[John Intoppa]: Yeah, I was going to say, if I can,
[John Intoppa]: coming from personal experience I know so for a lot of like the field trips yeah I agree that having those sort of expectations of what something may cost what I will say with like the proms is it changes year by year, because it's based on how much the class fund raises.
[John Intoppa]: And so that one is one that will always be kind of like a heaven full of like there might be a range but like.
[John Intoppa]: It really is like, we were able to bring it down below a hundred for the first time because we had very successful Yankee Candles, but then it can shoot back up.
[John Intoppa]: And so, you know, I think also there's also that thing of like making sure people are involved in helping with fundraisers.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: I just echo all the comments of my colleagues.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you both for doing all the work you've done to make the Medford Public Schools a better place for our students.
[John Intoppa]: The framework you guys have set up will continue to do so even while you are both in your respective roles.
[John Intoppa]: You know, it was funny, I think reflecting on the past
[John Intoppa]: not exactly two years of being here, you know, some of the two first thoughts I had was what exactly is Peter's job description because of the amount of hats that he wears and the amount of things he does, is he Marcont?
[John Intoppa]: What is he doing?
[John Intoppa]: And then the second, when I state, you know, oh, I work for the Metropolitan School Committee, it's like, isn't Paul Teixeira just great?
[John Intoppa]: Isn't he just phenomenal?
[John Intoppa]: And so you both really are very key figures in our school system.
[John Intoppa]: And I just want to thank you both for doing, you know, the work that you've done.
[John Intoppa]: Like the mayor said, it is bittersweet, but excited to see what you guys do next.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: So quick question.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you all for doing the work and trying to figure out this
[John Intoppa]: very large issue of space capacity that we have within the district.
[John Intoppa]: So I was not able to attend the meeting and I didn't get a chance to watch it yet.
[John Intoppa]: So I just wanted to ask a quick question.
[John Intoppa]: Was there a specific reason as to why the Missituk was chosen?
[John Intoppa]: Was it just because of the space?
[John Intoppa]: I just wasn't sure, because I know we have a good amount of, I believe, services going on at the Mississippi, so I just wanted to make sure that that wouldn't cause an issue of introducing another, like, again, just wanted to cover all bases because I just don't want it to, I just want to make sure that that was accounted for, and also the fact that those folks were consulted on that decision.
[John Intoppa]: Awesome, yeah, no, I think what I'm pulling from is, I believe it was, while we're talking about budget cycles, last budget cycle, the Missittuck came up quite a bit just because while there is lower enrollment in certain areas, there are higher needs.
[John Intoppa]: And so that's why I sort of was curious if folks from the Missittuck were consulted with, how much disruption, not disruption, but how much bringing it in would cause, but if that has been considered then.
[John Intoppa]: Awesome.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: I'm sure this all was answered in the meeting.
[John Intoppa]: It's just not something I had a chance to look at yet.
[John Intoppa]: So I just wanted to ask it on the floor.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Sure.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: My first question, right off the bat, so what, I probably should know this, but what sort of defines a club team?
[John Intoppa]: Is it just anything not within MIAA?
[John Intoppa]: for a club sport.
[John Intoppa]: Cause seeing it's more of like the fact seeing crew labeled as club is what throws me off a little bit.
[John Intoppa]: Um, cause we have like an official crew team.
[John Intoppa]: It has an organization that it belongs to.
[John Intoppa]: It's not MIA, but it's, it's more of a confusion thing.
[John Intoppa]: what defines a club sport?
[John Intoppa]: Because like, I know that we don't have like an official rugby team.
[John Intoppa]: We don't have an official Pulse McFrisbee team, but like we do have an official crew team.
[John Intoppa]: So I know that might confuse, I mean, it confused me, but it might confuse some members of the public of what that is defined as.
[John Intoppa]: Because I know like, I'm not sure if rowing is the only one that's not under the MIA umbrella.
[John Intoppa]: I know that they're under MPSRA, not under MIA.
[John Intoppa]: So I'm not sure if that's what the qualifier is.
[John Intoppa]: But I mean, obviously it still counts.
[John Intoppa]: That's the big thing is it still counts under this because it's sanctioned by the school and runs into that.
[John Intoppa]: But I think it was just more of like a point of information question.
[John Intoppa]: Right.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah.
[John Intoppa]: That's where my, that's where kind of my question was, because I know that, you know, when we were under, when I was on the rowing team, you know, it wasn't MIA, it wasn't part of that, but there's still a sort of a state competition.
[John Intoppa]: There's, and it's technically two different sports in the fall and the spring.
[John Intoppa]: but that was sort of what defines a club sport and also what does that mean for students who want to pursue the, because I love the independent study option.
[John Intoppa]: I think that that's phenomenal.
[John Intoppa]: And I'll get into that in a second, but that makes sense.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you for that.
[John Intoppa]: So I sort of, you know, I echo the thoughts I think of my colleague member Graham in terms of giving people more of that flexibility and choice, you know,
[John Intoppa]: We talk a lot about purpose-driven leadership when it comes to the Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility and students sort of picking that, charting their course, if you will, in how they navigate, you know, high school.
[John Intoppa]: And then, you know, if they pursue higher ed, you know, there's all these options of what you specifically study and all that fun stuff.
[John Intoppa]: And I know that we do it, I've seen the benefit to the,
[John Intoppa]: art school version of a rotation where you have students come in that wanna be two-dimensional, but then they end up becoming a glass major.
[John Intoppa]: And we've had discussions with our graphic design department and graphics department about students not realizing the full potential because maybe they're not done through that.
[John Intoppa]: Maybe like this is what they're interested in, but they don't realize the benefit of like working corporate graphic design or working public in terms of the way that they're doing what they're doing.
[John Intoppa]: So I think giving them the more flexibility there, I would agree to a lot of that, those choices in terms of, you know, we encourage, you know, we still offer health or we still offer PE, you know, you know, for four years, but, you know, giving yourself that flexibility where, you know, maybe if you could use that time to focus on the arts or focus on some other things within the CTE program like that might benefit, you know, I know that I think,
[John Intoppa]: The way we used to do it was it was two quarters health two quarters fitness or.
[John Intoppa]: So i'm wondering if you know when we're looking at scheduling if we decided that you know, because I still think a health program in the first year is essential, you know there's a lot of things that are going on, especially.
[John Intoppa]: we've gotten talks about, we've gotten emails from students about mental health concerns.
[John Intoppa]: And all of a sudden you're in high school and that's a whole different ballgame.
[John Intoppa]: And how do you navigate that?
[John Intoppa]: How do you know how to sort of cope with that?
[John Intoppa]: And so even if it's as simple or I shouldn't say simple, but even if it's as, all right, half the students as first years, you go to fitness, half go to health and then switch.
[John Intoppa]: Cause I think that's what we did.
[John Intoppa]: when I was in high school.
[John Intoppa]: What's currently happening, yes.
[John Intoppa]: So even if it's one per week for that, you know, like, or if people can choose to go on the track of, I mean, that might be even more of a scheduling nightmare of
[John Intoppa]: you know, they opt into staying for the whole academic year to be in PE, or they wanna do the switch, or they wanna, you know, just, again, giving them that flexibility.
[John Intoppa]: And I know we don't wanna create too, too many options.
[John Intoppa]: I know that that becomes then a logistics nightmare, and, you know, we don't wanna put a strain on our staff, but, you know, if there are students who, you know, are like, I think that I'm gonna go to college, and I'm gonna play football, and I wanna, you know, play PE, and I wanna stay active, and I wanna do that, because that's the course I wanna go, or even if they don't go through higher ed,
[John Intoppa]: whatever, you know, then they do that.
[John Intoppa]: Or, you know, someone's like, Hey, I got a lot of things going on and I want to know more about that.
[John Intoppa]: Then they have that option to do that.
[John Intoppa]: Um, so I sort of echo the comments, um, about member Ruseau and Graham of giving people that flexibility.
[John Intoppa]: Um, and if you already have the expectation that they're both running for the academic year, you know, it's just a matter of spacing in terms of classes, you know, like their health is always going to be running and PE is always going to be running.
[John Intoppa]: So then,
[John Intoppa]: or maybe I'm thinking about it too broad.
[John Intoppa]: I'm not gonna pretend like I understand what I'm saying.
[John Intoppa]: Then they can either stay concurrent with those two, I'm staying in health first half, second half, or I'm switching.
[John Intoppa]: So then that still benefits the plan that we're doing.
[John Intoppa]: I'm just trying to think more, I don't think holistic's the word, but trying to think more broad of again,
[John Intoppa]: we're getting close, we need to get the schedule down.
[John Intoppa]: What is the most creative fix that we can maybe pilot and see like, does this work?
[John Intoppa]: If it becomes a scheduling logistics, we know we've got to come back this time next year and go, all right, maybe we need to fix that.
[John Intoppa]: But I think we do need to stress because it could be miscommunicated that say we take up member Graham's amendment
[John Intoppa]: three years PE, two years health, that doesn't mean that health isn't only offered those two years, that that is just the requirement, and you have to complete it.
[John Intoppa]: I think for arts, what is it, one year?
[John Intoppa]: I did it for four years.
[John Intoppa]: I did orchestra first period every year, except for when they made it second period.
[John Intoppa]: and Mr. Zegna got really mad about it, rightfully so.
[John Intoppa]: So they, like just making sure the public is aware that that is the case, that it is still being offered.
[John Intoppa]: We're not taking gym away for a year.
[John Intoppa]: We're not taking health away for two years.
[John Intoppa]: Well, I think that's great because, you know, I think, yes, they don't exist.
[John Intoppa]: And, you know, we just had food allergy awareness week, you know, like, do we have a whole curriculum of health about how to deal with Narcan and epinephrine and all these other life-saving drugs that we don't talk about?
[John Intoppa]: Is there a health elective that is just life-saving medication?
[John Intoppa]: how to administer it, how to help someone in need, or how to help yourself.
[John Intoppa]: Is there stuff on sex ed?
[John Intoppa]: Is there stuff on mental health?
[John Intoppa]: It kind of gives it that for people to, for students to make that choice where they can have the option, but also to be comfortable with that option and to maybe, I want to
[John Intoppa]: you know, high school might be the place to learn of like, hey, do I wanna become a psychologist?
[John Intoppa]: Do I wanna become a psychiatrist?
[John Intoppa]: Do I wanna go into this?
[John Intoppa]: Maybe let me, or sports training.
[John Intoppa]: Maybe let me take that health class on mental health.
[John Intoppa]: Let me take that health class on life-saving medication.
[John Intoppa]: Oh, I didn't really enjoy that class.
[John Intoppa]: Maybe that's not for me.
[John Intoppa]: That helps limit my horizon.
[John Intoppa]: Of course.
[John Intoppa]: So I might have missed it.
[John Intoppa]: Was that part of the amendment, was there the talk of looking at health being offered in the first year?
[John Intoppa]: Then I don't.
[John Intoppa]: I was wondering if I needed to add another amendment or motion to amend.
[John Intoppa]: But if it's in that motion, if it is technically ingrained in that, thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Sorry, I stepped out for a second.
[John Intoppa]: But did we talk about what the salary range was going to be?
[John Intoppa]: Okay, because I do know I, I shouldn't say I know, but I'm pretty sure there's a new state law that we have to put the salary range on all job posting so I don't think competitive salary convention with experience will cut it I think they need hard fast numbers.
[John Intoppa]: So I just want to make sure we're in compliance with that.
