Paraprofessionals press for in-person training; parents back buffer zones and therapy-dog expansion
Summary
Public commenters urged the district for more interactive paraprofessional training and realistic safety drills, parents and CPAC members supported buffer zones in redistricting and asked the district to expand therapy-dog programs; the committee approved a motion to explore therapy dogs district-wide.
Multiple public commenters at the Woburn School Committee meeting urged the district to change practices around training, redistricting and wellbeing supports.
Nancy Rippel, speaking for herself as a paraprofessional, said paras this year had four professional-development days that consisted mainly of watching online modules alone on Chromebooks. "Each and every one of them, I've been watching videos and reading them by myself in front of my Chromebook," she said, and urged the district to provide in-person, collaborative PD, run realistic lockdown and reunification drills, and provide hands-on training for safety supplies such as stop-the-bleed kits.
A resident, Blake Goodwin, said he supports transitional or "buffer" zones in the redistricting plan to reduce the chance students will be moved repeatedly and to minimize family disruption during implementation. "I think there's a potential big impact there on moving kids across the elementary schools," he said, urging the committee to consider buffer zones to stabilize placements.
A speaker representing the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) described the therapy-dog program at Goodyear Elementary and urged expansion district-wide, citing examples of students calmed by the dogs and district pilots in other states that showed improved wellbeing and classroom engagement. "Therapy dogs are a high impact, low cost tool that strengthen every other support we offer," the CPAC representative said.
In response to public comment and further discussion, a committee member moved and the committee voted to explore what a therapy-dog program would look like across elementary, middle and high schools; the motion passed by voice vote and the item will be added to future agendas and the budget planning process.
Committee members thanked speakers for their testimony and noted staff will collect questions submitted at an upcoming redistricting community forum and post Q&A materials to the redistricting website for families who cannot attend.
