This past week’s Wellesley School Committee meeting (Nov. 9) covered the gamut. Here’s a recap, though view the entire meeting via the Wellesley Media recording embedded below to fill in the blanks…including an update on anti-bullying efforts at the schools.
Bias reporting system on pause
Supt. Dr. David Lussier read the following statement:
“Earlier today I temporarily rescinded the bias-based reporting procedures within Wellesley Public Schools. This temporary rescission gives us an opportunity to fully review and upgrade the procedure to ensure it is both aligned with recent case law, including Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., the so-called ‘cheerleader case’ decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in June, and protects the important work we are doing here at WPS. In the near future I will provide the School Committee with an amended and updated reporting procedure that strengthens our ability to address and respond to incidents of bias and discrimination in a way that comports with the constitutional protections to which WPS students are entitled. In undertaking this review we renew our commitment to promoting diversity, equity & inclusion within our schools and to providing equal educational opportunities and a safe learning environment for all students, faculty, and staff. We also understand that this temporary decision may impact some of our students, staff, and faculty more than others. We acknowledge that those impacts have educational implications, and that we as educators and administrators need to be mindful of those implications. We also confirm that all district policies regarding bullying, threats, harassment, and discrimination remain in full force and effect. Students who witness or believe they are victims of such behavior should continue to report such incidents of bullying, threats, harassment, or discrimination to any WPS staff member or trusted adult in the district.”
WPS removed content from its “Responding to Bias-based Incidents” page, but it’s still available here.
The bias-based incident reporting procedures have been a hot button issue for those taking aim at the school system’s approach to handling racial and bias issues.
Masking update
The School Committee meeting began with several residents sharing their thoughts on the school’s masking mandate, and a related memorandum of agreement (non-updated version) between the district and teacher’s union. The public has also spoken out about this agreement at a recent Board of Health meeting, raising concerns that the agreement would lock the district into mask wearing throughout the school year even if the COVID-19 situation improves dramatically as younger children begin to get vaccinated.
The state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has extended the mandate through Jan. 15, though some districts are applying for waivers to drop the mask mandate.
Lussier tried to assure the public that the Wellesley agreement will not lock the district in, and that the opportunity for updating masking rules will be available through discussions between the union and school district. “The biggest concern that we’ve heard is whether or not this MoA reflects a mask mandate, that if we agree to it, masks aren’t coming off until the summer, and that’s really not the case,” Lussier said. The agreement reflects the current state, and the fact that the state hasn’t laid out ways to shift away from the mandate, he said.
Director of Human Resources Monica Visco went over a couple of updates to the agreement that make it more clear that terms within the agreement remain open to negotiation.
“Mask mandate next steps” is among agenda items for the Nov. 16 School Committee meeting.
Wellesley parents of young students are trying to do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19. Vaccination clinics for 5-11 year-olds to be held this week at Sprague Elementary School filled up fast, and another could be in the offing.
Vote of confidence for superintendent will wait
The School Committee ended its meeting by introducing a draft statement of support for Lussier (embedded below) on the heels of recent calls from some member of the public for him to lose his job in light of how WPS has handled issues such a bullying.
One member of the committee had to leave the meeting early, and one member who was supportive of Lussier wasn’t sure such a statement would send the right message. So the committee decided to hold off on voting.
Examining the contract for the SuperIntendant, this clause sticks out:
“The Superintendent shall receive a performance review… which shall be tied to the satisfactory completion of mutually-agreed District and Superintendent goals as well as sustained outstanding leadership of the District.”
It seems as if you listen to a large contingency of Parents with children in WPS they are NOT satisfied.
Well said, Ms. Eizenberg. This draft statement indeed sends the wrong message and good for you for pointing that out. Dr. Lussier’s management of bullying in the Ade and Godwyn cases is indefensible. A statement of this sort is tone deaf, and it insults the intelligence of the voters. Wellesley voters know we have a big school budget (we pay taxes and high rents and it is toughest for seniors to pay every year’s increases). Also everyone knows that the superintendent has a big job and a big salary. The size of his job is no excuse for failing, especially after he has had a decade of practice. Now we are in the Sunday Globe again, because of his failures on bullying. Time for Dr. Lussier to move on. Wellesley can do better.
According to Dr. Lussier, “The agreement reflects the current state, and the fact that the state hasn’t laid out ways to shift away from the mandate.” The problem for Dr. Lussier is that the state has laid out ways to shift and that is why many districts have already submitted masking waivers to the state/DESE. If a school building has a vaccination rate of 80% or higher, the district can submit a masking waiver to DESE. Why isn’t the WPS community told the truth? Why don’t we get accurate information from WPS leadership? Why would we sign a binding mask mandate right now, as our 5-11 children are about to get vaccinated? Why do other school districts have a staff/teacher vaccination mandate written into their MOAs and we can’t even get accurate teacher/staff vaccination rates in WPS? WHY?
At this meeting, Melissa Martin likened the relationship between the Wellesley School Committee and David Lussier to that of a corporate Board of Directors and its CEO. Had she expanded her analogy further, she might also have acknowledged that her company’s stock has declined in value under Dr. Lussier’s tenure, as indicated by the reduced rankings of the Wellesley Public Schools. The stock holders – in this case concerned Wellesley parents – are rightly speaking up over the losses in their investment in a school system they believe is failing their children in numerous ways and will ultimately affect their property values. It’s time for changes in leadership all the way around.