Thread by @TracyNovick

The agenda for today's #MAEdu Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting is online here: doe.mass.edu/bese/docs/fy20…

The livestream will show up over here: livestream.com/accounts/22459…

and we're jumping in mid-public testimony, which looks like legislators

I see Sen @Jo_Comerford and @SenPatJehlen speaking

and Rep. Jim Hawkins, all speaking against the increase to the competency determination

In sum, concerns about directing students back into remedial courses, increasing dropout rates, and demographic splits in who is most impacted

followed by @massteacher president Max Page, who says he's looking beyond today's vote to the Board members being replaced by those who will make other decisions

@massteacher Says they have a fundamental difference of opinion on the purpose of education

@massteacher followed by MTA Vice President Deb McCarthy who is running through her fifth graders' experience over the past few years

@massteacher Joe Herosy reading a letter from Barbara Rose of Hudson who was on the Hudson School Committee
says her son failed both components of the MCAS when he took it
Questions relevance; says students have ground to make up

Sarah Bol special education teacher in New Bedford
"our students are struggling"
"having a conversation about raising educational standards and having a discussion about raising MCAS scores" are two different things
we do need to do better for all our children

Lisa Graf speaking on the budget on COVID safety
HVAC upgrades and outdoor spaces for meals
pool testing, rapid testing

and we just had shouting in the room at the mentions of vaccinations and masks being provided

Chair Craven welcomes the new student rep from Westford Eric Plankey and two new members
Farzana Mohamed of Newton
Tricia Canavan of South Hadley

Peyser notes inclusive concurrent enrollment program in expanding college access

bill on mental health enacted last week
$100M to continue skills capital grant program

and apparently there was a DESE memo this morning with DPH to districts this morning

(and this is it for me today)