School Committee — 2025-12-09

Agenda

1. CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE (0:00)
2. PUBLIC COMMENT (0:51)
3. REPORT OF THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES (8:48)
4. ANNOUNCMENTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT (9:00)
5. Vote: 2026 Chair and Vice Chair Preliminary Vote (9:22)
6. CONSENT AGENDA (12:25)
7. Regular Meeting Minutes Nov 18, 2025 7:00 PM (12:33)
8. Warrants FY26 School - S26038 - $841,229.98 FY26 Refunds/Officials - S26039 - $3,847.00 FY26 December Debit Card - S26040 - $1625.00 FY26 November MVMMS Student Activity Wire - S26041 - $2,300.72 FY26 November High School Student Activity Wire - S26042 - $26,725.48 FY26 November Meals Tax - S26043 - $40.69 (12:43)
9. Policies IJND and IJNDB (12:37)
10. Surplus Memo (12:40)
11. SUBCOMMITTEES (COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE) (14:06)
12. Finance and Facilities - Seamus Kelley/Jennifer McAndrew (14:12)
13. Monthly Budget Summary/Revolving Accounts (14:21)
14. Discussion: FY26 Supplemental Budget Request (15:52)
15. Policy and Planning - Matt Hartman/Margaret Driscoll (44:15)
16. Vote: 2026-2027 School Year Calendar (44:28)
17. Review: MHS Competency Determination Policy (48:26)
18. Educational Programs and Personnel - Jennifer Razi-Thomas/ Margaret Driscoll
19. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF THE CHAIR (1:13:48)
20. Discussion: Superintendent Hiring Process (1:14:05)
21. Report: Outreach (1:58:26)
22. ADJOURN TO EXECUTIVE SESSION (2:00:48)
23. EXECUTIVE SESSION
24. To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with MEA Units A, B, and C as an open discussion may have a detrimental effect of the negotiating position of the School Committee.
25. To conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel Cari Berman.
26. ADJOURN

Minutes

Melrose School Committee Regular Meeting Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 7:00 PM 562 Main Street, Melrose, MA 02176 Council Chamber, First Floor, Melrose City Hall MINUTES 1. CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Dorie Withey Chair Present Jennifer McAndrew Vice Chair Present Jen Grigoraitis Mayor Present 7:13 PM Jennifer Razi-Thomas Member Present Seamus Kelley Member Present Matt Hartman Member Present Margaret Raymond Driscoll Member Present Cari Berman Interim Superintendent Present Also in attendance: Interim Deputy Superintendent, Ken Kelley and Recording Secretary, Kristen O'Connor. With a roll call vote with six (6) present, the meeting convened at 7:00 PM. 2. PUBLIC COMMENT Without objection the Chair opened Public Comment. Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian stopped by on behalf of the House of Representatives to acknowledge Chair Dorie Withey and Vice Chair Jen McAndrew as they finish up their time and tenure on the Melrose School Committee. Ms. Lipper-Garabedian thanked them for all they have done for the Community and served them with citations from the statehouse thanking them for their leadership and dedication. (School Committee Member Seamus Kelley made a motion for a brief recess for a photo opportunity before continuing) MEU Representatives Leslie Means and Joellen Beaudet spoke to the plans for a permanent Superintendent. Ms. Means and Ms. Beaudet both expressed that it was in the best interest of the district to forgo a search and place Interim Superintendent Berman as a permanent Superintendent. They have polled the members of the Melrose Education Union and that is the will of the majority of it's members. They believe a search committee is not the right move for the Melrose Public Schools and supported Interim Superintendent Berman's historical knowledge of the district and her loyalty. With important decisions coming up with contracts and student resources, Ms. Berman has the background needed to make those important decisions. Jason Merrill, identifying himself as a Secondary Principal, resident, and parent of three, strongly encouraged the School Committee to appoint Interim Superintendent Berman as the 1 permanent Superintendent. Mr. Merrill praised Ms. Berman's leadership throughout what he described as a challenging year, noting her steady hand in moving the district forward while earning the respect of teachers and administrators. He highlighted her qualifications, which include 25 years of experience across roles such as teacher, special education coordinator, assistant principal, and director. Mr. Merrill emphasized her high expectations for all learners , her strong communication skills, and open-door policy. With no one else wishing to speak, Chair Withey closed Public Comment. 3. REPORT OF THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES There were no student representatives present. 4. ANNOUNCMENTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT Chair Withey announced a preliminary vote on the Agenda under the Announcements of the Superintendent. Incoming School Committee members Melissa Holleran and Sheri Leo were invited to the horseshoe to participate in the voting. 1. Vote: 2026 Chair and Vice Chair Preliminary Vote Interim Superintendent Berman outlined the process for the preliminary vote on the School Committee's Chair and Vice Chair for the 2026 calendar year. MOTION: Motion to Nominate Seamus Kelley for the position of School Committee Chair for the 2026 calendar year RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Matt Hartman SECONDER: Jennifer Razi-Thomas ABSENT: Jennifer Grigoraitis, AYES: Dorie Withey, Jennifer McAndrew, Jennifer Razi-Thomas, Seamus Kelley, Margaret Raymond Driscoll, Matt Hartman, Melissa Holleran, Sheri Leo MOTION: Motion to nominate Matt Hartman for the position of School Committee Vice Chair for the 2026 calendar year RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Seamus Kelley SECONDER: Jennifer Razi-Thomas ASBENT: Jennifer Grigoraitis AYES: Dorie Withey , Jennifer McAndrew, Jennifer Razi-Thomas, Margaret Raymond Driscoll, Matt Hartman, Melissa Holleran, Sheri Leo 7:13 Mayor Grigoraitis arrived. Superintendent Berman explained the upcoming election timeline. The official election for Chair and Vice Chair will occur at the January 13th meeting, following the same voting procedure used this evening. The newly elected Chair will then initiate subcommittee chair 2 selections for the January 27th meeting. Members must inform the incoming Chair of their subcommittee interest by January 20th. 5. CONSENT AGENDA MOTION: To Approve the Consent Agenda RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Matt Hartman SECONDER: Jennifer Razi-Thomas AYES: Dorie Withey , Jennifer McAndrew, Jennifer Razi-Thomas, Jennifer Grigoraitis, Margaret Raymond Driscoll, Matt Hartman 1. Regular Meeting Minutes Nov 18, 2025 7:00 PM 2. Warrants FY26 School - S26038 - $841,229.98 FY26 Refunds/Officials - S26039 - $3,847.00 FY26 December Debit Card - S26040 - $1625.00 FY26 November MVMMS Student Activity Wire - S26041 - $2,300.72 FY26 November High School Student Activity Wire - S26042 - $26,725.48 FY26 November Meals Tax - S26043 - $40.69 3. Policies IJND and IJNDB 4. Surplus Memo 6. SUBCOMMITTEES (COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE) 1. Finance and Facilities - Seamus Kelley/Jennifer McAndrew A Monthly Budget Summary/Revolving Accounts Interim Deputy Superintendent Kelley presented the packet's two reports and offered to answer any questions. Ms. McAndrew asked if and when the supplemental budget for FY26 is approved, if those amounts would be reflected in the DESE categories. The Deputy Superintendent confirmed that they would once the city starts to receive that revenue, the city will transfer it over to the schools and distribute across the school committee categories. MOTION: To Approve the Monthly Budget Summary/Revolving Accounts RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Jennifer McAndrew SECONDER: Jennifer Razi-Thomas AYES: Dorie Withey , Jennifer McAndrew, Jennifer Razi-Thomas, Jennifer Grigoraitis, Seamus Kelley, Margaret Raymond Driscoll B Discussion: FY26 Supplemental Budget Request 3 Superintendent Berman and Deputy Superintendent Kelley presented a memo and accompanying slides outlining the proposed allocation of the recently approved funds. Interim Deputy Superintendent Kelley emphasized that while the school budget focuses on instruction and learning, significant additional resources supporting teaching and learning are invested by the city. These external supports were highlighted to demonstrate the city's substantial investment in the schools. Superintendent Berman reviewed the process since the November 4th override passed, noting that the leadership team has worked to identify key staffing needs for the remainder of the school year, focusing on student growth and achievement. The goal is to post these positions after the holiday break. She stressed the importance of bringing back personnel now to plan ahead for FY27, aiming to hire licensed, qualified staff and manage class sizes. Deputy Superintendent Kelley added that resources would also be used to enhance the curriculum and review instructional materials. The potential vote tonight is to incorporate the supplemental amounts into the categories approved in April, establishing a new Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget totaling just under $52 million. Discussion included: looking to bring down the larger class sizes at the elementary level for next year, the challenge around hiring licensed qualified teachers mid-year, the idea of co-teaching, looking at reading and math specialists for intervention and smaller instruction, and investing in curriculum implementation. Discussion will continue at the next meeting. 2. Policy and Planning - Matt Hartman/Margaret Driscoll A Vote: 2026-2027 School Year Calendar Mr. Hartman presented the draft 2026-2027 school calendar, including a list of holidays and observances. The discussion included: establishing expectations for scheduling school events around these observances, the late occurrence of Labor Day will result in a later start to the school year, and agreed to keep early release days on Fridays. A portion of the conversation focused on Juneteenth, which falls on a Saturday; the board needs to determine the official observed day if school is in session due to snow day makeups, and the impact this would have on the last day of school. The plan is to align the school calendar's Juneteenth observance with the city's schedule, and the committee voted to postpone the vote until the meeting on the 16th to allow time for this necessary alignment with the city's calendar. MOTION: To Postpone the Voting of the 2026-2027 Calendar until the December 16th Meeting RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Jennifer McAndrew SECONDER: Jennifer Razi-Thomas AYES: Dorie Withey, Jennifer McAndrew, Jennifer Razi-Thomas, Jennifer Grigoraitis, Seamus Kelley, Margaret Raymond Driscoll, Matt Hartman B Review: MHS Competency Determination Policy The Executive Director of Academics and Accountability, Melanie Acevedo, and Principal Jason Merrill presented an update on the Competency Determination Policy, driven by 4 ongoing changes from DESE. Their presentation (slides included) provided context and a timeline for the new policy, highlighted the differences between the new CD requirements and current MHS Graduation Requirements, and offered a general overview of the proposed policy. Discussed included: the difference between state-mandated Competency Determination requirements and local Melrose graduation requirements, noting that while local standards allow for waivers in extenuating circumstances, the CD standards do not. It was noted that the CD aligns with the standards assessed in the 2023 MCAS, reflecting DESE's expectation for the district to maintain high expectations for all students. While passing the MCAS is not a local graduation requirement, students are still required to sit for the exam as it remains a valuable measuring tool. Following the discussion, the committee moved forward with a first read and first vote on the policy. MOTION: To Approve the Competency Determination Policy for 1st Vote RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Jennifer McAndrew SECONDER: Dorie Withey AYES: Dorie Withey , Jennifer McAndrew, Jennifer Razi-Thomas, Jennifer Grigoraitis, Seamus Kelley, Margaret Raymond Driscoll, Matt Hartman 3. Educational Programs and Personnel - Jennifer Razi-Thomas/ Margaret Driscoll 7. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF THE CHAIR 1. Discussion: Superintendent Hiring Process Chair Withey initiated the discussion on the process for hiring a new Superintendent, referencing a memo in the meeting packet. As required by Interim Superintendent Berman's contract, the Committee must decide on the hiring path by December 31st. The memo outlined two potential paths, and the Chair proposed discussing the pros and cons of these options, and deferring the official vote until the next meeting on December 16th. Discussion included: drawing on past district experience, senior members detailed the extensive nature of a full search, noting the significant financial cost and the time investment, which includes hiring a consultant, training a screening committee, conducting multiple interviews, and performing site visits. Concerns were raised about the thin landscape for Superintendent candidates in Massachusetts and the district's relatively low salary. The ideal candidate was described as someone who understands Melrose, is passionate, trustworthy, puts students first, embraces the district culture, is willing to face criticism, and has an open-door policy. Also the advantages of potentially appointing Ms. Berman were emphasized. Members noted that she, is ready to "hit the ground running," and understands the district and its budget well, having been with the district for an extended time. It was pointed out that the Committee has essentially conducted a six-month "interview" through her interim performance, which has received unanimous positive evaluation and recent public endorsement from union and administrative leaders who cited her loyalty. A Committee 5 member noted that she is an "obvious candidate" and that a search may not yield a better option. However, there was also a desire to maintain a transparent and collaborative process. There have been other critical positions in the city with strong internal candidates all of whom went through some kind of process to get to their final position, and the need to give Ms. Berman an opportunity to present herself publicly. The positive working relationship between Ms. Berman and Mr. Kelley (Finance Director) was highlighted as a significant factor. The Committee agreed to continue the discussion and vote on a process at the next meeting on December 16th to comply with the Interim Superintendent’s contract deadline. 2. Report: Outreach Mr. Hartman shared his great visit this past weekend at the robotics competition where kids from all over Massachusetts came to Melrose to compete. Ms. Razi Thomas reminded the community of the upcoming office hours this Saturday Dec 13th from 8:30 - 9:30 at La QChara. The Mayor announced that the December 15th City Council Agenda will formally show that the City was successful in its application for a Mass Office of Disability Grant (over $100,000). This funding will be used to make accessibility improvements at the Horace Mann, Hoover, and Winthrop Schools, addressing needs previously identified in an ADA survey. The Mayor expects the resulting work to be completed by the end of the current school year. 8. ADJOURN TO EXECUTIVE SESSION Chair Withey sited the need for an Executive Session to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel, Cari Berman. The Committee will not be returning to Public Session. MOTION: To Adjourn to Executive Session RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Margaret Raymond Driscoll SECONDER: Matt Hartman AYES: Dorie Withey, Jennifer McAndrew, Jennifer Razi-Thomas, Jennifer Grigoraitis, Seamus Kelley, Margaret Raymond Driscoll, Matt Hartman Public Session adjourned at 9:04 PM. 9. EXECUTIVE SESSION 1. To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with MEA Units A, B, and C as an open discussion may have a detrimental effect of the negotiating position of the School Committee. 2. To conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel Cari Berman. 10. ADJOURN 6 7 School Committee Meeting December 9th, 2025 Proposed Supplemental Appropriation Request for FY26 Cari Berman, Interim Superintendent & Ken Kelley, Interim Deputy Superintendent 1Proposed Appropriations to Support Schools 2 The Process to Date ● Feedback was provided from principals and leadership team members in order to identify key staffing positions that will support student growth and achievement for the second half of FY26 with the hopes of dovetailing into FY27. ● Although a small sample size, we did gather and analyze data provided to us during Parent University. ● All decisions have been made based upon the needs of students and aligned with the goals outlined in the district's strategic plan. ● Positions that will be restored have been discussed at cabinet meetings and principal meetings. ● Goal: Post positions after the holiday break. 3 FY26 Instruction and Learning Supplemental Budget FY26 FY26 FY26 SUPPLEMENTAL SC CATEGORY PERSONNEL APPROPRIATION $ 97,000.00FRANKLIN 1.0 1.0 FTE Teacher 6.0 FTE Teacher $ 656,000.00ELEMENTARY 7.0 1.0 FTE Admin Approved FY26 5.0 FTE Teacher (1.0 FTE potential share with MHS) $ 533,000.00MVMMS 5.4 Supplemental Budget 0.4 FTE Secondary Admin. 3.0 FTE Teacher $ 363,000.00MHS 3.6 MPS Personnel 0.6 FTE Secondary Admin. MPS Curriculum HQIM - Curriculum renewal math program K-8/AlgII TEACHING AND MPS School IT $ 1,469,500.00 Instructional/student engagement materials LEARNING $3,818,800 school based event support FY26 Contractual obligations for salary increases for Teachers $ 700,300.00DW/ADMIN. School based tech - Aspen SIS update and devices HR/Ops platforms TOTAL $ 3,818,800.00 17.0 4 Personnel Request The $1,649,000 request for 17 FTE positions includes 15.0 FTE teachers and 2.0 FTE administrators that aligns and addresses the following: ● Licensed and Qualified Effective Staff ● Class Sizes ● Student Social/Emotional Needs ● Closing the Learning Gap within Subgroups 5 MPS Teaching and Learning Request The total request for the Teaching and Learning category is $1,469,500 and addresses the following: ● Enhances curriculum and instructional materials that were deferred over the last 2 years. ● Provides High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) for math programs over the next 3-5 years. ● Secures comprehensive instructional materials to enrich the learning experience across all our schools. ● Investments are crucial for sustaining our commitment to academic excellence and robust student engagement. 6 MPS District Wide/Administration Request The total request for the District-Wide/Administration (DW/ADMIN) budget totals $700,300 and addresses the following: ● FY26 contractual obligations for salary increases for teachers. ● Upgrades and additions to Aspen and other HR/Ops platforms for administrative efficiency. 7 Updated Budget Categories Motion to consider as respectfully requested in memo dated 12/9/25 ADJ FY26 SC SUPPLEMENTAL FY26 APPROVED SC CATEGORIES CATEGORIES (VOTE APPROPRIATION REQUESTED) FRANKLIN $ 2,122,157.16 $ 97,000.00 $ 2,219,157.16 ELEMENTARY $ 16,030,818.54 $ 656,000.00 $ 16,686,818.54 MVMMS $ 7,774,386.49 $ 533,000.00 $ 8,307,386.49 MHS $ 8,554,988.37 $ 363,000.00 $ 8,917,988.37 ATH/EC $ 1,009,766.03 $ - $ 1,009,766.03 TEACHING AND LEARNING $ 728,761.05 $ 1,469,500.00 $ 2,198,261.05 SPECIAL ED. $ 9,052,011.56 $ - $ 9,052,011.56 DW/ADMIN. $ 2,674,985.81 $ 700,300.00 $ 3,375,285.81 Total $ 47,947,875.00 $ 3,818,800.00 $ 51,766,675.00 8MHS Competency Determination Policy Class of 2026 and Beyond 1. Provide context and timeline for development of policy 2. Differentiate between MHS Graduation requirements and proposed Competency Determination Objectives 3. Provide a brief overview of the new policy 4. Answer questions from the committee Timeline & Context November 2024- Passage of Question 2 ❖ Eliminates passing MCAS as graduation & competency requirement ❖ Certification that students have mastered the skills, competencies, and knowledge of the state standards moved from MCAS to districts Winter/Spring 2025- Determining Competency for Class of 2025 ❖ Limited DESE guidance provided for Class of 2025 Competency Determination (CD) ❖ MCAS allowed to be used as CD for class of 2025 ONLY ❖ New policy was written and approved by School Committee for Class of 2025 3 Timeline & Context May 2025- Board of Elementary and Secondary Education vote to amend regulations on CD (603 CMR 30.00) ❖ New: approved by school committee, posted publicly, and submitted to DESE ❖ Competency determination must meet standards that were assessed on the 2023 MCAS. July 2025- NEW guidance is released by DESE and new commissioner Fall 2025 - Development of new policy Class of 2026 and beyond ❖ Must be voted, approved and uploaded to DESE by December 31st. ❖ SEEM Curriculum Leaders worked together to find the “sweet spot” of flexibility and clarity. 4 Melrose High School Graduation Requirements Completion of 24 Total Credits that include: ● 4 credits English ● 4 credits Math ● 4 credits Science (including 3 credits in lab courses) ● 3 credits Social Studies/History ● 2 credits Visual & Performing Arts ● 2 credits World Language ● 2 credits Wellness ● 3 credits Elective ● Community Service (12 hours per year at MHS) ● Sophomore Civics Capstone Project ● Senior Capstone Project (Typically part of English) ● Participate in Grade 10 ELA, Math, and Science MCAS testing (for accountability) MHS Competency Determination Completion & Mastery of: ● English 1 & 2 ● Algebra I & Geometry ● 1 year Bio, Physics, or Chemistry ● 1 year US History (2027) 5 CD Policy Highlights (Class of 2026 and Beyond) Successful Course Completion: Demonstrated Content Mastery: Passing grade using the district’s For each course listed students must grading system in identified courses demonstrate mastery by: ➢ Earning a passing grade on the midterm and final assessments for the course OR ➢ Completing a capstone or portfolio project OR ➢ Equivalent measure identified in the CD as determined by the principal or designee 6 Additional Considerations DESE has required that the policy must also clearly state considerations for: ❖ Students with Disabilities ❖ English Language Learners ❖ Late enrolling students- enrolling in MHS after 9th grade ❖ Appeal process for current students ❖ Appeal process for students enrolled in MPS in the classes of 2003- 2024 who did not earn a diploma 7Questions and Discussion 8

