WILMINGTON, MA — Here are TWELVE things that happened at the Wilmington School Committee Meeting on Wednesday, September 23. The meeting took place inside the large group instruction room at Wilmington High School. There were two parents in the audience.
#1) Wilmington High School sophomore Dina Singh was introduced as one of the Student Representatives to the Wilmington School Committee for the 2015-2016 school year.
Dina gave a 10-minute report, talking about all the positive changes the school has experienced with the new high school building, touching upon the library, courtyard, 9/11 Memorial, cafeteria, lunch menu, auditorium, gym, indoor track, fitness room, soundproof classrooms, technology, wifi throughout the building, and AC and heat. She also discussed her feelings that WHS fosters an inclusive environment, accepting of people from other cultures.
“You gave us such a wonderful gift tonight,” School Committee Chair Peggy Kane told Dina after she finished speaking. “We can’t thank you enough. You can be an ad for the school system. I’m blown away.”
The School Committee gave Dina a round of applause and offered additional compliments.
#2) In her Superintendent’s Report, Mary DeLai announced that the embargo on the district’s 2015 MCAS results will be lifted at 12:01am on Thursday. (NOTE: Find a very basic summary HERE.) DeLai and her team will give a full formal presentation on the MCAS results and other evidence of student success at the School Committee Meeting on Wednesday, October 21.
#3) Superintendent Mary DeLai also told the Committee she would be attending two upcoming Middlesex Partnership For Youth events — the Annual Superintendent and Police Chief Breakfast on Thursday, September 24 and the School Safety Summit on Thursday, October 1 with nine other WPS personnel.
#4) Superintendent Mary DeLai announced that the 6th Annual Wilmington Educational Foundation’s Walk For WEF will be held on Thursday, October 29 for students in PreK through Grade 5. DeLai also reminded the Committee that Friday, October 9 is a CIT day — no school for students, but staff will be engaged in a number of in-service activities.
#5) Sue MacDonald, one of the district’s two English Language Learners (ELL) teacher, gave a 30-minute presentation on SEI Endorsement participation.
SEI stands for “Sheltered English Immersion.” In SEI, content area teachers teach academic content in English to English Language Learners. Core academic teachers are mandated to receive a SEI endorsement, typically by completing a grad-level SEI course consisting of 12 classes to learn how to properly educate ELL students in a general classroom. SEI Endorsement is required for teacher licensure. Starting next year, teachers not in core content areas will also need a SEI endorsement if they have an ELL student in their classroom.
39 Wilmington teachers and administrators have completed an SEI endorsement course over the past two years. This school year, more than 45 teachers and administrators are already registered for the course. While the course is offered at the Wilmington Middle School, teachers are allowed to take the class wherever it’s offered. Starting next year, teachers will have to pay for the SEI endorsement course. Previously, the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education funded the mandate.
“The actual premise [of the SEI Endorsement program] is wonderful, but the lack of flexibility and how the teachers are supposed to achieve this is terrible,” said Chairwoman Peggy Kane.
Superintendent DeLai concurred.
“I’ve heard from those who have taken the course that what they’re being taught is just excellent strategies for instruction, and who can’t benefit from that?,” said DeLai. “But, yes, the restrictive nature of the course is certainly a challenge.”
MacDonald noted that Wilmington currently has 33 ELL students. The predominate language among these students are Spanish (9), Vietnamese (5) and Gujarati (5), an Indian language. Statewide, there’s roughly 77,000 ELL students in Massachusetts, more than doubling over the past ten years.
#6) The School Committee unanimously adopted a new 3-year strategic plan (“Wilmington Public Schools Strategy For Improvement Of Student Outcomes 2015-2018”). There was little discussion, but the Committee had previously discussed the plan at two previous meetings.
Superintendent Mary DeLai announced the survey results regarding the school district’s proposed vision, mission and core values. With nearly 200 respondents, DeLai received some “helpful comments” and incorporated some of the suggestions into the final vision, mission and core values.
#7) The School Committee unanimously adopted four new policies — Physical Restraint of Students (Policy JKAA), Acceptable Use Policy (Policy IJNDB), Social Media Policy (Policy IJNDD) and Comunity Use of School Facilities (Policy KF). They should be posted on the district’s website, likely the School Committee page, soon. The adoption and implementation of some of these policies will require bargaining with the Teachers Union.
#8) The School Committee received a personnel report from the Superintendent. 52 staff members have been hired since the end of last school year, with a few positions still open due to departures near or after the start of school. DeLai announced the STEM Coordinator position, last held by Paul Monaco, will not be filled. Instead, stipend positions will be created to fulfill many of that position’s duties. Monaco just left the district on September 18.
#9) The School Committee received an enrollment report from the Superintendent. The district’s enrollment is down 64 students from last year, falling from 3,448 to 3,378. The final enrollment report is due to the state on October 1.
- Boutwell INCREASED by 32, from 129 to 161
- Wildwood INCREASED by 34, from 148 to 182
- Shawsheen DECREASED by 24, from 373 to 349
- Woburn Street DECREASED by 49, from 450 to 401
- North DECREASED by 41, from 320 to 279
- West DECREASED by 5, from 257 to 252
- Middle School INCREASED by 34, from 841 to 875
- High School DECREASED by 51, from 930 to 879.
- Out of District Placement INCREASED by 6, from 63 to 69
#10) The School Committee unanimously agreed to sign a letter of support for a $10,000 Lahey Clinic Mini Grant application written by Superintendent DeLai. The money would be used to train three staff members – two in school department and one in health department – to become certified instructors in mental health first aid. Those instructors would then train staff, parents and community members how to identify and respond to signs of mental illness and substance abuse.
#11) School Committee member Julie Broussard volunteered to be the Committee’s representative to the new Superintendent District Advisory Council. School Committee members Steve Bjork and Peggy Kane volunteered to serve on the collective bargaining team for upcoming negotiations with the Educational Assistants Association.
#12) School Committee Chairwoman Peggy Kane, the Committee’s representative to the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), briefly discussed their first meeting, and praised the group.
“I think parents who have special needs children would really benefit by watching what [the SEPAC] is doing,” said Kane. “They also have a new parent/caregiver support group that meets at Panera Bread.” Learn more on SEPAC’s website.
The School Committee next meets on Wednesday, October 7 at 7pm and Wednesday, October 21 at 7pm.
Watch the School Committee Meeting, courtesy of Wilmington Community Television, below:
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