[John Intoppa]: which I should have caught that for I think for some other ones we've looked at but I just am now hiring students for my day job so I know that I've had to put, you know, very specifically, this amount, this range of hours in order to be compliant with mass state law so just making sure that when we do.
[John Intoppa]: I know like you have here like bracket insert Medford public schools application portal I think that.
[John Intoppa]: Um, we just need to make sure that we have that salary range, however big it may be, you know, like you said, commensurate with experience, I think in order to just be compliant, we need to just have like actual numbers and we could be, we shouldn't do, you know, like, I don't know, like 80 to 160 K, but like that is technically compliance as far as I'm concerned.
[John Intoppa]: But I think like making sure we're as close as possible to what realistically is that.
[John Intoppa]: And then that I think has to come in front of us.
[John Intoppa]: I'm pretty sure.
[John Intoppa]: Um,
[John Intoppa]: OK.
[John Intoppa]: I think to simplify the amendment just I think the simple line of and other duties as assigned by the superintendent so that way it is clear where that instruction is coming from.
[John Intoppa]: But, you know, that is, I think my job description even says like other duties as assigned, which is pretty vague but I think including them at by the superintendent of schools or interim superintendent of schools will be
[John Intoppa]: So I think, yeah, that's what we said.
[John Intoppa]: Yep.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: So I'm excited.
[John Intoppa]: I'm excited to see the, that's the boring part, decrease in cost.
[John Intoppa]: So on the state side, at the state institution I work at, we actually use PaperCut as a printing platform, and there are a lot of positives.
[John Intoppa]: There are a few drawbacks, like you said,
[John Intoppa]: Internet goes down, what's good is that the way PaperCut works is it sends to all the printers.
[John Intoppa]: So realistically it's because it's tied to your ID badge.
[John Intoppa]: If you go to print to the nurse's office or on the third floor of C building or even in the Brooks, like it still goes through and you're able to print from wherever.
[John Intoppa]: This is a no means an endorsement of PaperCut conflict of interest law, but because we don't use it, we use it, but it's not an endorsement.
[John Intoppa]: What's also good is that we can set up specialized accounts.
[John Intoppa]: We know where the money's coming from.
[John Intoppa]: So there's way people can, if people hold multiple hats or hold multiple roles, you can actually assign different departments.
[John Intoppa]: So when you go in and you go to print, it says like from a dropdown, like from a shared department.
[John Intoppa]: So, you know, at my place of work, you know, I could say, oh, this is coming from student government, or this is coming from student engagement, or this is coming from housing and residence life, you know, wherever it will be.
[John Intoppa]: So the only, I think, pain point
[John Intoppa]: we have for users is getting used to loading money on.
[John Intoppa]: So I'm not sure how that logistical work, but I do think that this is the, from personal experience of using the paper cut platform, I do think this is a good print management solution.
[John Intoppa]: So I can put the motion on the floor to approve the recommendations.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: And thank you for the context.
[John Intoppa]: It's really good to know.
[John Intoppa]: We've done protocol, which I remember in the rowing team, there was protocol when someone got a concussion.
[John Intoppa]: My question is, so looking through, it looks like the sort of the pre-agreement that students have, I'm sorry, the specific language is the MIA Pre-Participation Sports Candidate Medical Questionnaire.
[John Intoppa]: Is that we just using that as a because I have a feeling this question might come up.
[John Intoppa]: Are we just using that as the standard?
[John Intoppa]: Or is it only for MIA sanctioned sports?
[John Intoppa]: or is that going, is that form?
[John Intoppa]: It is the, so it's on the second page, it's under purpose, it's under, I'm sorry, pre-participation requirement training, page four, it's like the big body paragraph, the first big body paragraph right there, where it mentions how the students, oh, it just says extracurricular athletic activities, okay, so.
[John Intoppa]: It's just anyone who's participating extracurricular athletic activities.
[John Intoppa]: It's not just specific to MIA.
[John Intoppa]: It's club sports, rugby, whatever have you.
[John Intoppa]: Correct.
[John Intoppa]: Okay.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: That was just, I didn't see that first sentence, I guess.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: That's my only question.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, it's no surprise to anyone that this is a huge, you know, aspect of my life as someone who suffered with an anaphylaxis, you know, tree nut allergy for all my life.
[John Intoppa]: I think it was actually the first meeting with that whole chaos of me coming onto the committee where I promised I wasn't gonna say anything and lay back and then ended up going into a whole tirade about how I went through therapy as a child.
[John Intoppa]: And I did that.
[John Intoppa]: I ended up going through therapy as a child because of an allergy incident within my elementary school where that was a safe haven for me.
[John Intoppa]: That was a place where I felt like I could be safe and eat food and not have to worry.
[John Intoppa]: And I found something with nuts in it in the school and it was being served by the school and I spiraled.
[John Intoppa]: And I was put into therapy for it.
[John Intoppa]: And that shouldn't happen to any child.
[John Intoppa]: And the school took abrupt action.
[John Intoppa]: I actually remember the vice principal at the time, Ms.
[John Intoppa]: Brenner, sitting me down in her office and made me look through all of the food information sheets.
[John Intoppa]: Didn't make me, but was like, this is everything.
[John Intoppa]: I would refuse to eat anything because I didn't trust it in the school system.
[John Intoppa]: And so we've evolved and we've changed.
[John Intoppa]: And yeah, it's real.
[John Intoppa]: Gen Z is showing.
[John Intoppa]: really alarming statistics of the increase of those with food allergies.
[John Intoppa]: And the awareness level does not match the increase that people are suffering from it.
[John Intoppa]: You know, some people still think hand sanitizer kills those germs, or I can eat it two seats away, or if I just wipe it with hot water, I'll be fine.
[John Intoppa]: And it's not.
[John Intoppa]: It's not okay.
[John Intoppa]: And you know, how do people use epinephrine, you know, auto injectors, my entire senior thesis was in epinephrine auto injectors and the lack of people knowing how to use them.
[John Intoppa]: And it's no fault of their own, they just weren't taught.
[John Intoppa]: So looking at ways that we can better make this aware, you start with a proclamation.
[John Intoppa]: I want to thank the Pellican family for sending this our way and making us aware of this and telling their story.
[John Intoppa]: But yeah, I just wanted to put this proclamation forward so we can get the ball rolling on, you know, better ways to make sure that the community is aware of how to deal with this issue.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, so thank you so much.
[John Intoppa]: And I actually meant to mention that in my whole, you know, speech on top of the speech of, so like many of us, I got to go serve lunch for, you know, I'm going to lunch service hero day.
[John Intoppa]: And I got to visit my old school, the Mistletoe, and they sort of gave me a tour of the building and I got to feel like, you know, principal for the day.
[John Intoppa]: And it felt really wrong to be back there because that was a no go zone as a student.
[John Intoppa]: And one of the things that I was really happy to learn about was that the nut, the, you know, the peanut tree nut free table is now the peanut tree nut table and where, you know, I used to have to sit there away from all my friends and I used to sit there and eat, you know, lunch every day.
[John Intoppa]: And now that's not the case.
[John Intoppa]: And that those students don't feel ostracized from the group and separated from the group because of something they can't control.
[John Intoppa]: So I was really happy to see that.
[John Intoppa]: And they showed me the bathroom that they lead the students to so they can properly wash their hands.
[John Intoppa]: So they're not bringing it back to the classroom where they may sit next to that student.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you Nurse Silva for bringing that, Director Silva for bringing that to all of our attention.
[John Intoppa]: It was really nice to see that on Friday.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you.
[John Intoppa]: In before care program school year 2025 2026 the 3% increase for monthly three days should read 122.57 not 112.57.
[John Intoppa]: I'm just noting that I understand that but I'm just noting that so if this infograph is sent out,
[John Intoppa]: that we correct that similar to the one that was mentioned for me.
[John Intoppa]: OK.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Sure, I just have a motion to sever the motion and the two separate motions, one for the approval to send it to discussion and then the other one to approve.
[John Intoppa]: They are two already?
[John Intoppa]: Okay, cool.
[John Intoppa]: I couldn't hear that well, thank you.
[John Intoppa]: I rescind.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: On the same aspect of Missitook, for that second five day, according to this, the price goes down by $2.
[John Intoppa]: Is that the correct rate?
[John Intoppa]: Because it goes from $5.52 to $5.50?
[John Intoppa]: Or am I just reading this wrong?
[John Intoppa]: For MEEP for the second five day, MISTITUC for monthly is 552, yearly 5525.
[John Intoppa]: And then on MEEP 2025 to 2026, that second five day is 550 and then 550.04, so it's less.
[John Intoppa]: Is that the actual rate or?
[John Intoppa]: Because the monthly and yearly are both, both options are less than what is the 2024 and 2025 number.
[John Intoppa]: So I'm not sure what the actual 25 and 26 number is, if that is the actual number, but all of them go up except for that one.
[John Intoppa]: It's more of a point of clarification.
[John Intoppa]: What is that?
[John Intoppa]: Is the 2526 number correct, or is the 2425 number correct?
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: I think that's the only one I've noticed so far.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Similar point of clarification.
[John Intoppa]: I'm assuming it's just another clerical issue of if you're looking at the before care program, the 3% increase is less than the 2% increase.
[John Intoppa]: It's more of an ask that I'm assuming it's my math is not awful.
[John Intoppa]: It's probably 122.57 instead of 112.57.
[John Intoppa]: So if that could just be corrected for our families at home, if they're using this as a point of reference, that would be great.
[John Intoppa]: On the back page, before care programs, school year 2025 to 2026, the number for 3% is less than the number for 2%.
[John Intoppa]: On monthly, for day three.
[John Intoppa]: Oh, I was just going to say that if there are no other questions from the committee that I can second the motion as written.
[John Intoppa]: I think that, you know, the addition of the
[John Intoppa]: know, clarification on who will walk at graduation.
[John Intoppa]: I know that that is a huge, I'm sure, stressful point for, you know, members of the community who, you know, that may be an issue for us.
[John Intoppa]: So, I'm just, I'm happy to see that that's inclusive.
[John Intoppa]: Passing of geometry, it's all pretty written out.
[John Intoppa]: So, I, if there are no other questions from the committee, then I, it seems like we do.
[John Intoppa]: Then afterwards, I'll second the motion.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Just a quick point of clarification.
[John Intoppa]: So on page three, this was something I was actually gonna ask and I completely forgot.
[John Intoppa]: So last bullet point, former MHS students without CD, is this,
[John Intoppa]: I'm assuming this is what this is, but I just want to clarify.
[John Intoppa]: So this is basically saying, if you did not graduate, you can retroactively apply for either a certificate of completion or a diploma, or is it just certificate of completion?
[John Intoppa]: Awesome.
[John Intoppa]: No, I love to see that because I saw, I believe I'm going to, I'm sorry, I'll talk less loud.
[John Intoppa]: So it doesn't echo.
[John Intoppa]: So I think I saw another district within the state or maybe even, yeah, head of the state because we passed the MCATs ruling, like really publicly mentioning this.
[John Intoppa]: So I think we have a lot of work to do to work with
[John Intoppa]: our MarCom team, as well as our alumni association to really push this and be very clear about, yes, it's an immutable basis, but we'll help you get there.
[John Intoppa]: So that way, you know, this is an unfair thing.
[John Intoppa]: We're fixing it.
[John Intoppa]: The state has entrusted us to fix this.
[John Intoppa]: Like, let's not, like, let's go back and do that.
[John Intoppa]: And just to make that very clear in any way we can.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you.
[John Intoppa]: That's really nice to see.
[John Intoppa]: And obviously I still second the motion on the floor.
