technical challenges of observing classrooms during last Tuesday's region time. Let's expect the tech gremlins (as Leslie describes) and not fret over the barriers. We are all learning how to navigate in the remote environment! I appreciate that we made the effort and took the time to visit classrooms together. Perfection is not the goal. Visiting classrooms and discussing teaching and learning together, is. I look forward to round 2 this coming Tuesday at 10.
This past Monday, I had to navigate Zoom (neither Tess nor Dana were available😢) to facilitate the HIPP Task Force with over 30 people including our superintendent. I did not have the interpretation feature on my Zoom - resulting in a loss of approximately 20 minutes with task force members having to pivot to other Zoom links. It was stressful and embarrassing. Our superintendent offered me grace, and there has been no blowback from the loss of time. I was so stressed 😱, I was barely able to function in those 20 minutes and yet I felt the weight of responsibility for the meeting to go as planned because the recommendations from this body affects us all. I was able to sleep that night, however, because of the "grace" offered by all.
We can do this for each other as well - and I am continuously grateful to be on this journey with you. Remember, none of us has done this work before - perfection is not the goal - doing better each day is.
Important Dates
November 25 - half-day of school
November 26-27 - Thanksgiving - no school
December 2 - Boston School Committee Meeting - 5p
December 10 - All School Leader PD and PLCs
December 24 - January 4 - Winter Recess
January 18 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
Division of Academics
Annual BPS School Leader Arts Survey Due December 18th
We are asking school leaders for your assistance in implementing the 13th annual BPS Arts Survey in order to better understand the availability and distribution of arts education in the BPS. Your participation has enabled the successful efforts of BPS Arts Expansion to garner nearly $15M in external resources for our schools and students. As part of the initiative, we are once again asking you or your designee to complete the annual online survey by December 18. The survey link is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/20-21BPSArtsSurveyAllSchools
It should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
When you complete the survey by December 18, your school's name will be placed in a raffle. Four raffle-winning schools will receive $500 to be used for art supplies or other arts-related needs. If you have any questions regarding the survey, please contact Derek Lin at lin@edvestors.org or Julia Gittleman at Julia@MGAConsultants.com.
Rethinking Thanksgiving
The History/Social Studies and Early Childhood departments of the Boston Public Schools have collaborated to provide K1-12 grade resources to assist with planning activities, discussions, and lessons related to Thanksgiving and other upcoming holidays. As we enter into the holiday season, the resources provided present an exploration of Thanksgiving and winter holidays that are culturally and linguistically sustaining and uplifts a historical, social and cultural narrative that attends to the seven forms of bias.
Engaging Students Remotely Using Math Routines - Professional Development Opportunity
Description: Teachers will learn several rich mathematical routines that allow students to engage in mathematical thinking remotely. These routines provide entry points for all learners, allow students to build on each other's ideas and keep students thinking at the center of discussion allowing for an equitable mathematical experience.
Thursday, December 10th 4:00-5:30 pm Grades K-6
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5164884022?pwd=d3JjY3NmY2F2QnVTV3h6SVlUSUZXZz09
Tuesday December 8th, 4:00-5:30 pm Grades 7-12
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5164884022?pwd=d3JjY3NmY2F2QnVTV3h6SVlUSUZXZz09
Division of Accountability
First Semester Student, Teacher, and Family Surveys
Short surveys of the BPS community will be launched after Thanksgiving break. The survey content will be focused on academic and operational priorities intended to provide information for planning and course corrections. Please review the Communication Guide for schools and Survey Questions for more detailed information.
Please reach out to the Office of Data and Accountability if you have any questions: rc069@bostonpublicschools.org
Panorama Weekly Update:
Division of Equity, Strategy, & Opportunity Gaps
Register Now for November 30, 2020!
Our Division invites all district employees -- Central Office staff and school-based staff -- to the launch of our Anti-Racist School District professional development arc of learning opportunities for SY20-21 on Monday November 30 from 3:30 to 5:30 pm. This program is strongly encouraged for department heads and school administrators, but all staff are warmly welcome to attend.
