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Brookline School Committee adopts amended civil‑rights policy and approves MOU, MOA endorsement and an appointment
Summary
The Brookline School Committee approved a revised civil‑rights policy as amended, ratified a memorandum of understanding with Steps to Success that expands services and building access, endorsed a town‑school memorandum pending select‑board approval, and appointed Dr. Karen Schmuckler as deputy superintendent.
The Brookline School Committee voted to adopt an amended civil‑rights policy and approved a set of related agreements and an administrative appointment at its meeting.
Committee members debated specific language in the draft civil‑rights policy, including references to antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism, and considered an amendment to remove the policy’s first paragraph while keeping the second. After discussion and brief technical edits, the committee moved and adopted the policy as amended.
The policy adoption comes with a staff‑led rollout plan: district staff said they will deliver training this spring, provide a full training at the summer retreat with principals, follow up with administrators in August and continue iterative training and practice updates throughout the year. A staff presenter emphasized the district’s goal to engage students proactively about bystander/upstander roles in middle and high schools.
In the same meeting the committee approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Public Schools of Brookline (PSB) and Steps to Success (STS Inc.). The MOU formalizes an existing partnership intended to bridge achievement gaps for students from low‑income families and clarifies program operations and commitments, including a change expanding the program’s served grades from grades 4–8 to grades 3–8 and a practical provision to provide STS staff with dedicated desk/office space and year‑round ID badge access for programming and office use.
Committee members questioned alignment between the MOU’s term language and a related data‑sharing agreement, noting the data agreement contains an automatic renewal clause while the MOU was drafted as a fixed multi‑year understanding. Staff clarified that the data‑sharing agreement is set to auto‑renew while the MOU itself is written for the stated term; committee members said they would align the language where appropriate. The MOU also corrects the district’s designated data contact: because a previously listed position does not exist the district will designate the deputy superintendent for the office of teaching and learning (and, through that office, the future director of data and information systems) as the contact for data access and reporting.
The committee also discussed and voted to express support for a town‑school memorandum of agreement (MOA) pending mutual approval by the Select Board; members noted the document had been reviewed with the town administrator and would return for finalization following select‑board review.
Separately, the committee appointed Dr. Karen Schmuckler to the position of deputy superintendent for the office of student services for a three‑year term. The motion directed the school committee chair to negotiate the contract; members voted in favor and welcomed Dr. Schmuckler.
Votes at a glance - Adopted amended civil‑rights policy — motion passed (roll‑call recorded as 'yes' from the members present). - Approved PSB–Steps to Success MOU and related documents as amended — motion passed. - Expressed support for the town‑PSB memorandum of agreement, pending select‑board approval — motion passed. - Appointed Dr. Karen Schmuckler as deputy superintendent for student services (three‑year term) — motion passed.
What happens next District staff will schedule the training rollout and follow‑up steps described for the civil‑rights policy; the MOU and associated data‑sharing clarifications will be finalized as amended; the town‑school MOA will proceed pending select board review; and the chair will negotiate Dr. Schmuckler’s contract and return with final terms if required.
Provenance: Committee discussion and motions appear throughout the meeting transcript; primary topic passages run from SEG 001 through SEG 179 for the civil‑rights policy, SEG 188 through SEG 369 and SEG 434 through SEG 721 for the MOU discussion and vote, SEG 730 through SEG 830 for the town MOA endorsement, and SEG 846 through SEG 894 for the appointment vote.