[John Intoppa]: I also just yeah I really want to echo that point of like while these things
[John Intoppa]: I guess what I want to say is when this list is sent to us, I really do welcome any community input about a lot of these issues because like, again, while they may be small to some people who may be a little more able-bodied or may not run into these issues, it's good to know like if someone has like, oh, I'm not crazy.
[John Intoppa]: Like this is actually something that significantly impacts my mobility, or this is something that, you know,
[John Intoppa]: just the day to day like this is a small frustration like yeah my knees get colder like they get burned from that like this is, these are all really good things that I would hope that the community would also be able to take a look at and say I used to I frequent this building this is something that affects me on a daily basis I thought it was small but I'm not crazy.
[John Intoppa]: Just that little affirmation of like no this needs to be changed.
[John Intoppa]: And we acknowledge that.
[John Intoppa]: Um but II do want to get a little bit away from the like, well, it's a little small like it does seem small to some people but like it really is a huge thing for a lot of people's day to day.
[John Intoppa]: So, just welcome that community input whenever that list is made available.
[John Intoppa]: So, thank you to my colleagues for for raising that that concern and ask and thank you for doing the work and thank you for acknowledging it.
[John Intoppa]: Oh, my God.
[John Intoppa]: Oh, was I unmuted for that?
[John Intoppa]: Sorry, I'm yelling at my dad because he said something about it.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you very much.
[John Intoppa]: I appreciate it.
[John Intoppa]: And it's not, I'm not there because I'm gonna smile about my birthday.
[John Intoppa]: I'm not there because I just got back from New Orleans from a conference, so.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you everyone for doing the work and for meeting today and talking about the budget.
[John Intoppa]: Assuming this is a motion to go into executive session.
[John Intoppa]: Sorry.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, just one quick question.
[John Intoppa]: Just looking at the climate and especially with traveling and, you know, everything that's going on, do we expect that any possible executive orders or any of the already written executive orders may have an impact on the implementation of this program, just so that we're aware and we understand any risks that may come with it?
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Just wanted to just double check on that.
[John Intoppa]: Obviously it's ever changing, but for the time being, before we vote, I just want to know.
[John Intoppa]: So appreciate it.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: I don't really see any, uh, distinctions at the moment that I would change, although I would.
[John Intoppa]: Um, with respect to vice chair Graham push a little bit back on the on call manner, because as someone who has served in on call capacities before, I feel like being pretty blunt about the demand is almost better to, like, have it outright.
[John Intoppa]: Like, I understand the appeal and trying to make sure that it's phrased in a way.
[John Intoppa]: But, um, I think something about, you know, just general on call support.
[John Intoppa]: Maybe, maybe, maybe don't say 24 hours a day, because that I mean, it's kind of just implied with the phrase on call support.
[John Intoppa]: But
[John Intoppa]: I think being very, very blunt with that maybe, in my opinion, I think is a better course.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, if we could sever that amendment, that'd be great.
[John Intoppa]: I mean, I mean, I'm also I'm also open to amending the amendment and just saying, to just be available in an on call support manner throughout the year.
[John Intoppa]: as opposed to in an on-call manner, 24 hours a day throughout the year.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, no, that works for me.
[John Intoppa]: I think that's what I'm trying to imply.
[John Intoppa]: I think I was just held up on using the on-call support language and keeping that consistent.
[John Intoppa]: But yeah, no, that works for me.
[John Intoppa]: It works for you.
[John Intoppa]: I did.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Mayor?
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, I believe that was the talk that we had back in December when this is originally put that it would be bringing down from 10 to 15.
[John Intoppa]: And I also know Member Reinfeld had a comment, and this may be her comment about that number being changed.
[John Intoppa]: I'm open to amending and would encourage an amendment, actually motion to amend, to go from where it states lead results to go from
[John Intoppa]: Anytime 15 is mentioned to go to 10 parts per billion, because it looks like looking at Google and you know, whatever comes up, like according to mass.gov, it's still 15 parts per billion.
[John Intoppa]: But if that's in progress, and we can be progressive about it and get ahead of the game, so we don't have to revisit this and then say it's actually 10.
[John Intoppa]: I'm more than happy to amend the motion.
[John Intoppa]: So that way it actually reads as 10 instead of 15.
[John Intoppa]: Motion for approval.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, today replaced March 10th as far as I'm concerned.
[John Intoppa]: This may just be a small, so in the phrasing, is it, and you said roughly, but I just want confirmation.
[John Intoppa]: It's not, it's 60 cumulative, so there could be like 20, okay.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Just wanted to make sure, because some people may have questions.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: I'll also add that.
[John Intoppa]: Try.
[John Intoppa]: and broadcasting to YouTube.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Member Ruseau.
[John Intoppa]: So my question, so I know I had to do the disclosure because of my own cousin-in-law, long lost union.
[John Intoppa]: But to me, this seems like direct
[John Intoppa]: conflict of interest law, like the disclosure is only if you're not affected by conflict of interest.
[John Intoppa]: And someone may think that you, like, that's just my interpretation.
[John Intoppa]: So while I do think it would be, you know, beneficial, I don't understand how us voting goes around the law and what it's set forth by.
[John Intoppa]: I mean, I'm sure, I'm sure, Dr. Galusi, you've seeked, you know, legal counsel on this, but I just don't understand how
[John Intoppa]: Because if the mayor has to recuse herself, member Branley might have to both because they have siblings like that doesn't bring financial.
[John Intoppa]: It doesn't affect the finances of the household.
[John Intoppa]: And this does.
[John Intoppa]: Right?
[John Intoppa]: this training for like four years now and I just never knew of the safety net because it's been something that's been a concern of mine as a city and state employee but I'm glad to hear that because that makes sense there had to be there'd have to be some form of safety net built in because again like if everyone had conflict on the committee we didn't have quorum what we do um so yeah I just had a question that that was that was a question is how what is the the statute and precedent set forth by this so that makes sense though so thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, sorry.
[John Intoppa]: I just wanted to also, so thank you to my colleagues for explaining the voting piece, because that wasn't explained when I spoke with the attorney the other day.
[John Intoppa]: So this makes complete sense.
[John Intoppa]: So I just
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, I factored into every other conflict of interest saying we have to recuse ourselves, but that makes sense.
[John Intoppa]: So with that being said, I can second the motion.
[John Intoppa]: No, I think these two had it.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, mayor.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Um, yeah, I guess I just want to really support, um, voice my support of the thought of the sliding scale, the sliding scale option, as well as, um, director Petrelas mentioned the aspect of even bringing it from 275 to 250.
[John Intoppa]: Um, because I would, you know, I'm echoing really with the mayor's comments earlier.
[John Intoppa]: about affordability and making sure that we could sort of serve our community the best we can.
[John Intoppa]: And also the words of Member Reinfeld in terms of seeing more of a differential between the residential and method employee rate as well as the non-resident rate.
[John Intoppa]: So I believe you said that we can't make an amendment on the floor in regards to this to vote on it, to make it down or to even talk about bringing it down to 250, but I would like to see
[John Intoppa]: I would urge that decision to be made to at least bring it down to 250.
[John Intoppa]: Excuse me.
[John Intoppa]: I don't know what that is.
[John Intoppa]: Um as opposed to the proposed 275 because if that, you know, we need to look at cost of living for our treasured employees as well as, you know, the director of Petralas as a educator within our system.
[John Intoppa]: Um you know, making sure that we're able to continue to have staffing, comfortable staffing, as well as, you know,
[John Intoppa]: I would hate to see it go up.
[John Intoppa]: I think I would prefer to see it go up to, you know, 225 or 250 in that area as opposed to the proposed 275.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you.
[John Intoppa]: If I can clarify, and sorry if I'm mumbling, I'm trying not to talk too loud so we don't get feedback issues like I normally do.
[John Intoppa]: Like that.
[John Intoppa]: No, the amendment is more to look at, if we cannot implement a sliding scale, it was more to look at trying to keep the rate as affordable as possible for the residents and employees of the Medford public schools and to widen the margin between the non-resident
[John Intoppa]: option that is implemented from trying to differentiate the two.
[John Intoppa]: What's the specific phrasing?
[John Intoppa]: Not resident, non-resident.
[John Intoppa]: So it's to entertain both the option of a sliding scale to see if that will work or if the 225, 250 rate is more feasible.
[John Intoppa]: It's to compare the two and to see what that'll do.
[John Intoppa]: That was the point I made.
[John Intoppa]: It's not just me voting together, but to see which option is more feasible.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: I think my only amendment is also just to make, under discrimination, harassment, and bullying, bullet points one and bullet point five
[John Intoppa]: match up correctly because their bullet point one has some of the race, ethnicity, color, national origin, immigration status, but it doesn't include gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disability status, just just to make the amendment is to make bullet point one and bullet point five more reflective of each other, and just to make sure that they
[John Intoppa]: And then my other amendment was with number four, but since that is gone, there's no need for that amendment.
[John Intoppa]: But other than that, at this moment in time, I don't see any other amendments on my plate.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Here.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: Um, so it came up the other day about possible conflict of interest due to some familial ties within the schools, especially since we are going into union MTA contract negotiations.
[John Intoppa]: I'm here to say that after talking with the lawyer of the day with the state, they have advised me that due to the severance of how far
[John Intoppa]: We are in terms of, you know, being family that and because there's no financial gain on my end.
[John Intoppa]: The only thing I have to do is file disclosure of appearance of conflict of interest as required by general law 26 a section 23 b3.
[John Intoppa]: And I basically just have to file that that's been filed with the city clerk and I just have to read this on the floor and then we're fine.
[John Intoppa]: But I do not have to abstain from union negotiations with the MTA.
[John Intoppa]: This is just the thing I have to do in order to actually be a voting member when it comes to that.
[John Intoppa]: So it's basically, this is on file with the city clerk, but I basically am just an in-law relative to Ms.
[John Intoppa]: Jacqueline Gatto, the teacher at the Brooks Elementary.
[John Intoppa]: I'm a second cousin or first cousin removed.
[John Intoppa]: I'm not really sure to miss Nicole Sulo, teacher at the books elementary.
[John Intoppa]: I'm also technically a member of the math teachers association, but I'm in the association of professional administrators, which at the state level.
[John Intoppa]: So there's a completely different subgroup than the MTA Medford teachers association.
[John Intoppa]: My union gets no financial gain from any, you know, negotiations that happen between the city and the teachers.
[John Intoppa]: So we've read this on the floor.
[John Intoppa]: I'm fine to continue, but just wanted it in record.
[John Intoppa]: Um, and if people want to see the full thing, they can contact the city clerk, but thank you.
[John Intoppa]: And because of that, I have talked with a lot of parents, especially about the need for bringing a lot of our services in-house and how we need to have programs for students that can equal the playing field, have an equitable experience in our schools, because it's just not there.
[John Intoppa]: So I want to thank you personally for a lot of the advocacy work that you're doing and for coming here and giving your point of view and thought process.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you.
[John Intoppa]: over the years that I've been involved in the conversation that I'm just really happy to see where it's at right now.
[John Intoppa]: And I'm excited to see where he's going forward.
[John Intoppa]: Yes, yes.
[John Intoppa]: I know that some of our staff representatives from our nursing union were here earlier and they had sent an email asking for support because, you know, looking at how the budget's been and the positions that have been reestablished just really isn't doing it for them.
[John Intoppa]: And, you know, personally, you know,
[John Intoppa]: I have my full support for reestablishing the positions that we lost.
[John Intoppa]: That was one of the big talking points that we had talked about, or that had been happening.