Transcript

▶ 0:01 Good evening, everyone. And welcome to the Melrose School Committee Meeting on Tuesday, December 9th, 2025. Thanks for being with us this evening. Ms. O'Connor, will you please call the role? Yes. Ms. Withy? Here. Ms. McAndrew? Here. Ms. Rossey Thomas? Here. Mr. Kelly? Here. Ms. Driscoll? Here. Mr. Hartman? Here. Great. So we have six present and one absent, therefore we do have a quorum. So let us rise as we are able to stand for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. So just a note before we begin business this, this evening. Uh, this meeting is being broadcasted by our friends at MMTV and again,

▶ 0:51 it is being live-streamed, so this meeting is being recorded. First up on our items of business tonight is public comment. So if anyone would like to speak this evening, please take a moment to sign up at the TED table over there. And with that and without any objection, I'll now open public comment. We have a few... Oh, some excellent comments. Well, thanks, Ms. Rossey Thomas. (laughs) Great commentary. Phenomenal. Uh, so first up we have Representative Kate Lipper Garabedian. Good morning, everyone. Or good afternoon/evening, everyone, and happy holidays. (laughs) It's, um, been a long day. Thank you for having me. And I wanted to stop by and bring greetings from the House of Representatives to

▶ 1:42 Kate Lipper-Garabedian: acknowledge two of the members who are wrapping up their time and their tenure serving the students and families and educators in Melrose, that would be Chair Dorey Withey and member and Vice Chair, Jen McAndrew. And I wanted to come personally to thank you all for everything that you've done over these last four, eight years. Uh, and your leadership has meant such a, made such a difference in our community. You've also served during an incredibly challenging time for students and families through the pandemic. And did so with grace, integrity, and, uh, uh, and earnest leadership that I'm so grateful for. So, to both of you, I am bringing from the State House, again, citations recognizing your leadership and dedication to

▶ 2:23 the City of Melrose through your work on the Melrose School Committee. And I want to thank Mr., um, Seamus Kelly for suggesting this and making this possible. So thank you all very much. (applause) To make a mo- make a motion for brief recess. Second. Second. Great. Thank you. That was incredibly kind. Um, next up we have Leslie Means, JoEllen Bode, and Jason Merrill. I believe... I think we're going first. Just kidding. Just Leslie and J-, uh, JoEllen at this moment, and then, Jason, you're on deck. (laughs) Sort of a package deal tonight. (laughs) We're here tonight because we know that we are coming upon the season where you're gonna start thinking about plans for how you will hire a permanent

▶ 3:15 superintendent for the Melrose Public Schools. Um, we believe that it is in the best interest of the city and the school district to forego the Superintendent Search Committee and instead put Interim Superintendent Berman in place as the permanent superintendent of the Melrose Public Schools. We have polled our membership and it is clear by an overwhelming supermajority that that is also the will of the members of the Melrose Educators Union. Spending money on a hiring consultant and executing a search is not the right move for Melrose Public Schools. Spending the time of school committee members on conducting interviews, reviewing resumes, um, as well as educators who would sit on that committee is not the right move for Melrose Public Schools at this

▶ 3:58 time. Superintendent Berman has the historical knowledge of this district to know where we've been, what we've gone through, and also where we're able to go. She has demonstrated her loyalty to this district, which any outside hire would never be able to do. We are entering, as Leslie said, an exciting and important time for our district, allocating an historic amount of im- importance and much needed financial gains into our schools. Uh, we will be working to establish some impactful contracts and making sure that our students have everything that they need here in the city. This then is probably not the time to be c- casting a net for an outsider to come in, somebody who will undoubtedly need a lot of time to get to know

▶ 4:50 Melrose and what our values and priorities are, who will embark on a listening tour. We don't think this is the moment for that. We want to be able to move forward and have somebody who is making those decisions, um, have the background of kno- of knowledge that, um, we, we feel that Interim Superintendent, uh, Berman has. We hope that you will agree with the members of the MEU and, um, quell the, the idea for a, a search at this time. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for being here tonight. Next up we have Jason Merrill. Welcome. Thank you so much. Good evening, everyone. I'm Jason Merrill. I'm the principal at Melrose High School, Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School, and I'm a resident and parent of three Melrose Public School

▶ 5:44 students. Um, first, I want to say thank you to Ms. Means and Ms. Bode, and I couldn't agree more and that's why I'm here, and I'll try to be brief. Um, but I feel a responsibility to encourage this committee to hire Carrie Berman as the superintendent of schools in Melrose. Ms. Berman has high expectations for all of our learners.... and loves all of our kids. She, she has navigated us this year in the district through what was anticipated to probably be the most challenging months in recent history in this community. Um, and I think we lose sight of that 'cause for one, uh, this has been one of the most (laughs) rewarding falls for me, um, and I think things have gone well. But I think we lose sight of how challenging we thought

▶ 6:37 it was. Um, she's been the steady leader that we've needed. She's been able to continue to s- still move our district forward while earning the respect of all of the teachers and administrators in the district. I think what's truly sets her apart is, first, loyalty. I don't even think people know what that means anymore, certainly in this line of work. Um, she served this community. The MEU just talked about the values of our district. Ms. Berman's been creating those values and part of, part of that system of creating values for the last 25 years in the city and in the Melrose Public Schools. Second, her experience in special education as a teacher, co-teaching in classrooms at the high school,

▶ 7:27 as a building special ed coordinator at the high school and overseeing that work at both the middle school and high school for a few years before becoming an assistant principal and then later a director of special needs, probably the toughest job in any district. And third, her communication. She has an open door. She listens much more than she speaks, which is a compliment. She's able to have the difficult conversations, mediate differences between people, and most importantly, she knows how and when to say thank you. I strongly encourage this committee to make Carrie Berman the superintendent of the future for Melrose. She has my loyalty, trust, and respect. Thank you. Thank you for being here. And I think we'll see you a little later today,

▶ 8:17 too. Ms. O'Connor, is there anyone online that would like to speak this evening? No, there's not. Okay. So I just wanna say thank you to everyone that came before us during public comment tonight. We really do appreciate and value the time you share when you come and you tell us what's top of mind. Seeing that there are no other speakers this evening, I'll close public comment. Again, please know that while public comment is closed, you can always reach out to us via email with any questions, concerns, opinions, or ideas. With that, we'll move on to the next item in our agenda, which is the report of the student reps. Seeing that we don't have any student reps with us tonight, uh, we'll move to the

▶ 8:57 next item here, which is the announcements of the superintendent. Before we begin, I just want to acknowledge there is one item underneath this particular agenda item, which is a vote for the 2026 chair and vice chair. We'll take a preliminary vote at this moment. Uh, we have two folks in the audience who are going to be coming onto the school committee. Melissa Holleran and Shari Leo, I would invite you both to come up into the conversation as we get ready to take this preliminary vote. Thank you for being here tonight, too. Hello? (clears throat) Welcome to the horseshoe. Is that me? Yeah? Okay, great. Um, in accordance with Section 4.2.A of the Melrose City Charter, along with Article III, Section 3.2 of the school committee bylaws,

▶ 9:46 it's incumbent upon the school committee to elect a chair and vice chair. In my capacity as executive secretary of the committee, I shall conduct the straw poll election for chair and vice chair for calendar year 2026. Are there any nominations for the position of chair? Mr. Hartman? I nominate Seamus Kelly. Is there a second? Second. (laughs) Okay. Um, Ms. O'Connor, would you please call the roll for the nomination of Seamus Kelly to serve as chair? Yes. Ms. Withy. Yes. Ms. McAndrew. Yes. Ms. Rasse Thomas. Yes. Ms. Leo. Yes. Mr. Kelly. Yes. Ms. Driscoll. Yes. Mr. Hartman. Yes. Ms. Holleran. Yes. Okay. So, um, pursuant to the roll call for the vote of the committee, um, Seamus Kelly is elected to serve as chair of the committee effective January

▶ 10:38 2026. (applause) Um, so next up is, uh, are there any nominations for the position of vice chair? Mr. Kelly? I nominate Mr. Hartman. I'd like to second that. Okay. Um, Ms. O'Connor, would you please call the roll on the nomination of, uh, Mr. Matt Hartman to serve as vice chair? Yes. Ms. Withy. Yes. Ms. McAndrew. Yes. Ms. Rasse Thomas. Yes. Ms. Leo. Yes. Mr. Kelly. Yes. Ms. Driscoll. Yes. Mr. Hartman. Yes. Ms. Holleran. Yes. Okay. Uh, so pursuant to the roll call of the vote of the committee, uh, Mr. Hartman is elected to serve as vice chair of the committee effective January 2026. (applause) Um, so at the January 13th meeting, the superintendent, um, will preside over the official election where the newly formed committee will

▶ 11:41 vote. The process will operate in the same manner as tonight's straw poll vote. Once the vote is complete, the newly voted chairman will begin selection of subcommittee chairs for the 2026 and prepare for the, um, January 27th... In preparation, sorry, should, um, for the January 27th meeting. So members should indicate interest in subcommittees and liaison positions to the incoming chair by January 20th, please. Um, is there any further business in this regard? Okay. There being no further business, um, this agenda item is complete and the chair will retake the gavel. Thank you. Congratulations again, and thank you both for being here too. Uh, next on our agenda we have the consent agenda, and the following items are listed under that tonight.