Objectives of the November 30 Session
Assess: Participants will assess, individually and as leaders/members of a Central Office department or school team, what professional development programs we have completed or planned, what past initiatives we have completed or remain ongoing, and our current status related to progress toward being an anti-racist organization.
Develop Next Steps: Rooted in that assessment, participants will consider possible individual and department/school next steps based on an arc of learning, and a menu of options offered and/or supported by the Division of Equity, Strategy, and Opportunity Gaps.
To register, please sign up here.
Division of Human Capital
Paid Leave for COVID-19 Testing
City of Boston employees can get up to one hour of paid leave every 14 days to get tested during their normal work hours. To take advantage of this time, fill out a self-certification of COVID-19 testing form at least 48 hours in advance of your appointment and submit to HR before your scheduled appointment.
The 2021-2022 Budget & Staffing Season is almost here!
We wanted to offer you a rough timeline for when to expect important meetings and deadlines for the upcoming Budget & Staffing Season. Please be on the lookout for meeting invitations from your Budget & Staffing Liaisons in the coming weeks!
Future Force Training - Early December (exact date TBD)
Enrollment Projections - Target Date: November 19
Budgets Released - Target Date: December 14th
Pre-Probable Org Meetings - Between November 30th - December 18th
Budget Collab & Probable Org Meetings (autonomous schools) - Between January 7th - February 1st
Budget Collab & Probable Org Meetings (traditional schools) - Between January 7th - February 7th
Emergency Licensure (impact at Probable Org)
This year DESE offered an "Emergency License" option to teachers who were not previously licensed in other areas. Many teachers opted for this license, rather than getting a waiver. Please note that these emergency licenses are valid for one year only, so at the time of Probable Org, when we are reviewing licensure for the following year, if they have not obtained a provisional or initial license, they will be automatically non-renewed for the following school year. Please reach out to all of your staff teaching on Emergency Licenses this year and encourage them to take any necessary steps to help ensure they are able to be renewed in their positions next year.
Division of Operations
Zoom Updates
Is your Zoom missing functionality or not working as it should? Zoom updates frequently (around every 7-10 days), so please make sure you are running the latest version of Zoom. In addition, check out our recommended Zoom security settings to ensure you are running meetings safely and responsibly.
Facilities
As work continues to move forward in buildings please ensure the Building Occupancy During Remote Time tracker is up to date.
Transportation
The Transportation Department is working hard to improve our service and expand our reach, with new customer service management and ticketing platform. Students, families, and others can review our policies and FAQs as well as enter and check support tickets in our new Support Portal. We've also introduced a new online chat feature on our website, where parents can chat with a live Customer Service Representative, as another alternative to our existing Transportation Hotline.
Any questions or feedback? Reach out to Dan Rosengard at drosengard@bostonpublicschools.org
AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act)
In 2019, the MA Department of Labor Standards served BPS with more than $90,000 in fines for violations of AHERA, the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, which led to a review of the entire district's AHERA Management Plan and all schools' individual plans.
AHERA Management Plan Binder - Main Office: A major requirement of compliance to AHERA, and what led to these fines, is the physical presence of a school's AHERA Management Plan in every school's Main Office, residing in a 3-ring white binder.
Every binder was delivered to its school's Main Office in fall 2019 and its delivery signed off by a Main Office staff member.
The presence and accessibility of the binder is vital to compliance because all staff and families must have access to their AHERA Management Plan, should they so choose.
Most importantly, no contractor can do work in the buildings without first reviewing the materials within the binder and signing off on a form within the binder.
Without being able to access the binder and review/sign-off, a contractor could improperly disturb asbestos in the building while conducting work
We continue to receive too frequent feedback from contractors and inspectors that schools' Main Office staff do not know about the binder and are unable to produce it upon request. Again, this is a major, hazardous violation of state law.
AHERA - Room Numbers: Another practice that continues to make BPS in violation with AHERA is when schools make an internal decision to change their room numbers.
AHERA Management and the presence of asbestos in school building materials corresponds with room numbers.