[John Intoppa]: So I would actually motion
[John Intoppa]: to pull from the undistributed to either restore at least one floater position, motion to amend the supplemental appropriation of the 2024 just to give them at least, I know that probably having all four positions back isn't something we could swing, but I feel like having at least one other additional floater within the unit might be, especially because as it relates to question eight, with extending the day, we may need some additional staffing needs when it comes to that.
[John Intoppa]: Right.
[John Intoppa]: I'm sorry.
[John Intoppa]: I didn't mean to interrupt you.
[John Intoppa]: So then it would go from, so we lost four.
[John Intoppa]: We brought in one more.
[John Intoppa]: So then three were missing.
[John Intoppa]: We lost three.
[John Intoppa]: So then now we're missing two.
[John Intoppa]: OK.
[John Intoppa]: If I could just add, you know, I share very similar thoughts of minimal disruption, you know, in particular with students.
[John Intoppa]: When I think of who I would want in the role of the interim, you know, I want someone who
[John Intoppa]: I'm trying to figure out a way to really phrase this, but, you know, someone who during negotiations can work with our, with our, with our, you know, bargaining units, someone who can really work to striving some repairing some relationships and just working towards, you know.
[John Intoppa]: just again, like while we're going through all of this, just minimal disruptions.
[John Intoppa]: And I guess I just echo a lot of the same, but wanted to throw my two cents in there of, you know, observing behaviors, looking at who, you know, embodies that spirit of the Mustang Way and the spirit of who can lead, you know, the district in this interim period and possibly, you know, if they choose to apply and get appointed through the search.
[John Intoppa]: So those are my thoughts.
[John Intoppa]: Could I just, you know, point of clarification ask how, because we mentioned us all giving nominations.
[John Intoppa]: So, if our nominations differ, how do we go about.
[John Intoppa]: Presenting that effectively and how do we do that as a motion?
[John Intoppa]: Do we just do we vote on.
[John Intoppa]: Do we do 7 different motions is that 1 motion to a point if you could just clarify that would be great.
[John Intoppa]: So I fully understand what is going on.
[John Intoppa]: Yes, I would like to additionally nominate Mr. Paul Teixeira to be our interim superintendent of schools.
[John Intoppa]: I really liked Member Ruseau's language of, I believe, effective January 18th through June 30th, 2026, contingent on a successful contract negotiation.
[John Intoppa]: Teixeira.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, I don't think that's going to change, so it's fine leaving it as is.
[John Intoppa]: Oh, okay, I understand.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: If I could just say really quick before everyone leaves, I have a long history with Medford rowing.
[John Intoppa]: I actually was on one of the inaugural middle school sculling teams.
[John Intoppa]: So I actually learned how to scull before sweeping and went through the team in my seventh grade year and eighth grade year at the Andrews and then all four years of high school.
[John Intoppa]: I don't remember a time we've meddled this grand.
[John Intoppa]: First of all, during the fall season, kudos to you for being able to do that in a fall season, rolling those three miles up to the start and then the three miles all the way back and still being able to pull ahead.
[John Intoppa]: That's absolutely insane.
[John Intoppa]: But I was super proud and super impressed just to see this from
[John Intoppa]: you know, my time as a rower, my time as a coxswain at this height, which was crazy.
[John Intoppa]: Um, but then also my time as a coach during the pandemic.
[John Intoppa]: And then now like my favorite time of the year is getting to come and dock Marshall, the mayor's cup.
[John Intoppa]: Um, and I just, just absolutely so proud of you all just keep doing what you're doing and just see this.
[John Intoppa]: I didn't even think about it.
[John Intoppa]: So I was sitting here, this grand of an achievement in the fall season,
[John Intoppa]: just keep doing what you're doing.
[John Intoppa]: I'm so happy to see the team still going strong, even through the pandemic, now that we're, you know, where we are now.
[John Intoppa]: So just congratulations and keep doing what you're doing.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Sure.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: I think it goes without saying why this is on the agenda and why this is being proposed.
[John Intoppa]: A lot of what this does is it affirms the actions we have taken to the ongoing incident with the lead being discovered in our school buildings.
[John Intoppa]: And it takes the recommendations of the MWRA and the state of Massachusetts, as well as some federal guidelines and determinations of
[John Intoppa]: frequency of testing, what happens if we identify that there is presence of said metals in the buildings.
[John Intoppa]: I will say just for point of clarification in the policy reading, the policy states for in the presence of lead results in the range of one to less than 15 ppb.
[John Intoppa]: And then there is there is a less than sign just to that just is mainly also for the copper level because there
[John Intoppa]: wasn't an identifiable range.
[John Intoppa]: Obviously, the pipes are made of copper.
[John Intoppa]: It's more of like one that starts to really, really leak into the water, usually due to age, if I'm not mistaken.
[John Intoppa]: So it's just a matter of making sure that once it hits 1,300, that's when they need to be disabled.
[John Intoppa]: And there wasn't really like a safe, like, oh, it's hand washing only.
[John Intoppa]: I couldn't find that anywhere, which is why it's a little less detailed.
[John Intoppa]: But this is to,
[John Intoppa]: reaffirm our commitment to making sure our community is informed, to making sure that it is clear the action to take when this is discovered, and how long we should be really kicking it into gear.
[John Intoppa]: But I don't think I really have any further comments.
[John Intoppa]: I welcome as many questions as there are.
[John Intoppa]: I don't, maybe, hold on.
[John Intoppa]: It's just disabled as in like it cannot, that was following the guidance of what we followed through our testing and through what we've been doing, where if it was above 15 parts per billion, the fixture was disabled until we could figure out a cause.
[John Intoppa]: And so it's not, it's removed, not physically.
[John Intoppa]: And that, if that, maybe I'm misunderstanding the phrasing.
[John Intoppa]: But the idea was that that was way too high of a level of lead and that it could not be used.
[John Intoppa]: And that furthers the philosophy that we've been using of we want to make sure that even if flushing is available, we cannot be certain that that is happening at an adequate time.
[John Intoppa]: And we need to just take proper action.
[John Intoppa]: So that is following the philosophy of what we are currently doing.
[John Intoppa]: And that is a concern of mine.
[John Intoppa]: And I agree with that philosophy of, even if it's flushing, like, let's just get it down until we can figure out the best way to do it.
[John Intoppa]: Because it's not even like a comment of, there's no good faith that people don't know how to time it or people know how to do it, but it's just not giving the opportunity for that to possibly happen.
[John Intoppa]: And I hope that clarifies the understanding.
[John Intoppa]: The ranges were through the MWRA.
[John Intoppa]: And then it was mainly to reaffirm the ranges with the MWRA as well as, so according to the 310CMR2, the Massachusetts drinking water regulations as well as what we have been doing with the recommendation from UMass Amherst and MassDEP.
[John Intoppa]: And if I may, that is why I really appreciate the, and it was, it crossed my mind as writing the policy to put the frequency to a year just to see, I have a hope and a feeling that we will not have to go into that realm of testing everyone twice a calendar year if it's lead detected after we fix and solve the issue that is happening within our schools now.
[John Intoppa]: because those are a lot of areas impacted.
[John Intoppa]: And I'm hoping that once that is fixed, we won't have to go into the realm of doing it every year, once a year, as stated in the policy, which is why also they're separated between two and four of the priority of really making sure ones that we are consuming are being tested.
[John Intoppa]: And that range comes from also, I believe was the MWR's range of three to five years for just testing in general.
[John Intoppa]: And so around the side of caution of doing two and four.
[John Intoppa]: So I appreciate that, because again, if we find that we do not simply have the people power or the funds to do this at this frequency, we at least know that we've done our part to help fix the issue we have now.
[John Intoppa]: And then we can revisit it and figure out what the problem is and how to amend that.
[John Intoppa]: No, 100%.
[John Intoppa]: To me, if I may, Mayor, the part of the
[John Intoppa]: policy where it says what the plan is has already been started.
[John Intoppa]: So to me, this is the start of that two-year cycle of we've already done all the testing.
[John Intoppa]: So if the policy is enacted, we are already within that cycle.
[John Intoppa]: So we now have two years to retest.
[John Intoppa]: That's when that started.
[John Intoppa]: And I think that that is a comfortable date to start.
[John Intoppa]: because we did it.
[John Intoppa]: We tested them all.
[John Intoppa]: We're going to have to keep testing them to make sure that our solutions are permanent solutions, that we didn't just fix a small issue, that we actually got down to the root of the problem.
[John Intoppa]: We figured it out.
[John Intoppa]: Good.
[John Intoppa]: But in my eyes, that two-year calendar has started.
[John Intoppa]: And if we have to push it to be in two more years when it gets like that's when it officially gets, whatever.
[John Intoppa]: I don't understand the logistics of that quite yet.
[John Intoppa]: But to clarify that, that is my thought process with it.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, I just wanted to say, you know, in
[John Intoppa]: in that same vein as we were talking about, about, you know, the arts department, how do we work with them?
[John Intoppa]: My point was actually going to be about the graphic design department who I've had the fortunate ability to work with as a student in doing stuff with the Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility.
[John Intoppa]: But this may not be a, maybe not a topic for tonight, but the question of,
[John Intoppa]: we're seeing enrollment in the graphic design department and possibly helping alleviate that sort of wait list, you know, if we can get more people into the graphic design department.
[John Intoppa]: As you know, we have two educators in there, making sure we're not overwhelming them.
[John Intoppa]: But I know that in my time as a student at MassArt, I was a design major, but I was not in the
[John Intoppa]: Graphic design department, but they switched from graphic design to calm design communication design and doing so.
[John Intoppa]: brought a bit more of opportunity for their students, mainly our.
[John Intoppa]: students who are from other countries, because that helps with visas.
[John Intoppa]: By changing it to com design and by changing some of the GL class identifications, it actually makes it part of STEM in some way.
[John Intoppa]: So that may open us up to some other grant opportunities, whether that be a future educator who's a visiting artist or maybe a part-time employee
[John Intoppa]: but also to upgrade what we have as a shop.
[John Intoppa]: So that discussion of possibly, and when you change the comm design is more, I guess, theory based and it is more, you know, a lot of the education is more surrounding the whys and strategy which when folks go if they choose to go to places like MassArt or other higher education institutions,
[John Intoppa]: It almost better serves them if they are getting that communication design, which is still very similar graphic design education, but it almost gears them up more for that thing.
[John Intoppa]: I know like, you know, it's one of the smallest here, but at SR it's the largest department.
[John Intoppa]: And I don't think people fully realize the benefits to a graphic designer communication design education.
[John Intoppa]: I don't think people view it too much as an art thing.
[John Intoppa]: But I know some institutions, it's almost looked down upon in their vocational schools.
[John Intoppa]: But I feel like the opportunities are very, I mean, you can't go anywhere without a graphic designer.
[John Intoppa]: Everyone's hiring them.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: I mean, I also just wanted to share my love for Director Intoppa.
[John Intoppa]: Francis is phenomenal.
[John Intoppa]: But also, I guess it's a question for you, Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: So we heard concerns about
[John Intoppa]: This being a huge undertaking and using this to train our administration as well.
[John Intoppa]: Wouldn't we have to vote yes on this anyways to give her.
[John Intoppa]: To be able to allow her to train school members or in any way, like, would we have to allow.
[John Intoppa]: Um, consolidation language for support regardless to enact that or to, um.
[John Intoppa]: Give her some of those, those resources to train staff and to make that happen.
[John Intoppa]: I have no doubt.
[John Intoppa]: That wasn't, I'm sorry, that wasn't the point of my question.
[John Intoppa]: That was just a hypothetical, just like a question of if that route were to be explored, where it was just a support and like a training factor, if we needed to take that vote anyways.