▶ 12:32 First, we have the School Committee Regular mini- Meeting Minutes of November 18th, 2025. Then we have Policies I, J, and D and Policy J, I, J, and DD. We also have a surplus memo and then the warrants as follows. FY26 school, that is S26038 in the amount of $841,229.98. Then we have FY26- 26 refunds and officials. That is S26039 in the amount of $3,847. Then we have the FY26 December debit card. That is S26040 in the amount of $1,625. Then we have the FY26 November MVMS- MMS, uh, student activity wire. That's S26041 in the amount of $2,300.72. Then we have FY26 November high school activity wire. That is S26042 in the amount of $26,725.48. And finally, FY26 November meals tax. That is S26043 in the amount of

▶ 13:39 $40.69. Would anyone like to pull anything from the consent agenda this evening? Seeing that there is nothing to be pulled off, do I have a motion for approval? Made by Mr. Hartman, seconded by Ms. Rasse Thomas. All in favor? And that passes unanimously. We'll now move on to sub-committee work. We'll start off with finance and facilities, chaired by Mr. Kelly. (laughs) Okay, everybody. Welcome to finance and facilities. We've got a couple of, um, agenda items. We'll start with the monthly summary, uh, in revolving accounts. Uh, does anybody h- Well, first, does the deputy superintendent have anything he wants to share on those? Oth- otherwise we can go right into questions. Uh, the- the- um, the two reports are in the packet.

▶ 14:47 Jennifer McAndrew: I would be happy to answer any questions or maybe... Okay. Anybody have any questions? Ms. McAndrew? I just have a process question. It's also related to our next item, um, and thank you for this. I think they both look very good at this point in the year. Um, I'm just, um, anticipating that if and when the School Committee votes the supplemental appropriation for school 26, that we would then see those amounts reflected here in the DESE- DESE categories. Is that correct? That's correct. Eventually when the city starts to receive that revenue, it will get... the city will- will transfer that over to the schools and then that would go into our debt. We use the DESE chart of accounts, you're correct.

▶ 15:27 So - Okay. ... we can see it's there. So it would be distributed across, not held in a separate. Correct. And the, um, the DESE, um, chart of accounts doesn't correlate directly to the school committee- Right. ... categories. Yep. The money is the same, it just is shown in two different ways. Okay. Excellent. Thank you so much. Any other questions? Okay. Is there a motion to approve the reports? Made by Ms. McAndrew, seconded by Ms. Rasse Thomas. All in favor? Any opposed? And that passes unanimously. Okay. So now we're moving on to, um, the supplemental budget. There's quite a bit of information here in your packet, including the supplemental appropriation request across our line items, as well as general information about,

▶ 16:10 um, all of the money that is going into the school district, both those within the control of the School Committee and those that fall under other aspects of, uh, the city, including, uh, some technology as well as, uh, DPW resources that are being, uh, put forward to us. So our budget categories, just to remind everybody, are the Franklin, the elementary, the middle school, the high school, teaching and learning, district-wide admin, and then we also have athletics and special ed. Um, so at this point, I think I'd turn it over to, um, Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent for anything they want to talk about. Sure. Um, we do have some slides that we have prepared for tonight, um, just to, uh, dovetail with our,

▶ 16:59 um, memo that we have put together. So we've tried to give you a comprehensive look at- at where we are proposing the, um, allocations to- to go, um, as we move forward. So Mr. Kelly and I will just walk you through a few slides which, um, parallel the, um, the memo as well. So I- I'll- I'll kick it off. Thank you. So, uh, you know, very good news, um, with the November override, um, vote being successful. And so, um, it's just also very important to remind, um, everyone that, uh, we are an instructional and learning budget. There is a tremendous amount of resources on the city side that are also devoted to, uh, supporting the, um, excellent teaching and learning that goes on in the schools. So, um, if you hadn't had a chance to see it, it was in the memo

▶ 17:43 and it was also in some, uh, materials that were published, um, after the override was successful. But there are, um, a lot of, uh, facilities needs that have been deferred over time that will now get attention. Uh, over $4 million of, um, uh, resources will go towards that through the DPW department. And then also, our, um, we share the, um, the guidance of the city and school IT department, that's combined. Um, and so, uh, much needed resources, extremely deferred, uh- uh, materials on the I- the IT side that will now, uh, get attention. Uh, a little over $500,000. So it's very important to remember that, um, while the- the- the 3.8 million is very helpful for the schools, there are other resources that were part

▶ 18:27 of that override that will come and directly benefit the schools. So, um, that's in the memo too, just to- to call that out and- and remind everyone that, um, the city is devoting significant resources towards, uh, investment in the schools. So next up, we just wanted to highlight the process. Um, we had the successful override vote on November 4th, which again, we thank, um, all of our city partners and, and community members for that. Um, we had a lot of, um, ideas, I would say, prior to November 4th, but not knowing exactly where we were going to land, um, we've been doing a lot of work since then. So, we have been working with the principals and the leadership team in order to identify our key staffing positions for the second half of

▶ 19:09 FY26, um, all focused on supporting student growth and achievement. And, um, although a very small sample size, we were able to gather and analyze some data from, um, some parents and community members who attended Parent University. Um, and, and many of their ideas aligned with, I think, where we're heading, which is, is nice to hear. Um, you know, all decisions, as a reminder, are being made based on the needs of students and, and aligning with our district's strategic plan. And, um, you know, again, as I mentioned at the, the beginning, we've been brainstorming with prin- principals and leadership team, but then really, um, having our focus within our cabinet meetings the last couple weeks in our principals' meetings to, to focus

▶ 19:51 in on where the money needs to be allocated in each of the areas, and then, um, more specifically we'll focus on what positions, um, can be posted. So, the goal is to post positions after the holiday break. So in the, um, there is a table that, um, takes the 3.8 million from the override, um, and then sort of shows then, um, our recommendation on how to further appropriate those to the approved, uh, school committee categories. Um, we've tried to include detail about, um, you know, we've had, as the superintendent was saying, we've had, um, ongoing conversations about priorities, um, the, the, the common thread is that everyone is, is, uh, um, highlighting and promoting, um, you know, high outcomes for

▶ 20:35 students. Um, and so this is the recommendation to, um, appropriate funds to the, the categories. There are six of them there. It includes the, um, the staffing to show how we arrived at 17 positions, and then also the, um, the teaching and learning and, um, the district-wide, uh, resources. So this sort of breaks down in the table how we built up to that 3.8 million number. So moving in, (clears throat) the, there's a request, uh, for, for personnel. Um, through the override process, we heard that, that, uh, highest amount was gonna bring back 17 positions to the district. So, we'll focus a little bit on those. Um, the way we envision it right now is that we would bring 15 teachers and two, um, administrators back into the

▶ 21:20 district. Uh, we are, although the budget process has not started yet for FY27, we, we obviously have that in our gazes as we plan for FY26. Uh, my favorite word has become dovetail because they really have to dovetail together. They have to work together. We can't hire 17 positions or any positions really for the second half of the year to then, um, redo something different for, for FY27. So we do have some goals for FY27 that we're hoping to move towards, um, for the second half of N- FY26 as we do our hiring. Our focus is on hiring licensed and qualified staff. Um, you know, looking at our class sizes, the areas in which are a little greater than where we would like to be and seeing how we can reduce those, both for the second half of the year, but definitely

▶ 22:07 moving into FY27 as well. Um, student social/emotional needs and then, uh, uh, focus that continues, um, to be really, you know, number one is closing that learning gap, um, within our subgroups. So how do we target instruction, um, with the, um, people that we have that we can employ that can work hard to get that done? Uh, the next category that was, um, uh, used as, as one of our buckets was the, um, the instructional learning category. So, um, this is, uh, a majority of these resources are going to our, our curriculum process, so, um, it's important as we look at the instructional core to lead the high outcomes for kids. We want an engaged student, we have incredible teachers, and now we want a powerful curriculum.

▶ 22:58 Uh, we didn't really have a mechanism within our instructional learning budget to, um, invest in ongoing curriculums. And you're talking about, you know, the, the core subjects, you know, English, math, science, social studies, the arts. Um, you wanna be looking at and, and reviewing these, these, um, instructional materials on a regular basis. Uh, the next one up for us is we've, we've, uh, recently been, uh, working with a new English curriculum and now we're looking at the, um, the math as the next round. These are not inexpensive items. Um, the math we're looking at right now is about a million dollars for, um, five-year comprehensive materials. Um, that would include PD for teachers. We want to support them as we bring in something new.

▶ 23:38 But additional resources are also to, ongoing so it doesn't just stop there. We have English, math. We would then look at social studies or science. You wanna get in a pattern of doing this every three to five years for the different subjects. So, this is an investment in that. So we're putting, um, you know, highly qualified research-based, um, DESE-curated materials, um, in the hands of our teachers to work with the kids. Um, so that's the, the, the instruction learning category, uh, investment from, from these funds. (clears throat) And then, um, the last piece is that the district-wide and the, um, administration request. So, um, uh, it's a little bit over $700,000 that we're asking to be allocated to this budget line. Um, this will help to fulfill our

▶ 24:21 FY26 contractual obligations with our current, um, our current teachers, and also, um, upgrades and additions to Aspen and other HR functions and platforms for administrative, um, efficiency. We really wanna focus on, um, using our resources to put, um, educators in front of our learners, um, and with that, we're hoping that some of the upgrades to, um, some of our, um, platforms and different, um-... technology pieces we, we can upgrade so that we can have actually less people to do the work and more, um, systems-based. And so finally, we have the, um, the, uh, requested, respectfully requested vote to move from our, uh, approved, um, categories from back, uh, last April and to, uh, incorporate the

▶ 25:14 supplemental amounts to the, uh, newly arrived budget, which is just short of $52 million, uh, for FY26. And, um, I think we'd be happy to answer any questions that may be available. Great. So before we open up for questions, I just have a quick clarification. Does anybody need to abstain from any aspect of the vote? Do we need to have more than one vote tonight? Oh, I'll take that as a n- I will, I will abstain from the administration. Okay, so when we vote tonight, if there are gonna be, um, i- if there are gonna be votes, I, I would suggest perhaps- (gavel bangs) ... we start with the district-wide admin, but let's go into questions and then we can figure out... figure that out from there.

▶ 25:56 Okay, so questions to the superintendent and deputy superintendent. Ms. Rassi-Thomas. I (clears throat) am thrilled. First of all, I want to thank the, the voters in Melrose again for their overwhelming, um, yes to the top category of the override. So... And I wanna thank everyone who worked on it, and I really am so grateful, um, and very excited to upgrade our schools in many different ways, whether it's the bathrooms in the high school or the steps leading to the middle school or the high school, um, or to the instructional materials. They're all very, very important and also getting more teachers in the classroom as quickly as possible, especially for those elementary school, um, classes that are...

▶ 26:45 been bumped up this year. I know there's a lot of parents who are very eager to have that happen. So, I just wanted to ask if you could get into more of the weeds around how did you decide on giving eight of the positions back to the elementary school level? Um, and, you know, what I'm remembering from the last two years is that two years ago, we really had to do a lot of cutting at the high school. We invested more in the middle school, and then this past year, we cut pretty severely at the middle school and cut again at the high school. And we tried not to cut from the elementary school, and I'm all... I'm a big believer in putting money in early education and primary education, but I'm also, I think while it's fantastic we have this override and I'm

▶ 27:30 very grateful, there... it's only 17 positions, right? So we cut about 40, between 40 and 45, cut, pu- cut some back, but it's 17 positions and I know you're being strategic, so if you can just explain it more to me, the reasons for why you've made those deci- th- this is what you're recommending to us? Yeah, so I can start. Um, so I would say out of those, um, positions, uh, we would look to make some of those larger classrooms at the elementary schools that are really, uh, a little bit outliers in terms of our average and to be able to bring those, those down again. I think it... You know, I will say, and I think we've said it in the last couple meetings, it's going to be a challenge to get a licensed highly-qualified teacher in,

▶ 28:14 in February or whenever we can bring that person on board. Um, you know, are we going to try? Certainly. Um, I think we need to really think of what's best for our, um, youngest learners at this time in terms of disruption and in terms of, um, you know, bringing on a new teacher. Like would there be some opportunities if, say, we're in a two, two-strand school and we bring in a third teacher, or a two-strand, um, grade level, we bring in a third teacher, could they co-teach with each of those teachers on a, on... get to know some of the students and then become the next year's teacher? Um, is there someone who's finishing their practicum or their student teaching or something like that that we could bring on, bring on to help support those

▶ 28:52 pieces? Um, we want someone, uh, i- in an ideal world who can then continue on into the position next year with those children. So they would get to, you know, meet, meet some of our youngest learners, get to understand their learning profiles, and then be their teacher next year. That would be the ideal situation and ultimate goal. So, um, we're looking at those outliers, um, in terms of that. We're also looking at, uh, a few positions. Um, so probably half will go be direct classroom teacher and half will be, um, reading, uh, or literacy and math specialists to be able to target those sub-groups, um, and to really... whether they're pushing into classrooms or working in smaller groups, uh, to do

▶ 29:30 some targeted intervention and instruction in order to, um, close the achievement gap. Okay. So we have a first grade class at the Roosevelt that's very s-... like 28 or something like that. Mm-hmm. We got, um, a second grade class at the Hoovers, around 28, and we got Winthrop third grade class. Mm-hmm. So, the first thing we're gonna try to do is get help to those classes. That's the plan at this moment in time. Yeah. That's how I think... That's our vision- Yeah. ... is to think about how we can, for next year, make them, uh, a little bit more aligned with the class sizes across the district. Yeah. And so this year, I don't think... I personally don't think it's best practice to say like, "Oh, half of you now are gonna go with a new teacher after you've

▶ 30:14 established-" Yeah. "... you know, routines and, and the teacher understands your learning." However, if we can, um, create some smaller group opportunities and give some support to the educators in those classrooms, um, I think that would be a great idea. So one- One, I know it's tr- this is a very tricky time of year to hire- Mm-hmm. ... but you could potentially, you know, promote a para into a co-teacher position if Especially if they have a license. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So you have to look at licensure. You have to- Right. ... look at who's ready to take that step and all those things. But those are some of the ideas that you're working on. Correct. We, we have some t- some teachers who have done some student teaching with

▶ 30:48 us the first half of the year. Mm-hmm. Um, I'm unsure of when they will be fully licensed or... and certified, um, but that is something that we are exploring, um, as we move forward. Okay. And we... You know, we know at the middle school and the high school, there's many classrooms that have 30-plus students in them and we have a-... contract that says, you know, "We'd like to have classrooms of 24." Mm-hmm. Um, so how are we going to address that, maybe not this year, but next year, with what we're, what you're having us allocate? Yes, I think, certainly, speaking to next year, I mean, we should hopefully be able to hire, uh, individuals and, and start, you know, with classrooms that are smaller from the, the get-go-

▶ 31:30 Yeah. ... with our scheduling process. Um, you know, I think the goal is to bring back the team model, definitely at the sixth grade, um, as just a starting point. Uh, so bringing on some additional staff will help us to do that. Um, it also should help to lower class sizes in the other classrooms as well, in the seventh and eighth grade. Um, f- forget the rest of your question. Well, it's, it's also the, the class size of the high school. Mm-hmm. I mean, I think that is less of a concern- Yeah. ... 'cause by the time you reach high school and you're deeply into high school, hopefully you have the organizational skills, you can manage, but some kids can't still. So, I'm just wondering about how we bring class

▶ 32:09 sizes down at the high school, if that's a priority. I don't know if it is. So I, I, I think it is. I think there's certain pockets at the high school right now that definitely the classrooms need to be smaller. Um, we know that some of our global language or world language classrooms are very large. Um, not ideal. So getting an extra world language teacher, whether it's primarily at the high school or to even split at the secondary campus to bring down class sizes and create more opportunity for all students and student choice, um, that would al- that's also a goal. And, you know, really, the only thing that I see in here that's administrative, it's this is all, it's all student-facing people. Can you just s-

▶ 32:53 highlight the 1.0 administrator at the elementary level and then the secondary administration that's, like, shared between the middle school and the high school? Like, can you just tell us what those are for? Yes. So we are- (clears throat) ... hoping to be able to, um, bring, um, an assistant principal back to, um, the elementary school level. Uh, we will probably the goal would be if we can bring that position in, then we would r- restructure for FY27 with some different pieces so that we don't have that shared, um, SEC, special education coordinator, half special education coordinator, half assistant principal at the elementary schools that have programming. So we have three schools that have that current model.

