Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the District Administration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Superintendent: DESE special education review, summer program planning and policy updates
Summary
The superintendent reported that the district's special education integrated monitoring review with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is complete and that results are expected in about a month.
The superintendent told the School Committee that Nicole Paris Groh, the district's director of special education, completed an integrated monitoring review with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and that results are expected in about a month.
“Nicole Paris Groh, our director of special education, completed the special special education integrated, monitoring, review with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education,” the superintendent said. The superintendent said the review included interviews with parents, administrators and teachers and that the district will share findings with the committee and the community when available.
The superintendent said the district is planning extended school year (ESY) programming for summer 2025 and is assembling staffing and programming for students who need extended support. The superintendent also reported that Nilda Irizarry, director of student and family support, is completing a review of the wellness policy and is expected to bring proposed revisions to the policy subcommittee in a week or two.
On cell phone policy, the superintendent said they have begun meetings with Longmeadow High School students in focus‑group style conversations to review survey feedback and that additional parent feedback will be sought the following week. The superintendent also said they attended a turf feasibility study presentation about the stadium field and described a spirited discussion about synthetic turf versus grass.
In curriculum, the superintendent said Beth Nelson worked with math leadership to map a course pathway from middle to high school, which will be posted on the curriculum website for students and counselors. The superintendent thanked Beth Nelson for completing the district—s Student Opportunity Act progress report, which was submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on March 26 in response to chapter 70 revisions.
No formal decisions or policy adoptions were made during the report; the items were presented as updates and planned next steps.