[John Intoppa]: That was just my question, but no, I completely understand and I can only imagine.
[John Intoppa]: But it sounds like Superintendent Edouard-Vincent has some pointers or Member Olapade.
[John Intoppa]: I'm not sure.
[John Intoppa]: I'm not sure.
[John Intoppa]: But I yield my time.
[John Intoppa]: I was just going to make another amendment to, um.
[John Intoppa]: A lot of the temporary work until January 1 alongside sending its committee.
[John Intoppa]: But, um, that's dependent on if you want to.
[John Intoppa]: Take the amendment or not, but just to revisit it, if it's as dire as you're saying, and I are the same, you know, if this is unauthorized work.
[John Intoppa]: You know, I don't, I can't wrap my head around that right now, but if this is work that needs to be directly done and needs to make, ensure that our families are getting the needs that they need, then I would be comfortable authorizing temporarily to be revisited on January 1 after findings from the subcommittee.
[John Intoppa]: And that's the, I motion to amend that original motion.
[John Intoppa]: I was just going to say that I accept the amendment to the amendment of including the language of July 1 through December 31.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Second.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: And thank you, Mayor, for also the clarification on the possible, the fact that we just still don't know what's going on.
[John Intoppa]: And I find that deeply unsettling, and we gotta figure that out.
[John Intoppa]: My questions with the data presented, do we know,
[John Intoppa]: It's listed here, the Medford High Complex is listed as one item line.
[John Intoppa]: Do we know the breakdown of faucets or fixtures, I guess is the better phrase, that are impacted in the high school versus the vocational buildings?
[John Intoppa]: Do we know the proportional difference between the two if one was more impacted than the other?
[John Intoppa]: Okay, no, that was just one question.
[John Intoppa]: OK, cool.
[John Intoppa]: No, I just wanted a clarification on that.
[John Intoppa]: And then also curious as to why, looking at the numbers again, why the two middle schools with the Andrews being impacted the most with above 15 parts per billion with 52 fixtures affected and the McGlynn Middle School with 33.
[John Intoppa]: I guess that has to go with the investigation when it comes to why it's happening and what it's happening.
[John Intoppa]: But that is a stark number and difference compared to the rest of our schools.
[John Intoppa]: So I'm not sure what that says for the data, but I just want to make a comment about that.
[John Intoppa]: And then in terms of turnaround with data, do we know what the appropriate time is?
[John Intoppa]: Because the last number I saw was June.
[John Intoppa]: Do we know when the turnaround is for when we should be getting this?
[John Intoppa]: Like when we do testing, how long does it take to usually get results back?
[John Intoppa]: Sounds good.
[John Intoppa]: I think that's all I have, but just wanted to thank MassDV for doing this great work and for helping us figure this all out.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, that's all I have to say.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Hello?
[John Intoppa]: Is this still feedbacking?
[John Intoppa]: No, we're good.
[John Intoppa]: Second.
[John Intoppa]: I sort of piggyback, thank you, Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: I also piggyback the comments of my peers surrounding the MCAS.
[John Intoppa]: I used to be joked about that I was gonna run for school committee when I was at the Missatuck because I was so against the MCAS and it's actually my grandfather who was a long time educator in Wilmington retired early because of this becoming a requirement for graduation.
[John Intoppa]: I've also heard horror stories of students who were capable and were great students, but you know,
[John Intoppa]: due to whatever, you know, it's an equity issue.
[John Intoppa]: It's a quality issue of accessibility and they could not, almost did not graduate because of that.
[John Intoppa]: So I am very much in support of that first question, 100% of, not to, I mean, I was able to afford higher education because of the MCAS because I was able to get a scholarship because of it.
[John Intoppa]: So I'm very fortunate and privileged that that was a thing.
[John Intoppa]: So yes, the unfortunate misconception that we're just getting rid of it and like, what happened?
[John Intoppa]: if we get rid of it.
[John Intoppa]: We're just getting rid of it as a requirement to move on to higher education or wherever you may want to go.
[John Intoppa]: So for question two, I'm a huge, huge supporter of that.
[John Intoppa]: So yeah, thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Member Intapa?
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: This probably isn't an important question.
[John Intoppa]: This is just me being curious.
[John Intoppa]: What CAD program are they teaching the kids?
[John Intoppa]: Are they teaching them SolidWorks?
[John Intoppa]: I have no idea what the name of the program is.
[John Intoppa]: Because it looks like the program that I was taught in college.
[John Intoppa]: So the fact that we're teaching these students such a, I mean, like it might not be, but it looks just like that program.
[John Intoppa]: I use it at a college level and at an industry level.
[John Intoppa]: So I just want to...
[John Intoppa]: I wish I had that when I was, like, that's crazy.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah.
[John Intoppa]: That's the only time you can get, but it's... I wanted to take that, I'm sorry, my mic is echoing.
[John Intoppa]: everywhere um i'll speak softer um i just want to echo how great that is um because again like this is these are this is the time to learn these programs and you know it'll excel the future um through that so that i just wanted to send my regards is awesome thank you great thank you very much
[John Intoppa]: Point of clarification.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Sorry.
[John Intoppa]: Point of clarification.
[John Intoppa]: My sincerest condolences to the family of Robin Irving, who was a McGlynn Middle School educator.
[John Intoppa]: Just wanted to point that out.
[John Intoppa]: I also just wanted to say real quickly, because I know some of his family might be on the call and as a representative of the class of 2019, just really echo my sincere condolences to the family of Wade.
[John Intoppa]: I've been trying to figure out how to really feel about this whole situation as we've all seen it play out.
[John Intoppa]: But I wanted to just tell a quick story because I feel like it's an important message.
[John Intoppa]: I know it's late, but I'll make it quick.
[John Intoppa]: When the class lost a Pervative Coda in 2019, we were all extremely grief-stricken.
[John Intoppa]: And about two years later, Wade actually reached out to me because he had known me working on scholarship.
[John Intoppa]: And he was like, hey, man, I'm sorry to bother you on your personal.
[John Intoppa]: I was like, it's fine.
[John Intoppa]: You can always reach out.
[John Intoppa]: And he was like,
[John Intoppa]: I'm really, you know, I was really close with him and I really wanted to do something for him.
[John Intoppa]: And I don't know what to do, but I really want to do this thing that as a man of faith, he wanted to do a proxy baptism.
[John Intoppa]: And he had said, you know, but I really want to make sure I do this right.
[John Intoppa]: And I really want to make sure that I go through the proper channels and I talk with the family because, you know, I could go to their door if I wanted to.
[John Intoppa]: But, you know, I don't I don't want to do this right.
[John Intoppa]: And so we talked with the family and we we got their approval and he went through with it.
[John Intoppa]: He was able to do it.
[John Intoppa]: But, you know, something that Wade really stood for, you know.
[John Intoppa]: making sure we care for and consider for and love one another even when no one is looking because he didn't have to do that but he did and he made sure that he was at peace and the family was at peace through no incidentals and i really just employ everyone listening that as we sort of navigate this grief to use the power of community and to check in on one another
[John Intoppa]: And I implore you all to text or reach out to in any way that you can, however you feel like you can, to someone you haven't talked to in a while.
[John Intoppa]: And to just really, really build that sense of community through what we have.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: So moved.
[John Intoppa]: And thank you everyone for giving this valuable information.
[John Intoppa]: I think, you know, from what it sounds like the city, your program is a phenomenal program to help, you know, professionally develop students, you know, at a time in their life after high school, uh, my initial concern was about the funding portion, but the a hundred thousand or the 200,000 and, you know, scraping from revolving funds or from the before and after school program, because I know we're still, we're, it's on the agenda tonight to talk about the budget and we're, you know,
[John Intoppa]: It's not ideal what we're doing in the budget, and we're trying to fit in a $100,000, possibly $200,000 program.
[John Intoppa]: that I don't know if spend budgeted for in the budget.
[John Intoppa]: And that part sort of just concerns me a little bit, I guess, to put it out there before we vote.
[John Intoppa]: And also, is this vote to start negotiations, to start talks, or is this vote to approve the actual program?
[John Intoppa]: Because while it seems like an amazing program, and from what I could tell, it really is, I just have concerns about bringing it in a time
[John Intoppa]: where we're doing layoffs and scraping revolving funds to just get by for a level service, and we're trying to introduce more.
[John Intoppa]: So I'm sorry to be so negative about that, but that's just sort of where my concerns are at.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Abstain.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: I second.
[John Intoppa]: Second.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you vice chair.
[John Intoppa]: Graham Jerry.
[John Intoppa]: I just want to take a moment and make a few thank yous 1 for creating this detailed report and giving a history lesson.
[John Intoppa]: So that someone who missed everything and may have been like, wait, what happened?
[John Intoppa]: And, you know.
[John Intoppa]: This tells the story of what happened and sort of what's been going on.
[John Intoppa]: So I really want to thank you.
[John Intoppa]: I was actually talking to someone the other day about transparency and with budgeting.
[John Intoppa]: And they were like, well, is it going up?
[John Intoppa]: Is transparency going down?
[John Intoppa]: I'm like, it seems like it's going up with the packet I just received.
[John Intoppa]: We're getting all this information.
[John Intoppa]: And that's conversations on record, all these things.
[John Intoppa]: So just thank you.
[John Intoppa]: And to also hear that.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, of course.
[John Intoppa]: I also want to say, as I
[John Intoppa]: I don't want to sound nonchalant when I talk about cuts, but I do want to acknowledge that these are people's lives and positions.
[John Intoppa]: So I don't want it to seem so casual when I, when we discuss this.
[John Intoppa]: Um, so I want to acknowledge that and all the people who made their voices heard, but Jerry, just a quick question.
[John Intoppa]: So in here with page 13, it talks about adding back positions that were cut.
[John Intoppa]: Um,
[John Intoppa]: So the, and maybe I just misread.
[John Intoppa]: So this is why, this is why we asked the questions.
[John Intoppa]: Um, so the performing arts director, the assistant director of athletics, are those all positions now funded through the budget because they're not listed here anymore?
[John Intoppa]: So the director of performing arts is still is still out.
[John Intoppa]: Understood.
[John Intoppa]: Okay.
[John Intoppa]: Um, just wanted to double check because as much as I just talked about transparency, that just wasn't clear and wanted to double check with that.
[John Intoppa]: Um, I think at this moment, that's all I have, but if another question arise, I will let it be.
[John Intoppa]: I was hoping to possibly make an amendment to also add into the language to find a way to increase the stipend pay for the band director with the idea that the pay that it is at may not be attractive to external candidates and that there will be a significant decline in the program's activity.
[John Intoppa]: Is it contractual?
[John Intoppa]: All right.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you very much.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you for the clarity, Vice Chair Grammich.
[John Intoppa]: I could actually
[John Intoppa]: make an, I don't know if this is an amendment making an amendment, if Member Ruseau is making the amendment herself, if I could second the amendment to increase funds available.
[John Intoppa]: Yes, I would be willing to adapt that language, amend my amendment to amend to that language for the amendment of your motion.
[John Intoppa]: So be it there.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: So moved.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes, thank you miss Bowen for this report I just had a quick question just because it's my first time sitting on this committee or these.
[John Intoppa]: So the ones that are partially implemented in terms of trends in the past years, is this something that is abnormal normal that were partially implemented in these areas, or just curious to see if there's a trend going on of us.
[John Intoppa]: missing the same things or are we or is this all new, so it's all new information that Jesse was looking at.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah I just want to make sure yeah because these things you know like I understand there's a lot but these are sort of things that we need to make sure that we are
[John Intoppa]: fully implemented all the time.