▶ 33:39 Two of those have, um, special education programming in, in those schools. So with those two schools with some higher levels of need and some different, um, learning styles of children, we would wanna bring in an- another administrator. But that would then change the role of the special education coordinator a little bit too. So there would be shifts. Um, but we would certainly post for an elementary school assistant principal, uh, when we can to see, um, what the pool looks like and, and if there was someone that, um, fits with what, with what we need. And then the secondary piece, um, we are leaning toward putting, um, adding, uh, a curriculum coordinator of some part to the 6 through 12 campus to help,

▶ 34:23 um, balance out the work that needs to be done, especially if we're bringing in a new math curriculum- Mm-hmm. ... um, and to help with that support and professional development and coaching of the educators and also, um, and just the implementation. That's ... I mean, I think we have to remind everyone that Melrose operates with very, very, very little administration. It's an extremely lean district if you compare it to any other district around. Um, so thank you very much. I also would just like to plug, uh, eventually meeting the new co-directors of special ed- Mm-hmm. ... and, and see, hear from them about how we're doing with special ed and then what our plan is going forward as we head into the budget

▶ 35:03 season for, um, school year '27 and fiscal year '27. 'Cause we haven't really gotten to meet them yet, uh, in here, and I think it would be important for the public to hear about what they're experiencing, what they're seeing, what they recommend. (clears throat) Thank you. Okay. Other questions? Mr. Hartman. Uh, thank you. And, and I would second the comment about, uh, getting to meet our special ed quar- uh, directors and have a chance to, to learn more from their vision of, of what they see. Um, just looking at the materials in front of us, thinking about a couple of questions, uh ... And the implementation of this, uh, uh, you discussed it a little bit in terms of, of what we might see and, and sort of our

▶ 35:47 limitations mid-year. Mm-hmm. Um, I wonder if, uh, we could spell out a little bit more about, about what that means. We, we're in a situation in the middle of the year where we're gonna post a position. Uh, it might be an internal hire, it might be an external hire. Mm-hmm. It could be a promotion, as Ms. Rasse Thomas highlighted. Um, that, that shift, we don't know how that kind of settles out. I just wanna spell that out for the public that in terms of, uh, hiring 17 positions, it, it is a challenge in the middle of the year, um, to be where we are. And we don't know exactly when we're gonna get a fifth grade teacher or a third grade teacher or a pre-K teacher. Um, so people might look at this chart and think we're, we're solving all the

▶ 36:21 problems with the spending, but spending is different than implementation and hiring. Uh, I just wanted to make sure that that's clear for folks following along that, um, we don't know exactly how this is gonna shake out, which I think you've discussed, and we just wanna be clear that, uh, the money, the money, the votes that we're doing at the committee level are for, uh, putting it into the buckets so that everyone knows where it's gonna be spent and what the intention of the superintendent is to spend it on. Um, I wonder if you could talk a little bit more about the, the math curriculum. And, um, as I calculated, it's about $200,000 a year. Uh, when does that get implemented? You, you know, we're purchasing it this year, but we're probably ...

▶ 36:59 we're not switching in the middle of the year curriculum. Correct. Um, how does that get implemented? What is the, the kind of time scale on that and the- Sure. ... the PD for that as well. I wonder if we could talk about that a little bit. Sure. So we would wanna have that in place for the following school year. Mm-hmm. But that would be a tremendous amount of work predominantly with, um, with Miss Acevedo's department to get that all set up, aligned, schedule PD for teachers to have it up and running to start for students at the next school year. So there is a lot of both capital investment as well as people investment on- Yeah. ... in getting something like that off the ground. So you wouldn't just start that on September 1st.

▶ 37:32 Right. So it's something that, uh, we would start the training on September 1st or we start the training this spring as we start to bring on the curriculum? I think that's TBD. Mm-hmm. This is still in decision mode. We're trying to find a, a curriculum that, you know, meets the needs in Melrose. So I think that, that there's ... there still are some TBD things like you were saying about the staffing. Okay. There's still some details being worked out. Okay.Uh, and it's for five years, th- this, the curriculum we're looking at. Um, and during that five-year cycle, we're doing kind of constant review of how it's going. That's correct. Um, but we're kind of locked in for those five years, or is there

▶ 38:05 opportunity to change if we're seeing it's going the wrong direction? I think that we would want to do th- that, so I think probably the, a lot of the work that's going on right now is to find out, you know, what's gonna be the right one. Um, there are a lot of powerful curriculums out there. We want to find one that aligns with, you know, the data that we're seeing from the students, as well as, um, build teacher capacity to, um, install that, that curriculum. So, um, these are good questions, and, and I think some of those answers are being vetted right now. Okay. Um, I guess as, as decision-making on the, on the curriculum comes forward, I think it would be great to have, uh, a presentation to the

▶ 38:37 committee about what that curriculum will look like once that, that finalizes or gets closer to finalization. Um, that'd be my request on that 'cause I, I think, uh, we've heard a lot (laughs) around the commonwealth about high-quality curriculum, and I'm glad that we're focusing on that as a, as a space where we need to make an investment. Um, 'cause I think, uh, if we don't keep up our curriculum, uh, we're, we're not keeping up with the, the needs of our, our students. So, um, thank you for that extra information. That's all I have at this point. Great. Ms. McAndrew. Thank you. Um, thank you for this. I found the memo to be incredibly helpful and straightforward. Um, I really appreciate you also

▶ 39:15 Jennifer McAndrew: sort of cross-walking us through the ballot question itself and how this supplemental budget, um, request for the operating budget of the schools, um, is linked back to the, the ballot question that passed and the number of positions. Um, I, you know, had some of the same questions that you've already answered, so I won't go through that. I will say, um, I think it's really important to continue to emphasize that of the 17 positions you are recommended, recommending, 15 of those are teachers, Unit A teachers, um, and two administrators. I agree with Ms. Rasse-Thomas that we are, you know, um, not only are we relatively lean district on administrators, we cut a ton of administrators over the past...

▶ 39:58 Jennifer McAndrew: We cut, like, half of our administrators over the past year. So, we knew, um, even at this incredibly historic override amount, that we would not be restoring all the positions. I think, um, very much in favor of, um, those two admin- administrators being restored at each level. Um, I think that our, um, principal and deputy principal at the six to 12, um, campus are doing an incredible job this year, um, and I've heard a lot of positive feedback, um, from educators and from parents. And so, I'm greatly appreciative of that and have seen it myself. Um, but, um, you know, they, they're, they're heroic, but they need support up there, uh, not just more classroom teachers, but also, um, at least one or

▶ 40:44 Jennifer McAndrew: more ad- admins. So, um, greatly appreciate that as well. Um, one f- I had the same question as Mr. Hartman on the, on the math curriculum. Um, one additional question there. Does that include, um, consumables, like for class... Okay, 'cause that's something we hear is, you know, we sort of sometimes, you know, we, we haven't had the resources for some of that. Um, so that pen-to-paper, pencil-to-paper consumables, um, especially at the elementary level. And, and the quotes that we're getting, I think, uh, in general, are, are five to six years. So I think we- Okay. ... did write on one of the slides, like, three to five, but I think, um, I was able to clarify with, uh, Ms. Acevedo that we really are looking for

▶ 41:25 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: programs to implement for five to six years within that budgetary, um, piece that we have established. Excellent, thank you. Mm-hmm. Any other questions of the committee? She's I ju- really more a comment. Let's go. Um, I appreciate the fact there is consideration of investment that will, um, hopefully result in efficiencies, because when we do that, we're really mindful of, um, futuris- not, not futuristic, but really, um, thoughtful technology that can bring us to the next level and ensure that our, um, administrators, our teachers, and so forth, are really focusing on the things that make a huge difference to students, and, um, spending less time doing rote activities or things like that.

▶ 42:13 So just investing in the future, I think, in that way is also important. Thank you. Okay. Ms. Withy. Yeah, I just wanted to say thank you quickly 'cause I, I think one thing I'm noticing through looking at all of the information that you've put together here is that you've gotten feedback and you've listened, right? Or you've thought strategically around where exactly to place additional funding, and we've looked at data time and time again as a committee, and I think acknowledging, for instance, the math curriculum component also goes back to some of the data we're seeing and trying to solve for those things. And so, in a way, I see this as an opportunity for us to also be proactive in places where we know we've had moments

▶ 42:52 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: where we wanted to go deeper and further but hadn't yet had the means to be able to do so. Okay. Thank you. Okay. All right, so I'm wondering if there might be a motion to approve the district-wide admin amount by anybody. Point of personal privilege- Sure. ... if you don't mind. Um, I'm not really comfortable voting on this any- Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah, that's right. Y- Uh, I'm sorry. No, no, just... Not on this. I'm just, in this entire, in all of the budget, I'd like to hear anything from the community. Mm-hmm. Um, we have just gotten all of this in- or the, the community is, this is everybody's first look, so I'd just like to, um, to process this a little more, and if anybody would like to share with us

▶ 43:34 anything, I'd be very interested. Sure. My apologies for jumping the gun on that one. No worries. Yeah, no worries. Um, I do think we're probably gonna discuss this at the next meeting. Yeah, I just wanted to second. I, I agree. I think I would like just a little bit longer to be able to sit with the information and see if there's any feedback. Okay. Thank you. All right. Well, that concludes Finance and Facilities. Thank you. Next up, we have Policy and Planning, chaired by Mr. Hartman. (coughs) Good evening and welcome to Policy and Planning. We have a couple of items on our agenda tonight. Um, we are going to tackle, first, the school year calendar for 2026, 2027. Uh, it in- also includes in that agenda item, um, the, uh,

▶ 44:38 Jen Grigoraitis: observances of holidays that, that many members of our School Committee observe, for your information. Um, and the calendar draft is included in the packet. Uh, we would intend to take a vote on it. Are there questions? Uh, are there questions, or... Yes, Mayor. Yes. Sorry. Thank you. Um, and I, I just wanted to first say how much I appreciate the holiday observance being back in the packet. I think this was a practice of the district that it seems like we had kind of fallen off of, um, and I do think it's more reflective of our community. I just, uh, two questions of clarification. With the holiday observances, is there an expectation that school events are not scheduled on these dates, even- like, for example, sporting events, PTO

▶ 45:15 Jen Grigoraitis: activities? Um, or is it just to make the district aware that there could be members of our community observing a holiday? Um, I personally- You don't have to know the answer right now. ... would like to explore not having events on those specific days. Okay. Um, yes. Great. And then my second question, and I had a chance to talk with the solicitor today, um, on the school calendar. I know- June- Yes. ... teenth will fall on a Saturday for the first time since it became a holiday, and so I just wanted to know, in the event that we end up in school between that 180 and 185 days, which hopefully won't happen- (laughs) ... what would be the observance for the district? TBD? TBD. Okay. Yes. So, um, I would be, wanna understand what

▶ 46:00 other, like, the city is doing. Yeah. Um, in terms of- because that also will be, that's a non-contractual work day for many of our other- Right. ... um, school employees, so I want it, uh, to be very clear on that calendar and it is not at this moment in time. So, I do think we have one, um, addition that we need to make and decision to make- Yeah. ... on when, when that is. Thank you. Any other questions from members? Ms. Rosse Thomas. Yes. Traditionally, Melrose is always one of the first districts- Mm-hmm. ... to go back, and this is a much, much later start, so I'm just curious about the rationale for that. I think it's just because Labor Day is so late. Late. Correct? Yeah, it's, it's the seven- it's the latest it can possibly be this time of year.

▶ 46:40 Yes, so it's just so late, so it, it knocks us up that whole time. Okay. Yep. So, that means in June, we're gonna go later? Mm-hmm. A little bit. Mm-hmm. Well, we'll see what the weather brings, right? Mm-hmm. Maybe not. That's not that much different. Okay. Um, and we're keeping the early release days on Fridays? Yes. Mm-hmm. That's all I have. Thank you. Great. Any other questions from members? Um, one point of clarification. If we did choose to approve the, um, the calendar as it sits with, in front of us, to the mayor's question about Juneteenth, we could come back and add that- Mm-hmm. ... if we end up having three snow days this winter, right? Like, that's, we're not locked into this position at this point, right?

▶ 47:24 That would be just something we would take up in Policy and Planning again. Uh, yeah. We, I think we do want to make a decision- Yeah. ... on, on when that day is going to fall to coincide with the city and the schools, correct? I mean... Yeah. I wonder if that's something that we could potentially do between now and the 16th, since we have such a quick turnaround with our next meeting. Mm-hmm. Um, so I could see a world where perhaps we approve as is or hold, um, so that we can make sure that we have the right alignment with the city. Approve as is meaning approve in- with the caveat of waiting to understand when the last day would be in the event that we did have to go the additional five.

