🏫 December 1st School Committee Agenda Preview

The Reading School Committee (SC) is meeting on Thursday December 1, 2022.  The meeting is being held at 7pm at the Reading Memorial High School (RMHS) library and will be broadcast by RCTV and also be accessible via zoom.  Links to watch are listed below, along with selected images from the packet and agenda.

The agenda (see image below) lists that the meeting will include the following votes:

• Second Reading of (and vote on) Policy JFABE – “Educational Opportunities for Military Children” (packet pages 109-110)
• Second Reading of (and vote one) Policy JFABF – “Educational Opportunities for Children in Foster Care” (packet pages 111-112)
• Review and Approve Updated SY22-23 District Calendar – HS Graduation (day moved from Sunday June 4, 2022 to Friday June 2, 2022) (see packet page 105)
• Review and Approve School Improvement Plans – Elementary and Middle Schools (Coolidge: p. 115-117; Parker, p. 118-120; Birch Meadow, p. 121-123; Killam, p. 124-127; Joshua Eaton, p. 128-130; Wood End, p. 131-135; Barrows, p. 136-139)
• Discuss and Vote on Revocation of Policy JHBA – “Skip Days” (getting rid of an existing policy wherein students involved in a “skip day” would be given a one day in school suspension)
• The usual votes to approve minutes and multiple different donations.

The packet does not contain any information on the agenda topic of “STEM CURRICULUM UPDATE”.

The first 100 pages of the packet are devoted to lists of donations to the schools and information on multiple school trips (RMHS Ski trip, Quebec trips for both middle schools, METCO director +student trips to visit historically Black Colleges, etc.).  These topics likely will not take up most of the meeting time.  Most of this meeting appears to be devoted to proposed and actual changes to Reading Public Schools (RPS) policies.  

Regarding all the policy changes – the packet has a nice memo at pages 140-141 (I have included images of this memo) summarizing what they cover.  Most are straightforward, but I have included as images the changes to the “student absences and excuses” policy, because these are the most extensive (and likely directly impact many parents NOW).  For example, one notable change includes developing a plan for students who have missed 5 or more unexcused school days.  Another one is that students who have missed 10 or more consecutive unexcused school days “shall not be considered permanently removed from school unless the Principal has sent notice to the student, and that student’s parent/guardian. The notice shall be sent within five (5) days of the tenth consecutive day of absence and shall offer at least 2 dates and times within the next ten (10) days for an exit interview with the Superintendent or designee, the student, and the student’s parent/guardian “ 

HOW TO WATCH THIS MEETING

The RCTV YouTube live stream link to watch the meeting is here

You can also watch via Xfinity channel 99 or Verizon channel 32.

You can join the meeting (or watch) via the Zoom link here: Join Zoom Meeting https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/83657021146
Meeting ID: 836 5702 1146