[John Intoppa]: And I just wanted, I was just curious to see if this is something historically the district has lacked on.
[John Intoppa]: Awesome.
[John Intoppa]: I just want to say thank you very much, Director Fee for presenting all this.
[John Intoppa]: I just want to also say that I have the distinct pleasure of working at an art institution and being a graduate of an art institution.
[John Intoppa]: And by doing that, I get to see what everyone from around the state and around the country is producing.
[John Intoppa]: Watching our Studio Foundation students go through the
[John Intoppa]: the system, working with students all the time.
[John Intoppa]: And I can comfortably say I think for the first time that Medford is excelling in the arts and I'm really, really pleased to see all the work that's presented, I mean these are just the award winners.
[John Intoppa]: We don't know what people are crafting personally what's in their full portfolios, and just, it's really refreshing to see this much attention to the arts.
[John Intoppa]: and seeing how many people were involved in the level that they're at, at grade 10, grade 11, seniors.
[John Intoppa]: So whether or not they pursue to do an art education, which I know some of the winners are, but I just want to say like, this is phenomenal work and thank you and congratulations to everyone who won an award and hopefully we'll see what you do next.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you.
[John Intoppa]: I also just wanted to take a second and just recognize how important this program is to our students.
[John Intoppa]: I actually, unfortunately, only got a chance to be a part of it my senior year in high school, but that was the cohort that witnessed it go to the elementary and middle school level.
[John Intoppa]: And just seeing how much it's grown in only what I like to say two years, but it's been like five or six now, is absolutely amazing.
[John Intoppa]: And I'm so proud of you guys and everyone who's involved to get up here and speak and do what you do.
[John Intoppa]: This program really takes you know when you take a moment and look at students special interests and you look at what they want to do to give back to the community and you fund that and you encourage them to do it, you see such an increase in their overall academic success and their participation in our community.
[John Intoppa]: the social emotional learning skills that you get.
[John Intoppa]: And I just, I really, you know, seeing what happened and seeing the unfortunate incident that happened and just immediately coming to action and then doing this.
[John Intoppa]: I just, I can't commend you guys enough and I can't wait to see what you guys do next.
[John Intoppa]: I really can't.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you so much.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you very much.
[John Intoppa]: I again, want to just say that my comments are more comments than questions, maybe a little bit of both, but wanted to take the opportunity to sort of give my concerns to also let people know that they are heard because a lot of them are from the many, many emails that we have gotten over the last two to three weeks, I believe.
[John Intoppa]: And I just want to take a moment and apologize to those who I wasn't able to get to.
[John Intoppa]: immediately right away but really appreciate you reaching out with your personal experience and things that are going on and your concerns.
[John Intoppa]: Again, some of the things, I'm really concerned about us bouncing back and sort of, not bouncing back, really relying on the staffing recommendations.
[John Intoppa]: I feel like, you know, May is mental health awareness month and we are in a mental health epidemic in crisis.
[John Intoppa]: And I'm really, really concerned about the amount of nursing, the health cuts, as well as the guidance Councilor cuts.
[John Intoppa]: I know there are adjustment Councilors.
[John Intoppa]: I know we still have 17 of those in this proposed budget.
[John Intoppa]: However,
[John Intoppa]: The ease of access to students are the nurses, those are the people who if you are having a panic attack, you go right to the nurses, I have done that numerous times at the high school, it is someone where if you don't know where to go, that is a safe haven, and I know the high school still has three, but that's just an example of, you know, later on, however, I worry about the ones that you know the one full time I know there's some sharing going on.
[John Intoppa]: I made the comment at the last meeting and we'll make it again about how one can be a little dangerous, especially when it comes to medication at all levels, you know, you can't be administered education, I mean, you can't be administered medication without a nurse present you can't not give it to yourself, whether you are seven or you are 19 that is just not a possibility.
[John Intoppa]: And so I wanted to really push back on that.
[John Intoppa]: You know, I'm, you know, seeing go from six to four but still really concerned about that.
[John Intoppa]: A lot of my other concerns have already been echoed.
[John Intoppa]: When it comes to the performing arts I'm really happy to hear that you know there's going to be a stipend position.
[John Intoppa]: I'm really concerned about a stipend position to fund the marching band and color guard because that is such an intensive program in our education system.
[John Intoppa]: I was an orchestra kid, so I got to witness firsthand how much, you know, work they put in.
[John Intoppa]: And I also want to make a comment that I didn't make earlier, but, you know, we made a comment about how many people were repeating and repeatedly standing up with our students, but I want to notice how many of our humanity success stories had a performing arts marching band and color guard garments on.
[John Intoppa]: It's a lot, it's a lot of work, and I've seen it and I worry that when we start to stipend or we start to do that the work may not be, I don't want to say appealing to someone but it's not enough.
[John Intoppa]: And oftentimes what that happens is it creates a work environment that is too tiring and then people leave and then we don't want people you know that we've had here for 14 years that
[John Intoppa]: really love the work, but then can't afford to do the work anymore, so they make that tough decision to leave, and then we can't find someone to replace them because no one wants to do that work for however much money that is.
[John Intoppa]: So those are some of the big concerns.
[John Intoppa]: That was a lot of the concerns we had gotten in emails was about the performing arts position directly in the state of that.
[John Intoppa]: I know there was a lot of misinformation.
[John Intoppa]: I know there was a lot of talk about
[John Intoppa]: the performing arts program being slashed or cut entirely.
[John Intoppa]: But that's one of the main concerns I have as someone who sees that sort of on a day-to-day about, you know, people being underpaid, people wanting to have these ambitions and not being able to fulfill them because of that.
[John Intoppa]: The performing arts, there's a huge, you know, it was actually said in an email that reminded me of the term social-emotional learning and, you know, how the academic access, again, what we just showed, the academic success that our
[John Intoppa]: our students have when they are in that.
[John Intoppa]: So that's sort of where my now new concern is with the stipend positions.
[John Intoppa]: I appreciate there's money being put there, however, that condition.
[John Intoppa]: That also translates to the Missituk.
[John Intoppa]: I was talking to some of my former teachers, which is crazy to think that, you know, seeing them here today.
[John Intoppa]: I was reminded by one of my teachers that was pregnant when I had them, and they showed me a photo of their 16-year-old son.
[John Intoppa]: And it made me just really, really think back to the time that I was there, and it was the Missittuc, really concerned at the number of positions that's being cut there, especially, you know, a lot of people had said that the class sizes aren't what are as advertised, that we have a lot of staff members really doing the part of their job description that's other duties is assigned, covering for each other.
[John Intoppa]: And how many of our, you know, language learning students
[John Intoppa]: are there and how we are cutting down at a school where we send a lot of people who need maybe extra aid there.
[John Intoppa]: And so that's a huge concern of mine, and one that I wanted to echo from the thousands of comments and people who are here today to talk about that.
[John Intoppa]: I feel like there's definitely some more comments that have definitely been reshared, so I won't go through some of that, but I just want to, again, thank everyone who's here today.
[John Intoppa]: And thank you, Jerry, for, again, being transparent.
[John Intoppa]: I know this isn't easy to do, and I appreciate being able to look at the numbers and see them.
[John Intoppa]: But those are sort of some of my high-level concerns, so thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Point of clarification before we move on.
[John Intoppa]: Point of clarification.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah.
[John Intoppa]: I just wanted to not to stir the pot, but in reference to student members' wrongs with the payroll managerial positions, I think there was some also concern from the union about those usually being administrative assistant roles and then them being non-union.
[John Intoppa]: Is that?
[John Intoppa]: still a proposed effort?
[John Intoppa]: I just want to get clarification if that's changed.
[John Intoppa]: Point of clarification, vice chair.
[John Intoppa]: Point of clarification.
[John Intoppa]: I know that we made a motion earlier to strike the addresses of our student members in the minutes.
[John Intoppa]: Would it make sense to suspend the rules or make a motion to strike the students who have to speak further to give their address when they speak at the podium for minutes or?
[John Intoppa]: I just want to clarify and make that note to the students that they don't have to.
[John Intoppa]: Sure.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: They have your name and address for the record.
[John Intoppa]: point of clarification, is this number with all the cuts or without the cuts?
[John Intoppa]: So this number that we're putting forward is a request to the municipal government.
[John Intoppa]: It's a request, but it is the first step.
[John Intoppa]: What I should clarify in my clarification is, is this number, because I'm getting confused with the language again, I'm on the job.
[John Intoppa]: Is this number one that reflects the cuts in our packet or is this one that is the level one that is?
[John Intoppa]: This is level service.
[John Intoppa]: This is level service.
[John Intoppa]: If we do not, so this does not include the cutting of the director of performing arts.
[John Intoppa]: Correct.
[John Intoppa]: That's all I would.
[John Intoppa]: Yes, thank you very much.
[John Intoppa]: It's very important to know what we vote on.
[John Intoppa]: Everyone else understands what we're voting.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: I do not feel comfortable voting on a budget that has this many cuts.
[John Intoppa]: But if this number that we are putting forward, then yes, the bottom number, not the top number.
[John Intoppa]: Can you turn on your mic?
[John Intoppa]: Yes, thank you so much.
[John Intoppa]: So point of clarification for the fifth time, recommendation on the consent agenda, we did not vote to recommend to approve the $3,000 grant.
[John Intoppa]: Yes, yep, I will.
[John Intoppa]: OK, we are live on YouTube, and let me record it locally.
[John Intoppa]: Record to the cloud.
[John Intoppa]: And make host.
[John Intoppa]: All right, have a great meeting.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: I can read it out for you if you'd like.
[John Intoppa]: Sure, so the meeting ID is 91810757989, with the Zoom meeting link being mps02155-org.zoom.us, forward slash J, forward slash 918177, 757, sorry, 989.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, so quick question.
[John Intoppa]: So I guess it's more of like a point of clarification.
[John Intoppa]: I'm assuming this is sort of the point the school council's made up of like students, staff, faculty, is this the point for them to kind of give their feedback on like, we're finding that this isn't working or this like we've noticed this uptake in this and we need to do something about it like is this the community's chance to sort of
[John Intoppa]: Okay.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, because I guess I'm more thinking about when the users of the handbook can give feedback on what they're seeing made, like when that period would be essential.
[John Intoppa]: And I wasn't sure if that was the time for it or not.
[John Intoppa]: Could we say singular complete approval, meaning it's a, like, it has to be complete, a complete approval of a singular handbook.
[John Intoppa]: Could that phrasing just before approval, make sense, or is there like some caveat.
[John Intoppa]: I guess I mean, singular, complete.
[John Intoppa]: By singular, I mean, like, this is the McGlynn handbook.
[John Intoppa]: This is the Brooks handbook.
[John Intoppa]: If we approve one of them, that is a singular, complete approval.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, that's a good message, really, really good.
[John Intoppa]: Okay, sorry.
[John Intoppa]: Thing I have to notice, which is the typo on phase 3.2 mandatory.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Oh, I googled it just in case I didn't understand linguistics for a second, but member member and Tapa has been finding Dory.
[John Intoppa]: Google Docs does it automatically.
[John Intoppa]: I mean, the timeframe seemed logistical to me.
[John Intoppa]: I appreciate the cushion to an RN of like, hey, if these things need to get moved back, ours is significant so that way we're the ones who are kind of paid to do the work and can kind of speed things along if we have to.
[John Intoppa]: But like in my experience of drafting policy and drafting
[John Intoppa]: Dates, we did it with elections with our student council and like, it was like, it looked great on paper.