▶ 48:02 Mm-hmm. Um, if there's no rush, it might just make sense to put the right calendar together for the 16th, and- Works too. ... and, um, make sure that the public knows that this is basically where we are. Uh, Ms. McAndrew. Motion to postpone the vote to December 16th. Great. Second. Motion by Ms. McAng- McAn- the, Ms. McAndrew to postpone until the 16th, seconded by Ms. Rosse Thomas. All those in favor? And that motion passes unanimously. On to our next item, um, this is an updated competency determination. Uh, this is in response to DESE's ongoing updates, uh, implementing a ballot question from a couple y- years ago now. Uh, this is the second time we've seen this information, but the first time in this form.

▶ 48:48 Last year, we passed a one-year competency determination, uh, knowing that we would come back to it this year, knowing that we had to put a more permanent item into place. During that time, uh, DESE has come out with regulations, which I see Ms. Acevedo and Principal Merrill coming to the, the table here to tell us more about, uh, and they'll tell us all about how this was developed, how it, um, will be implemented, and what DESE expects of us. So, I'll, with that, I will leave it to our experts here to tell us more about what's in front of us. Thank you. Um, so we have a couple of slides. We don't usually do slides for Policy and Planning, but there is some grounding, I think, that would help, um, everybody, and this has

▶ 49:28 changed multiple times just since I took on this role, so kind of getting everybody on the same page. Um, so we have four kind of objectives. We want to provide context and a timeline for the development of this policy, differentiate between high school graduation and requirements and the proposed competency determination, provide a brief overview of the new policy, and then answer any questions that you may have. Um, so timeline. On November 2024, um, the... ... state voted to remove MCAS as a graduation requirement, um, for, as part of passage of question two. And what that did is it moved the determination of competency, which is still part of the law, into the hands of districts. Um, winter and spring, you saw myself

▶ 50:17 and Dr. Turner here, um, we presented a competency determination that could be used for the class of 2025 only. So, what you saw last year is really of no, um, validity anymore because it could only be used for the class of 2025. One of the big differences you'll notice in the policy that we have and the policy that, um, we had passed last year, is last year, MCAS was allowed to be counted as part of the competency determination for the class of 2025. For the class of 2026 moving forward, we're not, um, using MCAS as a determination anymore. Students will still have to sit for MCAS as part of graduation requirements and turn- in our accountability, um, but they won't have to pass. So, that policy was

▶ 51:01 written and approved last year. So May of 2025, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to amend the regulations, um, on competency determination, and the legal reference is there for you. Um, the new regulation said that we had to write a policy that was approved by school committee, posted publicly, and then submitted to DESE. Um, and that competency determinations had to meet the standards of what was assessed on the 2023 MCAS exams. Um, in July, as DESE loves to do, um, they put out brand new guidance for all of the curriculum directors and, and high school principals, um, with the new commissioner. And so, this policy is based on that guidance from July of 2025. Um, so the way this was

▶ 51:50 developed, um, I got feedback and, um, support from Mr. Merrill, Mr. Corrigan, Ms. Toutsas, um, Mr. Beaver. We kind of talked about what did we want Melrose to look like in an ideal. And then I went back and worked with the curriculum directors that are part of SEAM, um, and we decided that we were going to write very similar policies across all of our districts, um, for a couple of reasons. One, we wanted to, we found somebody that, um, that got their policy approved by their school committee. We all agreed that it was a good plan, um, and they have yet to receive feedback from DESE. We don't know if that just means that they're passed or if that just means that DESE's a little behind. So we're, we're kind of hoping, um, that we're in a good

▶ 52:37 spot. The other reason is we have several students who attend SEAM schools, um, and will be bound by this competency determination. And if all of our SEAM districts are working together, it ensures that our out-of-district students, um, have a, a better chance at being able to reach that competency because everybody's working, um, towards the same goal. So here's just a visual of where does graduation requirements and where does competency determination fall. Um, so this red that we're looking at is what we're talking about tonight, the competency determination, and then the graduation requirements, the bigger picture, is kind of that gray box on the outside. Um... So, policy highlights for the class of 2026 and

▶ 53:28 beyond, um, we have successful course completion and demonstrated mastery. So one of the, um, elements that came out of the July 2025 guidance was that we needed both course completion, um, concepts and developed, uh, demonstrated content mastery in order for our competency to pass, um, through DESE. So luckily for us, we've been on a five-year journey now of rethinking grading, something like that. Um, so we've been working on rethinking grading for quite a while. Our grading system is very al- very much already aligned to the standards. Teachers are already writing, um, assessments, summative assessments especially, which is the majority of a student's grade, that already align to the standards. So we know that we are already creating some

▶ 54:15 high-quality, um, coursework, and that when a student passes a class, they're showing some of that demonstrated competency. Um, we provided three ways that a student can demonstrate mastery. Um, so the first is by earning a passing grade on the midterm and final because many of our courses right now have a midterm that kind of goes up through content up to January and then a different final. So we said that in order to show mastery, that they had to pass both. Um, or completing a capstone or portfolio project, or an equivalent measure that's in here, um, to try to give some flexibility that Mr. Merrill or his designee could then, um, be able to, to work with students on an individual level. The other considerations that were

▶ 55:02 part of the, um, July guidance is that we had to have very clearly stated considerations for students with disabilities, English language learners, students who enrolled after ninth grade or late-enrolling students, as well as a process of appeals for current students, and an appeal process for students, um, who were enrolled in Melrose Public Schools, um, in graduating classes of 2003 to 2024 who did not earn a diploma. So all of those things are hopefully represented within our policy. Um, they are aligned to pretty much all of the other SEAM districts. We worked collaboratively to ensure that we had a policy that was meeting all of the DESE criteria, um, and that also is in line, will dovetail with our graduation

▶ 55:51 requirements, um, so that everything kind of moves along as a student is starting at Melrose High and then hoping, hopefully finishing, um, at twelfth grade. And we're happy to take any questions that you may have. Thank you. Um, are there questions from members at this point about the policy and the presentation? Ms. Rozzi-Thomas? Yes. Thank you very much, um, and thank you, Ms. Acevedo, for being here. I'm also- I'm so- it's confusing to me. Like, what's the difference between a CD, a competency determination, versus credit? So, competency determination is something that's dictated by the state and by the Department of Education. And what the measure was previously, as we know, was MCAS. Um, and now, since that's been voted

▶ 56:42 out, um, although our kids still sit and take MCAS and that administration, they've asked districts to submit, which is what we, we've been working on for the past six months or so, um, what we feel like competency determination is. So this, that's just one level to earn a high school diploma, the Department of Education, the State of Massachusetts wants us, students to meet that. But we, as a school, as a district and a school committee, this was voted on by the school committee, um, is our graduation requirements, which is far greater. Yeah. So, although that is a local thing, so, uh, graduation requirements are local, so we have the ability to waive certain aspects of that, um, due to extenuating circumstances.

▶ 57:35 A principal can waive certain things. Um, for instance, if a student transfers in and there's just not enough time for them to take two credits of a world language because it wasn't a requirement at their past school, or we've determined that's a- there's some kind of circumstance that would keep them from being able to do a certain aspect of this. Um, where we don't have that ability with competency determination. So... So if, just for simple ling- simple language that isn't necessarily, you know, within the world of education, thank you for being here too, Mr. Merrells. Um, so you have the, we have our graduation requirements, which are between 24 and 26 credits, right, that you earn over four years?

▶ 58:22 Yeah, And then the CD requirements is like the lowest bar? Yeah. Is that kind of simple? So competency determination is what's gonna, these classes are what are the standards that were assessed on the 2023 MCAS. So when you look at what- Okay. ... the content of these particular classes, English 1 and 2, Algebra 1 and Geometry, a year of Biology, Physics, or Chemistry, and then one year of US History starting in 2027, which is a little bit of an outlier because we didn't test MCAS on those. But the three, English, Math, and Science, the reason these particular courses were chosen is because those are the ones that align- Right. ... with the standards that are assessed in the 2023 MCAS. So, DESE wants us to make sure that we're teaching to the test in spite of no

▶ 59:05 longer being a graduation requirement to pass it? Yes and no. I think that DESE wants us to make sure that we have high expectations for all students and that we're making sure that we're, um, meeting those standards. Okay. Um, but we get to determine, within our competency determination, we get deter- determine how students are exhibiting that. So, one of the changes is that allowing students to do a capstone or portfolio was not something that they could do with- Right. ... with DESE, right? Or with MCAS? Right. Um, so it gives some flexibility- Right. ... but still ensuring we have that high standard. Okay. That's great. So this is another way to create more options for students that have different learning styles to get to

▶ 59:47 graduation? Yeah. Yeah. So it's actually, in some ways, it's helpful. It, yeah. Yeah. A- a- and for us, it's typically Biology, as you, you all know, but some schools start with Physics first, or- Mm-hmm. ... or go in a different order. But for our students, uh, 100% of our students have taken Biology as ninth graders. So, those are the classes that all ninth, and by the time you completed tenth grade, you've taken those classes. So it's just, it's how we schedule kids. So if a student transfers in and, and they took a different class, or they failed that class at the previous school, they would just be scheduled in those classes normally because it's how we schedule kids, it's part of our program of studies, and it's part of our graduation requirements.

▶ 1:00:28 Okay. Thank you. That's really helpful to clarify. The last question I have for you on page three, the question is, those enrolled in the Melrose Public Schools in the classes of 2003 through 2024 who did not earn a diploma, I would imagine because they didn't pass MCAS- Mm-hmm. ... may also appeal the decision through the following process. Have you had anyone come back yet? Everyone's earned a diploma. We, we have, we've contacted anyone that hasn't, so we don't have anyone that we need to contact. Okay. So I just want the public to know- But it, yeah. No, it's, it's- ... that this, what's happening in high schools, including mine- It, it- ... where I work, kids can come back and finish. It's made a big difference. It's made a huge difference-

▶ 1:01:09 Yeah. ... for kids throughout the state. Yeah. 'Cause for kids who aren't good test takers, it, you know, they have another way to earn a high school diploma- Yeah. ... now. Even, and they're going retro back. Right? Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you, Ms. Rozzi-Thomas. Any further questions from members? Mr. Kelly? Sure. Um, have you gotten any indication, you've obviously spent a significant amount of time on this, um, over the last year, that you'll submit this, it'll be approved, and then a new commissioner takes over and it changes? Is that, have you got any sense as to like, is this gonna be a recurring thing? So, you're probably referring to the Graduation Council, um, information that

▶ 1:01:46 was- (laughs) ... you know, put out last week? Um, I think that's still a ways off. I think that the implementation of that realistically, we're looking at three to five years from now. So, while we're, th- that's a, that's a conservative estimate. Um, there, the reality is we need something in place now.Um, this is actually fairly similarly aligned to some of the aspects of what the graduation council has recommended, um, in terms of portfolio and, and capstone and some of those pieces that we already have here in place. Um, so will it be a significant shift if that were to happen? Absolutely, but I think we're looking at a longer term game than tomorrow. Okay. Thank you. Um, yeah. Thank you. Uh, Ms. Driscoll.

▶ 1:02:36 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: Thank you. Um, I appreciate, appreciate all the work on this. Um, and so I'll push back on my colleague a little bit and say that, um, I think our teachers do a great job by question the teaching to the test sort of aspect to it. I think that our educators really teach the content. Um, there could be, you know, different teachers do a little different things, but I'll just push back on you a little bit. Um, so a couple of questions. Um, um, to, um, both of you. So I believe that when we had the discussion around MCAS, um, at a recent meeting and the results of the MCAS, there, there was a question about, um, did our, um, high school students really put everything they could into the MCAS, um, like they would have if it

▶ 1:03:25 had been required? Did you see that? So I think looking at the data trend- Mm-hmm. ... there wasn't much change from 2003, 2000, sorry, went back in time, 2023, 2024, 2025 results. They stayed pretty stagnant. Um, so i- it's a little early to tell if that's gonna be a pattern. Um, I think that one of the things that I know myself and Mr. Merrill and Ms. Toutsis are really focused on is, is reestablishing that high quality, that high caliber of expectation no matter what it is that we're working on, right? So having students try their best no matter what it is that they're, that they're working on, um, and, and reinstating some of that philosophy with our, with our students, um, whether it's their IXL or whether it's their MCAS or whatever assessment

▶ 1:04:17 it might be, that we're always showing our Melrose pride, that we're always showing our Melrose best. Um, MCAS doesn't count for anything when they're younger either, and they seem to take it pretty seriously still. Um, so I think that as long as we can continue to t- to show them that balance of this is a great way for you to show off what you know and, and really, um, share, but also it's not gonna... it takes away that pressure of, "I'm not gonna graduate if I don't do a good job." Um, I think we might actually see- Yeah. ... either very similar or hopefully some improvement within our, within our high school on Yeah. I think our teachers did an outstanding job last year, um, coming to class meetings to talk to, and particularly the, the

▶ 1:05:01 10th grade students, um, about taking it seriously, the impacts, there's still, still, um, scholarship opportunities. Mm-hmm. I- it's... I mean, people look for, um, opportunities to take the PSAT and to do SAT prep. I mean, this, this is four days of having the ability to take a, you know, what was a high stakes test, you, you could say it's not high stakes anymore, but, you know, uh, a kinda cumulative, like long, you know, sitting for that amount of time. Um, I think it, it really didn't look any different from last year to the year before. Kids took about the same amount of time at the high school level 'cause the age of students were able to kinda like really have a focus on students taking the test, um, and

▶ 1:05:49 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: limit some of the other distractions of other students in the morning. And I think students did a, a really good job, um, taking it seriously and, um, trying to show off what they know. Thank you for that. Um, can you, um... if so, I, I'll use ninth grade English as an example. So there are multiple teachers teaching ninth grade English, right? Mm-hmm. And so you have the competency requirements. Um, is there, um, like a uniform, um, you know, final assessment that i- is the same for all teachers in that course? Yes. And if you said that, I'm sorry, I'm just trying- No. No, Like with Ms. Rossi Thomas, this is very... it's very complex. I mean, it's something we've worked on o- over the course of the last

▶ 1:06:35 decade is common assessments- Mm-hmm. ... in, in different ways. Um, we're able to schedule teachers that they have that common time off. We call them CPTs or Common Planning Teams, um, are able to meet and we, we schedule that in, give them the opportunity. I think teachers have been really good about meeting and, and collaborating with each other. Um, some of those teams have, have been set for a while and sometimes there's an addition and someone joins the team for the first time and teaches really good about sharing and collaborating. Um, but there's many things that, that are common. We're always pushing that. I mean, anytime you can have a group of kids take a common assessment and give

▶ 1:07:17 their best effort, that data is priceless. Mm-hmm. So anytime we're able to do that, it, it's super important. Um, as Ms. Acevedo also mentioned with we have a common grading system, so what a B+ means in this classroom is a B+ in Ms. Acevedo's classroom and in Mr. Kelly's classroom, it's all the same because they, they're grading everything the same way and they even collab, uh, calibrate the grading of essays and English, et cetera. So, um, always a little room to grow in that regard, but- Mm-hmm. ... um, in all of these courses that we're talking about for CD, they're taking common assessments. Okay. So that was my other question is, is it... are there any of those courses that are... that just have one educator in front of students?

▶ 1:08:09 No. I don't think so. No. No, that's, that's very- That's wouldn't be possible, no. I mean... Yeah, I wouldn't think so, but I just- (laughs) want to clarify. Um, a- and my last question is, is there anything that, that currently prohibits any district from requiring the MCAS for graduation? Prohibits it? I don't believe so. We- There wasn't before, the last time we had the discussion- Yeah. ... so I just wondered if any No. So we talked as a team of, of really feeling strongly that it went against the, the essence of the vote of people, um, and that, I feel like this is actually a much stronger way for students to be able to show their learning in multiple ways, while still ensuring that we're meeting that high standard

▶ 1:08:53 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: of all students are meeting those 2023 standards. I mean, that, that is much more difficult than passing the MCAS. Yeah. (crunching sound) Much more difficult. I think that's great. I'll just, I'll s- just say what my opinion is. It's not common across the entire state. It's Melrose. And, and I appreciate that, and I get that. I do believe that from a state standpoint, uh, for whether- whatever we do and do not like, because there are many things I do not like, it is a way for, um, um, others to reflect on, uh, what happens in Massachusetts. Yeah. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Scull. Uh, other members? Ms. Withy? Chair Just for a point of process, I know that tonight, this is more or less under

▶ 1:09:38 as a review or a discussion. I'm also recognizing that DESE is expecting, uh, compasi- competency determinations relatively quickly, and with that, I think I would be interested in potentially taking a first vote this evening so that we could come back at the following meeting next week and do the second and final vote. Thank you. Um, I just- I did have a few questions before we took a vote, if that's all right? Yeah. If... (laughs) Um, if other members don't have any questions from the floor? Great. Um, just quickly, I think I remember from our discussion in last winter, that Mr. Merrill was here also and spoke to that there aren't many students or, or very few at all that have ever faced an MCAS barrier for graduation

▶ 1:10:21 in, in Melrose, right? Like, as you just mentioned, the, the standards that we have are significantly higher than what the MCAS requires. Um, and, and I think what I'm seeing here and, and what, uh, Ms. Acevedo mentioned at one point was this, this competency determination is creating more options for students to present themselves more fully, to, to work in the pattern that, that works best for them and p- and, uh, you know, particularly this project-based work seems very interesting in terms of how, um, students could really present their best, their best work through that process, um, while still maintaining high standards. Is that a good summation of, of kind of what that means? Yeah. I think most students will probably go the route- the route of passing

▶ 1:11:02 midterms and finals, but it gives us the opportunity that students who are struggling with that, for whatever reason, um, we have some additional resources that we were not able to use prior. Mm-hmm. Okay. And is it fair to say that, that, uh, the, the conclusion from the previous go around of, of doing the one-year policy is still true, that we are not looking at a lot of Melrose students that would, um, be facing an M- an m- uh, an MCAS barrier, but, um, this would still be, uh, the strongest way of, of making sure that we're putting strong standards in front of them? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. With those questions, I- uh, Ms. Rossi-Thomas? So, last year, we also made it a requirement for them to take the MCAS.

▶ 1:11:47 That was- wasn't that in here? That last year? So, I think we made that part of the graduation requirements at this point. It might have not made my slide 'cause I was working off the program of studies. Um, but it was a- it- we did say that that's a graduation requirement, that students have to sit for MCAS. So, we did track down juniors and seniors last year who had not taken the MCAS 'cause they had come late, um, and told them, "You have to take the test." Okay. Um... I just think in terms of understanding our data over time- Mm-hmm. ... and I- Ms. Driscoll and I really see eye to eye on this, that the MCAS has been a great tool for Massachusetts public schools over time. Mm-hmm. It should never have come to a graduation requirement, in my

▶ 1:12:32 mind, but nevertheless, it's been an incredible tool that caused our state to really skyrocket up. Yeah. All of our students took it. So, you guys are gonna continue to make it a graduation requirement? Mm-hmm. I just wanted to check that before we took the vote. Yeah, all of our students- Okay. Thank you. ... will continue to take it. Thank you. Um, so as Ms. Withy spelled out... Oh, Ms. McAndrew? I was gonna make a motion. Sorry, Okay. (laughs) As Ms., Ms. Withy spelled out, um, we ha- could have this certainly as our first reading tonight, but we have the option of moving forward with a- the vote as a first vote as well, if members feel that that's appropriate with the December 31st deadline and only one more

▶ 1:13:08 meeting in front of us. That would be a motion that we can make if somebody is so moved? Ms. McAndrew moves. Ms. Withy, seconds? Motion to approve and first vote. First vote. Second. Second the first vote. Um, all those in favor? So that passes unanimously for a first vote. That will come up in our next meeting for a second vote. And with that, we conclude Policy and Planning. Thank you all very much. Thank you for being here. Thank you. Thank you. Great. We have moved to the final public session agenda item, which is announcements of the chair. So I'll just quickly frame. In your packets this evening, you have a memo that is hiring information regarding a superintendent hiring process. As you can see in the packet, we've called out that, um,

▶ 1:14:12 as...... Superintendent Berman's contract states, we are to make a decision around the hiring of a superintendent by December 31st. And so, in that packet, we've outlined two potential paths that oftentimes districts take when they're going through a superintendent hiring process. Tonight, my hope is that we can stay in a discussion to really begin to talk through what are the pros and cons of these two particular paths. My recommendation would be that we actually move into a vote at our next meeting, in terms of what that process would be. With that, I will open up to any questions, comments, as we start to think about pros and cons between what's listed in that memo and what's been on our minds as well.

▶ 1:15:00 (clicking) Mr. Kelly, get us started. Thank you. Sure. Thank you so much. Um, uh, I certainly have my own preference on what to do, but I would kind of look to some of our more tenured, um, school committee members to talk about the pros and cons of doing a, a search and how has that worked in Melrose in the past. Or how has it maybe not worked well in Melrose in the past. So, I can look to, I think, three people that have been part of that. If any of them would like to share their experiences, I would, I think that would be super helpful. Ms. Driscoll, go ahead. I'd like to lead off. Thank you. Um, so, um, I think I'm on, um, my sixth superintendent. Um, I've been involved in, um, five searches and, um, one

▶ 1:15:47 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: appointment. Um, and, um, I'd like to just walk through, um, a couple of things. I think number one is pretty self-explanatory, so I'll speak to, um, going through a search process. So, um, I would say, uh, to begin, the superintendent search is typically a two to three-month process. I will say that it's always going to take longer than you think it is going to take. I don't remember one that actually held to the very specific timeline, although I could be fact-checked on that. Because real life happens with, with everybody, whether it's, uh, school committees, whether, whether it's candidates, whether it's visits, and so forth. Um... Weather, sometimes. So it's, it's very hard to, to keep to that, as, yeah,

▶ 1:16:28 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: weather, like, it snows. Um, so, um, and also, you know, the range of $15,000 to $20,000, that's the check that you ultimately write, and Mr. Kelly can correct me if I'm wrong, but there are other things that, um, are included in the costs because, um, you have to have spaces, you have to have the lights on, you have to have janitors, you have to have all kinds of things. So I would say -ish is probably a, maybe a good way, um, to, to put that. Um, so just in terms of the key steps, and I really appreciate, um, this memo, um, Ms. Withy and, um, Assistant Ci- City Solicitor, uh, Lindquist, um, it's very helpful. So just to even, to start, is, you know, esta- establishing the search method, of course, whi- which is what we're doing.

▶ 1:17:21 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: Um, and in that with the, um, the hiring criteria and so forth, it's setting the timeline. So the committee sets the timeline. Um, h- setting the hire- the hiring criteria can involve many things, so it's been done in different ways. Um, you can do surveys, you can do focus groups, you can do, um, the survey. The, excuse me, the school committee can set the, um, the hiring criteria with feedback, for example, from the community. So there are multiple ways to do that. Um, each has specific logistical requirements that take capacity from volunteers and paid individuals in the district, um, in addition to the consultant. So there's a lot of work that's done by the committee itself and by the administration to actually, behind the curtain, make a

▶ 1:18:12 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: search happen. Um, developing the application and recruiting the candidates is greatly, I would say, on the consultant, but there is, significant conversation around, are we ensuring that this matches the intentions of the committee? Um, so there's that piece. Um, selecting the superintendent screening committee, I will tell you, is a significant process that is not necessarily viewed by everybody. But there is a lot of, um, determination over h- which roles will be included. We'll have teachers, we'll have, um, community members. There will be experts in the field. There will be, um, a- administrators. So, um, the, the idea is to balance out a search committee, so there's representative of all the stakeholder groups.

▶ 1:19:05 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: And doing that, um, and some of that is done in public, and some of that can be done, um, in executive session. So, but you have to be extremely careful about that, and all leading through that takes a significant amount of capacity from the assistant city solicitor, because you cannot do it wrong. And so, because jeopardizing a search that way is, there's risk involved in that. And it's, it's often, uh, the best investment, but it, it has to be called out and named as, uh, an invest- a capacity investment. Um, once the screening committee is, uh, uh, comes together, there are the logistics of, where do they meet? Do you give them anything to eat because they're sitting there for four hours?

▶ 1:19:51 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: (laughs) Uh, many of you have sat, um, on those committees. Um, how does, you know, does Chartwells provide that kind of, um, you know, some support for us? How do we do, um, all of those things? Are the doors open? It's a, there are times when doors have to be opened and times when they're allowed to be closed, and if it's not done correctly, again, we respect what the community and what the laws say, and they have to be followed. Uh, so there's all those very tiny details.Once those semifinalists are chosen, the screening committee does disband, um, and, uh, this, uh, so the semifinalists would interview and finalists would be put forward. Again, there's a public and, and private part of that.

▶ 1:20:32 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: Um, and everybody has to be extremely careful. There is training that goes into the screening committee that the consultant does, um, but there are a lot of considerations that are really important. Um, and so again, it's knowing all of those steps. Once the announcement of the finalists come out, um, which is always an ex- exciting time, right, um, to think of what the, the future is, the finalists do interview, and as you know, we usually have a day for them to be on campus, if you will, and they come and they spend the day in the district. Um, there is, there could be tours of the buildings, there's, um, meetings with administrators, there's a wide variety of activities that go on there. They generally meet with the community later in the

▶ 1:21:16 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: afternoon, and that involves, again, getting a room, making sure the lights are on, making sure MMTV is available and is there to ensure that the public who cannot be there is, um, is observing what is happening and gets to make their own assessments. And then of course, they come to the committee at the end of a long day, so if that's not a test for (laughs) um, stamina, I'm not sure what is, but it's pretty significant, um, in that, you know, they can do site visits. Um, you can have the committee go to their home district, um, and meet with them. I have not find that, found that to be particularly helpful because you get the v- it's like anytime, it's like references often. Um, we wanna show our best side and we wanna make sure that we are respectful to

▶ 1:22:00 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: the individual. So there's a lot in that if the committee chose to pursue that route. And then the school committee votes to appoint the superintendent, um, and take it from there. So, you know, the, there is the investment is, i- the financial investment, there is significant y- uh, human capital investment on many sides. So I would say that, um, I'd also just like to speak to the landscape in the commonwealth of superintendents. Um, ih- first of all, a national search, um, although it's certainly a lofty ideal and, and, um, you know, I could see where that would have some appeal. Um, folks from outside Massachusetts have a hard time understanding Massachusetts, I think. We are, um, pretty regulated

▶ 1:22:50 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: and, um, there's a law for, for just about everything and a regulation for just about anything. I think it's a heavy lift for somebody to come in and really get absorbed into the Massachusetts culture. So I would be very skeptical of that. Um, the landscape for superintendents in the commonwealth of Massachusetts is very thin, and I think that is discussed by superintendents all the time. And, um, we wanna make sure that we have somebody, you know, we, we want somebody with a good amount of experience, varying experience, but it's a, it's a tough job and, um, it's hard to hire. And frankly, Melrose does not pay a huge amount. Um, we are a small town. Um, I don't have to tell you all the things that have been discussed in our community for many, many months, but

▶ 1:23:36 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: we are not able to pay $300,000 for a superintendent. Like, that's, that's just not gonna happen. Um, and there's no guarantee that somebody coming in, um, would understand us or ultimately meld well and, um, uh, those are all sort of in the landscape, um, environment. I see the hallmarks, um, of superintendents, uh, that, uh, who are in districts, um, here and in other places in the commonwealth is that... and some of these were spoken to earlier, it's about professional culture, trust and relationships. Because without those things, um, the, I, I believe you are destined to fail because you have to be open, you have to listen carefully and thoughtfully, you have to be willing to take criticism because I

▶ 1:24:23 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: think there's no job that's more criticized (laughs) than that of the superintendent. Um, so having... but being able to know and embrace a professional culture of a district. Um, I think loyalty was, was certainly mentioned. Um, we've seen in this district good times and bad. We've had construction, uh, in many cases. We've had the year of taking the zero. So you've lived through that. That was not a very happy time for anybody on either side. Um, and I'm not even gonna say COVID except that I just said it. Um, so, uh, you know, I think putting students first is really important, um, and I think that comes out. Understanding that this job is tremendously public-facing and there will always be people who hate you, and

▶ 1:25:08 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: I think that's really hard. Um, and I think somebody who's willing to put themselves, put themself out there and say that they want this job, um, and that... and I have heard this before, um, "I just want a comfortable place to live, so I think Melrose would be great." And that has stuck with me, um, because I, I often reflect on that about the people, and it can be anybody who, who comes to Melrose. I would never want someone to say that because it means that they don't love kids enough to work in this district. So I would want all of those things as part of our professional culture, our trust and relationships in each other, even when we disagree, we can, we can disagree without being disagreeable.