[John Intoppa]: It's like, this makes sense.
[John Intoppa]: And then they just executed the constitute the new constitution this year.
[John Intoppa]: And it was like, no, we need to, we need to do this a lot earlier.
[John Intoppa]: So it'll be something we live and learn that we can.
[John Intoppa]: But logistically, having a month for initiation.
[John Intoppa]: I don't really have any further questions or comments.
[John Intoppa]: Second.
[John Intoppa]: Okay.
[John Intoppa]: No, that sounds about right to me.
[John Intoppa]: If it's outside of the time we're dialoguing.
[John Intoppa]: But no, that does make sense to amend it.
[John Intoppa]: But right, if this was April 28th, we'd be having a different conversation, I think.
[John Intoppa]: In fact, it's May 8th.
[John Intoppa]: I think we're OK.
[John Intoppa]: That's my sense.
[John Intoppa]: But I didn't even think about that, member Ratcliffe.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you for bringing that up, because that would have been fun.
[John Intoppa]: We just got an email saying that we have them and that physical copies will be given to us.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, no, like, like literally 20 minutes ago, we got the three of them, and we will be giving hard copies out for the May 20 meeting.
[John Intoppa]: So moved.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you very much.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Jerry, for putting this together and very transparent.
[John Intoppa]: While I don't agree with, you know, all these cuts that we're doing, I really appreciate being able to see where we are.
[John Intoppa]: There's not a lot of guessing.
[John Intoppa]: We can actually see it.
[John Intoppa]: I am very new to this.
[John Intoppa]: I've been in two months to the day.
[John Intoppa]: So my apologies if my ignorance or my lack of understanding precedes what I'm about to sort of talk about.
[John Intoppa]: It's the only way you can learn it.
[John Intoppa]: I know.
[John Intoppa]: I dive into the deep end.
[John Intoppa]: Thought possible two and a half million deficit.
[John Intoppa]: Now it's 250.
[John Intoppa]: Like diving in the deep end real hard right now.
[John Intoppa]: Some emails that I've gotten
[John Intoppa]: in particular are around performing arts, athletics, nurses.
[John Intoppa]: And I thought, I guess these are more comments than questions.
[John Intoppa]: And again, I wish I knew how to find the money.
[John Intoppa]: I wish I understood that, but I just don't.
[John Intoppa]: So I apologize if I'm not giving too many solutions, just more of the concerns that I have.
[John Intoppa]: Performing arts is on a decline, and by cutting that, I'm really nervous about the direction we go.
[John Intoppa]: Performing arts aren't just an activity.
[John Intoppa]: It is how we integrate culture, how we keep tradition, how we keep things alive in the city.
[John Intoppa]: And, you know, we just had a great performance from our drama club with Mama Mia, and also just some other initiatives.
[John Intoppa]: You know, we're seeing them give back to the community in ways that, you know, I couldn't even have imagined when I was at Medford High.
[John Intoppa]: So I really...
[John Intoppa]: You know, we just named the office after, you know, former school committee member, Lita DiGianto-Masso, and I'm afraid by going down this path, we're sort of going back what she was fighting against.
[John Intoppa]: You know, the performing arts are a huge staple to how we keep the users of our schools there.
[John Intoppa]: In terms of, what was I talking about, nurses, I was a student with,
[John Intoppa]: medication that had to be stored.
[John Intoppa]: And one of the things that I think I am not seeing sort of brought up is also, you know, we cut nurses, we're also cutting the facts that
[John Intoppa]: I even in the upper levels could not take my medication without a nurse being there.
[John Intoppa]: That includes epinephrine.
[John Intoppa]: If I don't carry an EpiPen on me, there's one stored there.
[John Intoppa]: We need someone to be able to run around the maze that is Mephiti Complex to find someone who may need to administer it, as well as I need to find time out of my day to go and meet with one of those nurses, hoping there's one not helping another student to take the medication that allowed me to help me learn every single day.
[John Intoppa]: So that's sort of one of the things that I just wanted to say in support of the nurses here and just wanted to give that insight because I'm not really seeing that being mentioned, but no one really sees that unless they experience it like I do.
[John Intoppa]: Sorry.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah.
[John Intoppa]: And it's just, it's not even just the high school, it's the elementary.
[John Intoppa]: I've been taking medications since elementary school, um, elementary school, middle school and high school.
[John Intoppa]: Um, and so that, that doesn't really change.
[John Intoppa]: So it was always packed to even back then when I was there in 2019.
[John Intoppa]: Um, so I'm really, really concerned about how many, you know, employees were cutting, uh, in terms of athletics, um, that department in terms of it's already thin enough.
[John Intoppa]: And I, I'm not sure what position was cut in the athletics department.
[John Intoppa]: One of the administrative?
[John Intoppa]: Because the assistant athletic director that I know that's in there is like the backbone of that entire athletics department.
[John Intoppa]: And that is no diss to anyone in that department at all, but the individual who is in that is at everything I've ever been to and is there to make sure that that program stays running.
[John Intoppa]: So really looking at, you know, it's numbers but it's also people and support, and who are they going to lean on if they're the ones there all the time anyways.
[John Intoppa]: And then in terms of, you know, looking at technology spending, we've sort of digged ourselves into this hole of relying on Chromebooks and technology because of the pandemic.
[John Intoppa]: I guess when it comes to technology, as someone who's used that technology pre-pandemic, knowing how unreliable it can be, I'm a little concerned about pumping more money into it until we figure out a solution.
[John Intoppa]: Because I feel like every other Chromebook had a missing key.
[John Intoppa]: And also, I'm a little concerned about putting so much money towards tablets for kindergartners instead of the support that they need to help teach those kindergartners.
[John Intoppa]: hands-on learning tactile that, I mean, I'm not an educator, but I just happen to be a designer and an artist and know just the value of tactile hands-on learning.
[John Intoppa]: And I would almost rather look, see that money, if that money had to go towards something, be more towards school supplies or hands-on learning than electronics.
[John Intoppa]: And I don't know how that makes me sound, but I don't feel like our kindergartners need tablets, they need people.
[John Intoppa]: And so that's a lot of what I have to say.
[John Intoppa]: And there's a lot of things, obviously, you know, I'm happy to see more increase in special education services.
[John Intoppa]: But there are a lot of alarming factors that I don't know if I fully wrapped my head around in the last 48 hours.
[John Intoppa]: And, you know, thank you to everyone who's here to speak on behalf.
[John Intoppa]: And I'm sorry by taking up more of the time that doesn't allow you to.
[John Intoppa]: I just wanna say that there's, I may have more questions or comments going on.
[John Intoppa]: For now, that's what I have, so thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Right, and I think, I'm sorry, just a point of clarification, I guess on my point, is it to cut technology?
[John Intoppa]: It's more to look at and consult our users who are administering it to see where they might find it best.
[John Intoppa]: Do we need to invest more in technology?
[John Intoppa]: I don't have a teaching degree, so I don't really know what that is like, but.
[John Intoppa]: definitely leaning more on our professionals that are our faculty to see where there are technological gaps and fixes on a day-to-day classroom basis.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you for the clarification as well.
[John Intoppa]: Again, appreciate the work.
[John Intoppa]: Hey all, sorry.
[John Intoppa]: I had a question as well for the previous, well not a question, more of a statement for the previous presentation as well.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you both for presenting all this really wonderful information as someone who actually holds a bachelor's in art and design education with a design degree.
[John Intoppa]: as Miss Rowland knows, as I went through the many programs she hosts as well, proud product of, you know, the theater and everything.
[John Intoppa]: I'm going to be guidance over Tony's idea as well.
[John Intoppa]: But just wanted to really echo my, I can't say speechless because I'm talking too much right now, and also apologize I can't be there right now.
[John Intoppa]: I'm coping well with somebody here as well.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, I just really want to reading through the slideshow was really happy and also really cool to hear that the band actually needed to be replaced and put in another division.
[John Intoppa]: And even then they still did really well.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you to both for all the work you do.
[John Intoppa]: And yeah, that's all I have.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Remember, we're mostly the table.
[John Intoppa]: I'm not sure what the motion is.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Sure, sorry.
[John Intoppa]: Just a quick question of clarification in the motion.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Member Graham, for putting this forward, for seeing this.
[John Intoppa]: So should we motion to amend to invite current and former, also parents, guardians, caregivers as well?
[John Intoppa]: Would that be something we need to do or should?
[John Intoppa]: I mean, I feel like we should as well for students and staff, but I'm not sure if it's implied in the motion already, if that is the case, but figured I would put that out there.
[John Intoppa]: Oh, awesome.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: I knew it was a it was an open meeting, but I wanted to make sure that the formal invitation was sent to them as well, along with their students, but sorry if it's hard to hear me.
[John Intoppa]: Yep.
[John Intoppa]: I don't know what's going off my mic again, but I'm here.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Of course I am.
[John Intoppa]: I'm also just noticing another error in the minutes, so I'm gonna abstain from this one, which might be the same thing that, I'm sorry, clarification, Member Reinfeld, are you mentioning the vote on the stabilization fund?
[John Intoppa]: Okay, so yeah, so as amended, then yes, I vote to approve, sorry.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes, with thanks.
[John Intoppa]: Motion for approval.
[John Intoppa]: Second.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you very much Chair Lungo-Koehn.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah I just wanted to put this motion forward to sort of recognize and also I guess more amend our current calendar so I know we have we take a vote in November to put forward days of observance.
[John Intoppa]: I also want to clarify
[John Intoppa]: This is not a day off holiday I'm looking to put forward.
[John Intoppa]: It is more of a day of observance, day of acknowledgement.
[John Intoppa]: Currently as it stands, the last calendar I had checked, it is referred to as Autism Awareness Day, Autism Awareness Month.
[John Intoppa]: And this motion looks to amend that and to change that language, whether it has to get tabled till November or if we can do it right now, which would be preferable.
[John Intoppa]: So it's where it's already labeled and where it needs to be changed.
[John Intoppa]: The third part of the motion, the clarification about identifying students is how we're looking at how we are screening, screening techniques, as well as looking at ways that parents can come to us as a district to look at receiving services, however, they may need it.
[John Intoppa]: This is something that I would like in writing and to sort of get a report on.
[John Intoppa]: I have a personal, this comes from a, and the explanation kind of talks about it, of looking at how we make change and how we are impacted as a former student in the Medford Public Schools with an IEP who belongs in the neurodivergent community on the spectrum of the attention deficit disorder spectrum.
[John Intoppa]: This is something that I witnessed.
[John Intoppa]: I witnessed students who had 504s and IEPs, their struggles, how some of them would lose them because they were doing better, which to me makes no sense.
[John Intoppa]: Because if you're doing better on a plan, you're doing better because of the plan.
[John Intoppa]: It helps you.
[John Intoppa]: So, I'm really looking to see what we are doing.
[John Intoppa]: And this is sort of the 1st kind of steps and looking at how we as a community.
[John Intoppa]: can become allies within the autistic community.
[John Intoppa]: I'd like to make another point of, um, the use of disorder, um, uh, is not so popular.
[John Intoppa]: And my apologies for using the official language.
[John Intoppa]: Um, but also, um, you know, this really, really comes from, um, my personal experience working with those, um, within the autistic community.
[John Intoppa]: Um, as my buddy Dan puts it best, it's pretty easy for me to make you aware that I have autism and that usually proceeds to do it.
[John Intoppa]: But it's really hard for members of the community to accept me.
[John Intoppa]: And I would like to mitigate that harm.
[John Intoppa]: We're talking at a higher education level.