▶ 1:25:56 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: Um, and I think that's really important because we can push each other to be better or to learn more or, or to give grace when we make mistakes. And I think having that ability, um, to interface with each other and have those candid conversations that are sometimes uncomfortable is really, really important. So, um, I'm wondering, you know, can you truly get a picture of someone in 20 hours of interviews who is really in their, you know...... bringing out the best of themselves, right? That's what interviews do. We never really have that, but being able to have more of an observation is always helpful because it gives us a clearer picture of someone's, um, core values. And I do think that, you know, we are in an

▶ 1:26:40 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: environment regardless of the C-suite position, where there's a lot more and more encouragement in growing your own, sharing responsibility for, "I don't expect you, universe, to bring me the perfect candidate." How do we, how do we develop and train, um, our own people in districts around the Commonwealth when that is the good time, when it is the right time, when it feels good to a wide variety of people? Whether it's a teacher, a para coming into the classroom, and then moving into administration, um, or all of those pathways. I've seen Melrose, over the years, work very hard to give, um, educators those additional opportunities, whether it's coaching opportunities, um, teacher leaders, things like that, because it

▶ 1:27:26 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: provides pathways, not only to personal/professional development, but it's, it's a better environment for kids. So that shared responsibility and that, those succession planning elements, I see as hallmarks of quality school systems that have the consistency that lead to improved student outcomes over time. Thank you. I know, Mr. Kelly, you started the conversation by asking, um, any veteran, uh, school committee members that wanted to speak to their experience in hiring a superintendent via a search process prior. I know we're also gonna continue to talk about pros and cons of a search or an appointment, but I wanted to just bring it back to see if there's anyone else on the committee who has gone through the process of

▶ 1:28:09 hiring a superintendent that would want to shed any light to your question. Well, as one of many Gens over here, I guess I'll go first. (laughs) Thanks, Jen. Thanks. Um, so been here for almost eight years, coming up on the end of eight years. And when I started on the committee, Cindy Tamer was well into her, um, time as superintendent, and I believe she served for eight years, and, uh, she did a lot of very good things for our district, and that was quite a time to be, um, here in the horseshoe with her. And then we, we did a search, and, um, and we wound up having Julie Kuchenberger be our next superintendent, and then we had COVID, and then there was a big controversy that happened around some money.

▶ 1:29:00 So that was three years there. And then after that, we did a search. That was a failed search. And then we had Mr. John Masero as our interim superintendent. He did a lovely job. And then we had Adam Delaney here for a year, and that ended quickly. And now we have Ms. Berman. Um, so what I've learned by working in my district in Salem for 15 years, as well as sitting here on the committee, is that excellent superintendents are very hard to come by, and the ha- the- the half-life for superintendents is very short. In- and- and in Massachusetts, during the eight- last eight years, we've probably seen the average amount of time a superintendent is serving in a position go from five years to three, and maybe

▶ 1:29:48 less. So I've witnessed m- a town like Marblehead have, like, seven superintendents in seven years. Um, that, I think a lot of that is also happening in many towns like Brookline. Um, I think there's a big controversy going on in Cambridge. Uh, so if you just read the papers, you'll see that it is, if you didn't know already, being a superintendent is a really hard job, and it's not for... It doesn't work out well for many people. Um, I think with social media, um, and doxing, it's only made the pressure crank up that much further. Um, so what I am looking for in a superintendent is someone who is passionate, who puts students first, someone who is trustworthy, who people feel they can trust, they can go to, has an open door policy,

▶ 1:30:37 um, is approachable, has integrity, is loyal, can listen and take feedback and shift and pivot, has heart, has skill, is seasoned, is an excellent communicator, can, um, is a systems thinker, cares about diversity, equity, and inclusion, believing in all students, holding high standards and modeling high standards through their own behavior, and passionate about culture, the culture of every single school. So that's what I care about, and I know (clears throat) that there will be, um, a group of people in Melrose that want us to do a whole search, um, and we're gonna listen, and we also are... We've been extremely, extremely fortunate, um, that Ms. Berman has stepped to the plate and hit it out of the

▶ 1:31:26 park. Thank you. I'll just add, I know that I am a veteran committee member, I believe, at this point, in four years. Um, you said it really well in terms of just our experience. And in my time here, I've led one search, and I've seen four superintendents. Um, I think that's a lot, just to say it quickly. Um, and at the same time, I think in the search process, Mr. Schill, you outlined, there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes, and then usually we have somebody that comes, and they have an entry plan, and they share the things that they're ultimately wanting to consider for the district, and then we move forward. What's not always predictable is how long that person may be alongside us for the, the journey, right?

▶ 1:32:19 Um, I think one thing that I find very appealing about the...... idea of a potential appointment is the fact that we have somebody in the district who has been here for an extended period of time, who knows the district incredibly well, and also can see where we may need additional support, particularly as we think about the additional funding that we've gotten through an override and how we might want to implement some of those things. We haven't had that in the pre- like previous searches, nor have we had the funding in previous moments in time either. And so, I think I'm sitting right now, in terms of pros and cons, really thinking about having someone who's been here for a bit longer, who knows

▶ 1:32:58 exactly where they would want to take the district, versus perhaps going through another search process without a guarantee of having somebody sit longer. So to continue the conversation, again, wanted to just be able to discuss pros and cons of both of the things that are put on paper, or to elevate other things that may be considered as well, as we think about this decision. Again, want to open the floor to s- hear other people's thoughts, reactions, as you read the memo, uh, yeah, and as you got a little deeper. Mr. Hartman, why don't you take it away? Um, thank you. And I was reflecting on some of my colleagues' comments. I was j- thinking about Mr.- Ms. Driscoll being on the committee for 14 years,

▶ 1:33:37 if I got that right. 18. It was like... 18, I'm sorry. But that's okay. (laughs) Um, six- You lost me for a while. (laughs) Four years there, Matt. Six, six superintendents, um, I've been on the committee for two years and I've worked with three superintendents. Half of the superintendents are during the two years that I've been on this committee. Um, without a doubt, I think that, that shows that, that we're struggling to, to im- to, to get to a place where we have a long-term person in place. Um, and I think to everyone's points across the commonwealth, that is an issue. Uh, it is harder and harder to find superintendents that will stay in a district for a very long time. Uh, I think we've seen that quite acutely here.

▶ 1:34:11 I think we need to have some stability around where we're headed. We have had so many questions hanging over us for so long. Um, multiple overrides have come before the public, multiple superintendent searches. Multiple other issues have come before us, and we have finally gotten to a place where we've, we've covered some of those issues. I, I think about my school committee training, they talk to you about budget, policy, and superintendent, the big things you're doing, right? Those are the things you're responsible for. I'm gonna say that I, I think we're doing a pretty good job on the Policy and Planning Committee this year. (laughs) Uh, but budget, we've, we've started to really solve that issue.

▶ 1:34:46 We're, we're here with the last one on superintendent, thinking about how do we create stability in that column. It's a really important question because, um, we need that stability to really get up and going. And I'm, I'm interested in getting up and going. I feel like we've been on pause a little bit in Melrose, trying to figure out these other questions. I want to get up and going as fast as possible. I think we're in a place where we can. Um, and I think, you know, we've, we've heard a lot of really important things about how it is important to have stability coming into this, this, this really key role. We've heard about loyalty, we've heard about how long somebody has been here. Um, 20 years is a long time.

▶ 1:35:25 Um, you know, and I hope we can, we can learn more about that 20 years through this process, that we can learn more and the public can learn more. Uh, but I, I feel like, uh, we need to find that stability so we can get going as soon as possible in January and, and beyond with, with what we need to do in this district. I think about hiring processes that I've been part of, not as this committee, but, um, I've done internal and external hires. Um, and both have been successful. But to Ms. Driscoll's point, you can do any series of interviews and still not really know a person. You can have any number of people review that person and, and go through their resumes, ask them tons of questions, um, come up with a perfect search

▶ 1:36:04 committee, and still end up in a place where you, you have a short-term person, somebody who moves on, somebody who has other goals. It's, it's maybe not even a problem they've encountered. Maybe they have other goals that, that go beyond where they are. Um, and I think, you know, going back to that point of stability, we've got an opportunity here potentially, uh, uh, about, um, moving forward with, with a, a process that, that involves a stability that already exists. Mm-hmm. Um, and hopefully we can build on that in the future years. So, uh, you know, I think those are, those are my bigger thoughts on it. I, I'd be encouraged to hear more from others at the table as we, we move forward on it. But I'm, I think, you know, my conclusion is I'm, I'm really just

▶ 1:36:43 Jen Grigoraitis: ready to get going with moving our district forward quickly and implementing, uh, what people have, have been waiting for for a long time. So I'm eager to do that. Thank you, Mr. Hartman. Anyone else? Thank you. Um, so I think I, I probably come at this from a slightly different perspective since I obviously have a different role than all of you. Um, I first wanna thank Ms. Berman deeply and publicly for the leadership that you have shown when you were thrown a curve ball in June of last year. Um, and I think I may be the committee member that you probably talk to the most often, so you're welcome and I'm sorry. (laughs) (laughs) But I, you know, I am really grateful for your leadership and think that you are an incredibly strong candidate for this position.

▶ 1:37:28 Jen Grigoraitis: I also know that as the chief executive on the city side, I employ over 200 people, all of whom go through a hiring process for their job, whether it's cleaning the buildings of our high school or serving as a department head, which also includes a public process going before the city council. So I know there's two options before us. I'm gonna sound like a politician and say I don't love a binary choice. Um, I feel like what I wanna see in the next superintendent is someone who is ready to hit the ground running, who deeply knows not just Massachusetts, which I think is incredibly important, but Melrose as a district. And I, while I think ma- I agree with everything you brought up, Ms. Rizzi Thomas, the ability to direct our budget, which has been, and

▶ 1:38:07 Jen Grigoraitis: understands the history of- Mm-hmm. ... funding and lack thereof and the consequences of that in this district is really important. Mm-hmm. Um, like Mr. Hartman, I've been here for two years and I'm on, I've done two budgets with three different superintendents. Um, but I do want to consider, and I've had some conversations with, you know, HR on the city side just to think about options. How do we have a more public conversation about what that future looks like? Because I do... it is the highest paid position. ... in the district, it is one of the highest paid positions within city government. It has an enormous amount of responsibility- Mm-hmm. ... and I want to make sure that we are having a transparent and

▶ 1:38:44 Jen Grigoraitis: collaborative discussion about what we all see for the future of Melrose. So I, I have some, um... I certainly understand the concerns about a big search, but I also know I've had multiple positions on the city side that are critical; the fire chief, the director of planning, the CFO for the entire city, which had strong internal candidates, all of whom went through some sort of process in order to be appointed to their final position. So, I just bring that as a slightly different perspective. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Kelly, go ahead. Sure, thank you. Um, I think, you know, sitting here tonight, we've sat through six months of interviews with Ms. Berman. Um, I've not heard one complaint from anybody in the public about her.

▶ 1:39:24 In fact, tonight we had positive comments from the union as well as one of the l- uh, administrative of our largest building. Um, and both of them commented about loyalty. Uh, Mr. Merrill in his email to us talked about her loyalty, starting here as a 22-year-old and spending, um... I won't say the number of years 'cause I know- (laughs) ... we got some math people out there, but spending- (laughs) ... several years here, and then struck by the comments from- (coughs) ... uh, our union leadership who said that she has a knowledge of the district and loyalty that nobody else would have for Melrose. And I think that's... Both of those comments are incredibly, um, impactful for me. I also think, um,

▶ 1:40:08 we've got big issues ahead of us in the coming year, um, and we have somebody here who wants to be the superintendent, has demonstrated that she can be the superintendent. I don't think we could possibly find somebody better, who on her first day on the job would know who to talk to, who's the principal at the X, Y, and Z school, how to get the police chief on the phone if there's an issue. I mean, those are all things that I think we're very lucky that if, uh, we were to move forward with Ms. Berman and she would accept, we're in a really good spot. She had a very positive evaluation by every member of the school committee at our last meeting in November, so I think that that's there. And she's actively already engaged with the planning for the

▶ 1:40:46 unit's A, B, and C contracts. So, I think she has really demonstrated to me that she is a very obvious candidate for this position. I don't see a huge need to do a nat- uh, uh, certainly not a nationwide search. Mm-hmm. I mean, we're not gonna get somebody from California who's gonna wanna move to Melrose. Like this is not... Let's be real here. Um, uh, and then I think, you know, she's demonstrated, she's stepped up. I don't see that there would be a... Possibly be b- be a better candidate. And I also think it's really important, um, throughout my experience of hiring internally, that you've got people who you know they've demonstrated their ability to do the job, and I think it's okay to, to

▶ 1:41:26 Jennifer McAndrew: go that route. So, I would certainly hope when we, we sort of meet and discuss next that, uh, the first option wo- would be the consensus of the committee. Thank you. Ms. McKinder, go ahead. Thank you. Um, I just... I don't know if I'm being, like, extra reflective 'cause I'm coming on my time at the end of the school committee. God bless you all. (laughs) (laughs) Um, uh, but I just want to start off by saying, like, how, um, how excellent I think this committee is. I mean, I just listened to all of you talk about this so thoughtfully, um, and I know that everyone has, um, you know, the absolute best interests of Melrose and the Melrose public school students, um, at the fore of this conversation. Um, I think we have an excellent

▶ 1:42:14 Jennifer McAndrew: interim superintendent as well, who gets to sit here while we talk about, um, her future, which is... You know, this... These are always public hiring processes. Um, and excellent deputy, interim deputy superintendent as well. So, I just... I wanna thank everyone. Um, I thought I might just sort of try to capture what I'm... What I heard from everyone so far, um, what some options are going forward for us, um, and then I, I think I'll... You know, I'll say what, what I think we shouldn't or should, should do within, as well just personally, um, as everyone else has shared. So I'm hearing, um, you know, uh, some really, um, clear, strong support for a potential appointment of the interim superintendent to the superintendency permanently.

▶ 1:43:01 Jennifer McAndrew: Um, you know, there's the two options, the two paths laid out in the memo. That is certainly one, um, for... And I'm not gonna restate all the reasons that, that people have said tonight, but I think they're been really compelling. Um, there's also the idea of the f- the full, the full search. Um, I, I think I'm also hearing some, some concerns about the, you know, moving directly to the, um, to the appointment, um, and, you know, is there kind of another option. I... You know, I've been thinking a lot about this over the past couple of weeks, um, and, you know, I think there may be some things we can do within the two options, um, and I just kinda wanted to voice those out, um, before I give what my own views are, just because I think, um, it's

▶ 1:43:46 Jennifer McAndrew: worth kind of putting everything on the table, in terms of trajectory, I think. Um, I do think those are the main two paths forward. I don't really think there's, like, a lot that we can, we can or should legally stray from, but I did wanna say that, you know, in some ideas that we could consider, um, with the appointment of an interim superintendent, um, that is pending contract negotiations. That would be what the vote would be, if that was the vote. Um, and so within that, um, negotiated items could include, um, and again, this is all subject to negotiations, we could consider a two-year contract- Mm-hmm. ... for the superintendent. Um, most superintendent contracts are three years. Superint- current interim superintendent is already serving a first year, so

▶ 1:44:34 Jennifer McAndrew: that could be an option to do two years and sort of keep the interim superintendent on the three-year overall, um, contract cycle. Mm-hmm. Um, we could, um...... talk to the superintendent, even make it part of the, the contract, that there's, um, public listening sessions in January. Um, uh, for, you know, the, the new superintendent, if that's the will of the committee, if that's the direction we go and if that's negotiated. Um, we could also have a consideration within the contract negotiations of a public review of roles and responsibilities and job description. Um, uh, you know, putting that out, um, out there. Um, these are just some of the things I, I've been thinking about over the past

▶ 1:45:20 Jennifer McAndrew: couple weeks about, you know, is there sort of... What is the framework within those two options? Is there any sort of additional considerations we could take? Um, and then there's the, the search process itself. Um, I guess just to say where I'm... So that, uh... You know, maybe not in, not at that (coughs) . ... moment of no interest to the committee, but I did want to sort of put that out there, right? Um, I would say that, um, from my experience being on the committee, um, these eight years, what I do not think we should do is some sort of truncated search. I personally do not think that is a good idea. I don't think we should do, um, you know, kind of come up with another kind of search process.

▶ 1:46:06 Jennifer McAndrew: I think whether we love it, hate it, have been through it six times, five times, three times, two times, the superintendent search process in the State of Massachusetts is pretty well established. It's what's laid out in the memo. And people who are at the level of applying to and considering superintendencies in the commonwealth expect that process, and I think they have a right to expect that process. And so, um, you know, I, I think anything less than that, you know, maybe there's some tweaks we could do to speed it up, for example. But anything really that differs from that I think would be considered unserious actually in the field, and I would not, um, support something like, you know, a shorter

▶ 1:46:48 Jennifer McAndrew: posting or, you know, seeing what we... you know? I just... I, I think it's, um... I don't think that's a good idea. So, I'll, I'll say that's my own view. Um, and, you know, I'm... Just to say, 'cause everyone's been so generous in sharing their thoughts, um, I, um, want to continue to talk as a committee. We will talk next week at our next meeting, I know. Um, I, um, am, you know, really compelled by and agree with many of the comments that were made tonight about Ms. Berman. Um, I think, you know, as Mr. Kelly said, she's been interviewing on the job certainly since July 1 with us, um, but actually throughout her years in this district. Um, and I, you know, I just... I agree with much of what's been said.

▶ 1:47:42 Jennifer McAndrew: I'm not gonna add to it. I thought Ms. Rassou-Thomas's long list of attributes that she's looking for in a superintendent were quite good. Um, I would add to that someone who really knows Melrose, um, is actually incredibly unique qualification that we would have in Ms. Berman. Um, and, you know, I've been... Just to say, uh, finally, um, this idea of, um, change. You know, we've all mentioned how many superintendents we've worked with. Um, mine, mine is five. Uh, five superintendents, um, over eight years. Um, I, I also was thinking about this, um, the other day, you know, I've also served with four mayors, you know? We talk a lot about the five superintendents. (laughs) Um, four mayors, um, and there was a year, uh,

▶ 1:48:25 Jennifer McAndrew: where, um, in one election cycle, nine of the 11 city councilors turned over- Mm-hmm. ... in one year. So, I mean, the can-... And, you know, was... Mr. Hartman talked about the overrides and the... You know, we have had a lot of change, I mean, in the past decade in Melrose leadership across the board, um, and that can be great. Um, it... There's so many good things about that. Um, but one of the things that I was thinking about is actually, um, not so much the, the benefits of change versus stability, but, um, what else has happened during that time. Mm-hmm. And one of the things that I've seen happen is that some of our more junior leaders in the district have grown into these leadership roles during that time.

▶ 1:49:10 Jennifer McAndrew: Um, and, you know, probably eight years ago, they, they weren't ready to be a superintendent or interested in being a superintendent or deputy superintendent or the principal of the 6 to 12 campus, but now they are and they're serving in those roles. And I, I think it's actually a really terrific, um, testament to the community, to Melrose and Melrose Public Schools that we have these leaders who are in these roles now. Um, and I'm actually thinking about that, um, you know, w- we're talking about the superintendency now, but I'm thinking about all the other leaders who are in those roles now and the actions that I think the committee should consider taking over time. I, I won't be here after January 11th or whatever it is, but, um, you

▶ 1:49:52 Jennifer McAndrew: know, the... There are really important leadership changes that have happened and people who have grown into those positions, who love Melrose and who, who know Melrose. So, I'll just say finally that my, you know, my decision in this will be guided by what I hope I've always used to guide my decisions on the committee, and that is, um, what is best for Melrose and for kids in Melrose. So, um, thank you for listening to that long, rambling series of thoughts. Thank you. Are there any other comments as we discuss pros and cons this evening? Ms., Ms. Rassou-Thomas and then Mr. Hartman. Just, yeah, briefly, I, I think that the mayor has a very good point in terms of it's important to include the public in the process and

▶ 1:50:37 for it to feel like we have vetted someone, you know, like who's gonna be in the most important role other than the mayor in s-... In, in the city. Like, you know, you both have very tough jobs by the way. Um, so-I mean, I'm ha, I'm open to hearing ideas, but I also think, um, (clears throat) we should be really thoughtful about what we have, 'cause what we have, I think is potentially an outstanding superintendent who could grow in the role. And y- you have to have the traits in order to grow in the role, and you have to have good mentoring, and we still have John Macero helping, right? So, uh, but I, the last thing I just want to comment on, and then I'm gonna s- stay quiet and nurse my cold.

▶ 1:51:24 But, um, the only way you get to the point where you earn trust from people is over time and through experience. And that is just a priceless thing that we can't measure, is trust over time with people, including 400 educators. So, I just think that's a really powerful thing that we cannot ignore, and we won't ignore. And so, I think having the trust of the, the cabinet, if you still call it the cabinet, you know, having the trust of the leaders, having the trust of the educators. Um, there's no way everyone in this city loves you, and we would never expect that, 'cause that's impossible. I would invite anyone who has any issue with this idea of talking about a longer appointment, to give us feedback in the next week,

▶ 1:52:19 'cause we're not trying to do this in the dark of night. We want to know what the public thinks, but I don't, also don't know how we can change the process other than doing a full search, which Ms. McAndrews just talked about, um, and meet kind of the needs of what, the check boxes that you have, Mayor Jen. So, I would really invite the public to tell us your thoughts, please. Either come to public comment next week, or send us letters, call us. We, we're pretty available. We wanna listen. (clears throat) That's it. Thank you. Go ahead, Mr. Hartman. Um, thank you. And I, uh, didn't mention my gratitude also for Ms. Berman and stepping up to the role that w- that I think none of you, none of us expected for you to fill in, in that time.

▶ 1:53:06 And, um, it's been a pleasure to work with you through that. Um, I was thinking about Ms. McAndrews' comments about process and what we could do to, to potentially enhance this process, uh, uh, and, and make sure that we're respectful of the public through it. Um, as, I think, you know, many members of the public may reflect on this as, as a different process than what was expected. Um, and I, I think one element that is really important also that, that we haven't really touched on too much is, um, giving Ms. Berman a, a chance to, to, um, show herself to the public. Like, what, how can we incorporate that, uh, make sure that, that she has, um, that opportunity to, to also, you know, as we move through

▶ 1:53:45 it, showcase her time here in Melrose? I think that's an important element of, of what is included in the, in the process of a, of a typical, uh, superintendent search is there's an opportunity to hear from candidates, to hear from folks, um, running, trying to, to take that, to get that job. Um, so I think that's one thing we should consider in terms of how we, we're moving forward is, is hearing from Ms. Berman a little bit about her, her interest in it, um, and, and what she'd like to do. I, I think we all have heard that over the last few months, I think though, in a different context. And I think it's important to, to provide that opportunity for the public as well. So, um, I would encourage that to be part of our next steps

▶ 1:54:21 leading into our, our next meeting. Thank you. Um, Mr. Kelly, and then Deputy Superintendent, I'll let you round us out. Okay. Sorry. What? Oh, sorry. There's two Mr. Kellys. I just realized. Oh. Mr. Kelly is- Mr. Kelly on the committee- (laughs) ... and then Deputy Superintendent. We'll go to the other Mr. Kelly. Apologies, Mr. Kelly. Apologies about that. That was a confusing moment. Apologies. (laughs) Don't worry. Next year, it'll be Mr. Chairman. Yeah, I mean, that's the truth. (laughs) Mr. Kelly. (laughs) Um, just, uh, j- just two things I want to obs- sort of point out, um, where I think, um, for anybody that's sort of questioning, you know, wh- why hasn't a search already happened or what's been going on with this.

▶ 1:55:04 I know it's a lot to ask people to follow our agendas, but we have had executive sessions with Carrie Berman's name on them this fall. We've had a session where we did a review of her. So like, it's not impossible to stitch together, I would hope, from the public who, who would care so much that they'd be sort of paying a little bit of attention to what's going on just through what has shown up on some of the agendas. Um, I think, you know, I've had a couple people ask me like, "What's the process?" And I said, "Well, why don't you go look at what the agendas have been, and maybe you can kind of see what maybe some of the discussions have been." Um, so, you know, without going into any of the things that were discussed in

▶ 1:55:38 executive session, but those have been out there. And then, just the last piece that I, I've been reflecting on, um, through something that, um, kind of some of our more veteran members have, have talked about. I recall there was a recent city council meeting where, um, an outgoing councilor really thanked Ken Kelly for all the work he's done to sort of get everything going better on the financial side. I think, um, Councilor Garipay had, had said that. And I think it's really important to s- to point out that the finances are such a huge part, in that I think it's been pretty clear that we have two people that are working well together. And bringing in a new person could obviously, that new person could decide, "Well, they don't like that Mr.

▶ 1:56:18 Kelly," and- (laughs) ... or they just don't get along, or there's conflicts, and, and whatnot. So I think, you know, that's a, a, we, we know in the history of the, recent history of the school district, finances have been an issue. I think just seeing their working relationship for me, and this is the last thing I'll say, has been a, a very positive thing. So. Deputy Superintendent Kelly, go ahead. Apologies. Soon to be Chairman Kelley. Apologies on everyone's part. (laughs) So, thank you. And I know that the, the committee has an important decision to make, and, and, uh, this just purely for informational purposes. I would echo, you know, what's been said regarding Superintendent Berman. Um, and to Mr. Hartman's point about the public,

▶ 1:56:56 um, uh, getting to know Ms. Berman a little bit better, I see Ms. Berman every day.No exaggeration, she comes into my office daily to check in. Um, and I'm one person of 600 people and she sees me every day. Um, and I, I think that, uh, the other, Mr. Kelly's point, um, you know, Melrose budget has had challenges over the past couple of years. It is... The override is, is a, a huge help. Um, it is a lean operation, and that is something that Ms. Berman is completely at ease with. She functions well in it. She has relentless for high outcomes for kids. She has an extensive background, uh, reducing barriers for students and she's very good at it. Um, so, uh, just to add, I'm on superintendent four in

▶ 1:57:41 four years, um, but it wasn't something that I said. But, um, uh, you know, I just say that for informational purposes, um, uh, Ms. Berman is extremely visible. Uh, she's always relentless about being kids first and, um, I think that she understands the, the schools are an enormous source of pride for the city. So I'll just, for informational purposes, wanted to put that Thank you. Thank you everyone for your comments and discussion tonight. Uh, as we started off this conversation, the goal for this evening was to begin the discussion. I would anticipate that at our next meeting, which is on December 16th, we'll actually move forward with voting on a process so that we can also comply with the superintendent's contract.

▶ 1:58:26 Um, so thank you again for having the conversation together this evening. And we will do one more thing- (coughs) ... publicly in our agenda, which is any outreach re- reports. Mr. Hartman, go ahead. Um, I was able to attend for a short part of the afternoon, a wonderful robotics competition this weekend, um, where, uh, kids from all a- all across Ma- uh, parts of Massachusetts came to Melrose and did a day long competition while people were drinking hot cocoa and- (laughs) ... wandering around the city on trolleys and giving tours. Um, all these kids spent the whole day in the, in the middle school doing some excellent work with robots and having a lot of fun. So, um, I thought that was another great thing that happened within our public

▶ 1:59:15 schools. I know, um, some of our teachers were there supporting the program and really appreciate how much, uh, that program has grown within our schools. So just wanted to put that out there. Thank you for that. I've gone to a few of those competitions too and they're really awesome to just see students like shining and- Yeah. ... going through all sorts of new things that I certainly didn't know about when I was a student myself. Really big collaborative atmosphere. 100%. The teams were competing and collaborating with each other throughout the day. Anyone else? We have office hours, which is a perfect time for office hours this Saturday, December 13th from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM at Lake, Lake Carchara. And I will be there with Ms.

▶ 1:59:56 Jen Grigoraitis: Driscoll. So come on down and talk to us about our process. Great. Thank you for uplifting those two. Mayor Gragaris. Thank you. Not so much outreach, well I guess I'll be outreach on behalf of the administration and the City Council, but you'll see on the council agenda for December 15th that the city was successful in its application for, um, a Mass Office of Disability grant, which is gonna allow us to make accessibility improvements to the Horace Mann, the Hoover, and the Winthrop Schools. These, this was a co-effort of our Disability Commission, which is all volunteer led and our Department of Public Works. Um, and this was needs that were identified in our, um, ADA survey from a couple years ago that we've been trying to work through,

▶ 2:00:37 Jen Grigoraitis: but it's over $100,000 and, um, because of the tight timeline provided by the state, um, the work will likely be done by the end of this school year. So- Wow. ... that will be before the council for acceptance and action. Thank you. It's great, someone- All right, with that, this concludes our public session this evening. We do have a need for an executive session tonight for the following reasons. One, to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with MEA units A, B and C as an open discussion may have a detrimental effect on the negotiation and negotiating position of the school committee. And two, to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel Carey

▶ 2:01:19 Berman. And as a reminder, we will not be returning to public session. With that, what is the will of the committee at this time? Ms. Driscoll. Motion to adjourn to executive session. So I have a motion by Ms. Driscoll to adjourn to executive session. I have a second by Mr. Hartman. Ms. O'Connor, will you call the roll? Yes. Ms. Withy. Yes. Ms. McAndrew. Yes. Mayor Gragaris. Yes. Ms. Rossi Thomas. Yes. Mr. Kelly. Yes. Ms. Driscoll. Yes. Mr. Hartman. Yes. All right. Thank you everyone for being with us tonight. We'll come back together next Tuesday on the 16th. Thank you again. We will not be coming back to public session. (gavel bangs)

Original documents

• Minutes (CivicClerk PDF)
• Agenda (CivicClerk PDF)
• Agenda packet (CivicClerk PDF)
• This meeting on the city portal