[John Intoppa]: Mitigate the harmful effects that this has on our students before they even get there.
[John Intoppa]: And as someone who's been looked at funny and scrutinized because of my diagnosis, this is my way of putting steps forward for better allyship.
[John Intoppa]: But we also want to look at the success.
[John Intoppa]: We want to look more at the success, not so much as a disease needs to be healed, as mentioned in the motion.
[John Intoppa]: But I feel like we can't do that until we look at how we are helping and how we are aiding the community.
[John Intoppa]: So that is all I have on the motion.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, I think, thank you, Dr. Edouard-Vincent for bringing to your concerns.
[John Intoppa]: I think that's what I'm just looking to see is what are the procedures we have to follow?
[John Intoppa]: That's really, I'm sorry if the phrasing is, this is my first motion.
[John Intoppa]: My apologies if the phrasing is weird.
[John Intoppa]: But yeah, I'm looking to see what protocols are from DESE.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, that would be good as an amendment.
[John Intoppa]: I would say a better method would be reports to the Medford School Committee on steps being taken with the Medford Public Schools to support students on the autism spectrum, due to just recommendations from the community on language surrounding how we address it.
[John Intoppa]: have a motion to amend the calendar.
[John Intoppa]: I may.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah Member Reinfeld had their hand up.
[John Intoppa]: Yes, absolutely.
[John Intoppa]: That would be great to have that conversation with CPAC as well as bring that to the subcommittee.
[John Intoppa]: And also to answer, sorry, to answer the question at hand of the school's calendars to reach the public.
[John Intoppa]: Yes, it would amend it to where it is already written to where that to where days of observance are listed.
[John Intoppa]: Because it has also been brought point of singling out 1 holiday is a concern, which I fully understand.
[John Intoppa]: So, wherever this would naturally be.
[John Intoppa]: Written is where we would like to see it amended.
[John Intoppa]: So yes, all recommendations of amendment are taken into consideration for the motion.
[John Intoppa]: Getting it now.
[John Intoppa]: You should be good to go.
[John Intoppa]: Sorry, the thought was there and then it quickly left.
[John Intoppa]: I yield my time to Mr. Guillen if possible.
[John Intoppa]: I'll re-raise when I think of it.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you Madam Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: I would just like to, I've realized the point was more on the lines of the question of Member Branley, but I would like to echo the point made by MTA President Guillen, as well as Chair Lungo-Koehn.
[John Intoppa]: It does feel a little politician heavy, and I would love to see if we do have a non-voting member addition, because again, the guidelines said one, minus, you know, the,
[John Intoppa]: You know, the 2 being, you know, member Graham and member.
[John Intoppa]: And this is no, this is with all due respect.
[John Intoppa]: This is not a shot.
[John Intoppa]: I want to make that very clear member.
[John Intoppa]: So it was a very, very intelligent person, especially when it comes to open meeting law.
[John Intoppa]: I have I use it as a resource for many questions.
[John Intoppa]: It's just a matter of me wanting to have more of our community members who maybe don't have that say that maybe this board would have.
[John Intoppa]: And including, especially our teachers, whether that be paraprofessionals, whether that be the people who walk those buildings daily.
[John Intoppa]: Because they will tell you the ins and outs that evolve every single day.
[John Intoppa]: So, yeah, I would say that, you know, obviously it's 2 different motions, but I would echo the concerns of chair and would probably want to put to get more 4 to 5.
[John Intoppa]: I don't know what the legality of having teachers that don't live in our district, because from my understanding, we have quite a few teachers who don't live within the Medford Public Schools who may be eligible to want to do this.
[John Intoppa]: I don't know the legality of that.
[John Intoppa]: That's just my own ignorance.
[John Intoppa]: But if we can open up it to having more than one school member, even as a non-voting member, I don't see why we couldn't do that.
[John Intoppa]: But I think that's all the collective thought I have right now.
[John Intoppa]: before I just start talking nonsense.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: I don't know what an alternate means, Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: Point of clarification.
[John Intoppa]: I think the point is, is that member Graham in presenting was saying about how MSBA may have a cap of a certain amount of the working groups.
[John Intoppa]: The idea was, is that we approve three, and if we need to cut down to one non-voting member, then we look at the pool of who we want to put forward.
[John Intoppa]: The idea is to have three, and if we can have two, then we have two.
[John Intoppa]: And if we have three, then we can have three.
[John Intoppa]: I'd second that.
[John Intoppa]: Could I add on to that in the statement that they should be priority sent to faculty members of the building that is being built?
[John Intoppa]: Right, right, from that pool, yes, from the applicant pool.
[John Intoppa]: Okay, thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: I will put forward the motion.
[John Intoppa]: I'm sorry, if I can call a point of information real quick.
[John Intoppa]: Jerry, when you mentioned long term sub pay, did you say that they were making $275 a day?
[John Intoppa]: Yeah.
[John Intoppa]: Sure.
[John Intoppa]: Sorry about that.
[John Intoppa]: When you mentioned long-term substitute pay, you mentioned $275 a day.
[John Intoppa]: Were you mentioning to this current budget or the proposed budget?
[John Intoppa]: Right.
[John Intoppa]: Okay.
[John Intoppa]: Sorry, I just wanted to clarify because I wasn't sure if I heard.
[John Intoppa]: It's $100 because I will give a personal connection that my partner is a long-term.
[John Intoppa]: Absolutely, because it's like $80 a day with tax.
[John Intoppa]: So I definitely could see the burden of that.
[John Intoppa]: But I wanted to clarify because I wasn't sure if I misheard you.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you very much.
[John Intoppa]: John Ellen Toppa, 12 Murray Hill Road, Medford.
[John Intoppa]: I just wanted to take a moment
[John Intoppa]: and voice my opposition for the current bill as it stands.
[John Intoppa]: I feel like while I appreciate the amendment of having two to three minutes, I feel like that the
[John Intoppa]: especially have strong disregard for the 90 minute cap.
[John Intoppa]: In terms of I understand where it comes from, I can sympathize with a lot of the issues that come with 1 a.m.
[John Intoppa]: meetings.
[John Intoppa]: I also worry about the discomfort of someone who has waited those 90 minutes and their opportunities cut off.
[John Intoppa]: I'm lucky that I have spoken up here a few times and can get my point across in three minutes.
[John Intoppa]: I know that for a lot of people who may wanna speak for the first time,
[John Intoppa]: a two-minute conversation can take five, and that's sort of where I'm at with that, but wanted to appreciate the studies that were brought in and appreciate what was going on.
[John Intoppa]: However, I feel like this
[John Intoppa]: proposed motion as it stands with the single amendment does not seem fit and I'd worry about the effect it may have.
[John Intoppa]: The timing, of course, is a huge thing.
[John Intoppa]: That's why there's a lot of discomfort.
[John Intoppa]: There's a lot of anger.
[John Intoppa]: And I wonder where that would be, if this would be proposed later, as well as other future sort of amendments that may differ at shorter agenda, caps on agenda time, things like that.
[John Intoppa]: I don't know the legality of that.
[John Intoppa]: I didn't run for city council.
[John Intoppa]: I don't understand any of that.
[John Intoppa]: However, I appreciate you giving me the time to speak and would like to voice my opposition for the 90 minute cap and decrease from five to three.
[John Intoppa]: So, thank you very much.
[John Intoppa]: It's really far away.
[John Intoppa]: I know.
[John Intoppa]: Hi everyone, hopefully you can hear me all right.
[John Intoppa]: I've been having some mic issues, but my name is john and tapa.
[John Intoppa]: I am a also a recent grad of Medford high graduated in 2019 I also served as the class president of the class of 2019 so the senior class president.
[John Intoppa]: I just graduated also in May from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Industrial Design.
[John Intoppa]: which is all basically product design, toy design, medical design, you name it.
[John Intoppa]: Also, informational flowcharts.
[John Intoppa]: So, Darren Truong, really appreciate the graphic you have made for us that we will look at later in the agenda.
[John Intoppa]: But that's what I'm all about.
[John Intoppa]: My work, I work at MassArt now and I work in student engagement.
[John Intoppa]: While I was a student at MassArt, I also served as the student trustee for a year and a half, and then the student body president for another two years.
[John Intoppa]: So, for the last nearly decade my work has been in student advocacy and student success.
[John Intoppa]: So I'm really interested in working with y'all and treating y'all as a member of the table, because that's what I fought so hard for at MassArt, pulling the students out of the pandemic, because I was a freshman first year when the pandemic hit.
[John Intoppa]: So really excited to work with y'all, because that's what my background is all about.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you for taking the time to be with us and join this really important committee.
[John Intoppa]: If I could chime in, because I remember if I'm correct, if the students can correct me, the current policy is there's a square chart in front of every door that says the bag can't be bigger than this, that you're allowed to carry around.
[John Intoppa]: Is that still the policy?
[John Intoppa]: Because that's how it was in 2019.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, because I know the struggle like I when I was a seat when I was there, my floor was C2 and even C2 to be 3 was kind of crazy between classes with the 3 minute a lot of time.
[John Intoppa]: And I can't even imagine what the class below us, which I think was C1, I think 2020 class was C1 or C3.
[John Intoppa]: Because I know that's where the struggle was always talked about was with transporting stuff but now it's member or so as mentioned with most students having school issue devices like the Chromebooks, it's, it's an issue of carrying so many objects but also the fragility of if you drop that you're going to get charged if it breaks.
[John Intoppa]: So I think it definitely would be worth having a discussion, especially with students.
[John Intoppa]: especially making sure we have students who know that experience of getting from, again, dramatically from C1 to B3, seeing what that is like and where the struggles are and if we need to, how big we need to expand that policy or if we need to talk about just regular backpacks or if we, you know, I think the allocated size is only
[John Intoppa]: It's like eight by 24.
[John Intoppa]: It's some weird like basic purse size, I think, if I remember correctly.
[John Intoppa]: So it definitely would be worth, again, because of the new added responsibility of maintaining that piece of technology, it would be definitely worth relooking at in terms of making sure that that can be done safely and effectively.
[John Intoppa]: So I would be interested, as a note, as a petition.
[John Intoppa]: Also, like with an added element of the petition to see student comments specifically about what their specific struggles are so we can self identify right off the bat, too.
[John Intoppa]: So when that petition goes out, I'd be I'd be curious to see what the specific needs are.
[John Intoppa]: Because I don't want to try to solve a problem that no one has and waste so much energy on something that's like, no, we don't have this issue.
[John Intoppa]: It'd be great to see what, like to hear from y'all what that is specifically.
[John Intoppa]: Is it timing that's causing the issue?
[John Intoppa]: Is it amount of stuff you have to hold?
[John Intoppa]: It may be evident, but I would like to know specifically just so that way we can work efficiently.
[John Intoppa]: to design a solution to this issue that you guys are facing to the point where a petition does have to go out and we do have to have this conversation.
[John Intoppa]: Could another, you know, we talked about informational hierarchy and informational services would another element of this of the interest of the students would be of, I hate to use the word life hacks but other suggested ways of cutting down time between classes of like past precedents of what other students have found effective.
[John Intoppa]: Like, I know that doesn't, it's not meant to be proposed as a cop-out of reforming the policy, but in addition to looking at the policy, would students find it helpful for there to be some kind of information on what other, you know, students, alumni have found effective to go between?
[John Intoppa]: Like, I know for me, my cheat was that I always had my locker set to the first two, and then I could set it to the third and pull it and go, which isn't the safest option sometimes, and I learned it from a TV show on Nickelodeon when I was eight.
[John Intoppa]: And that's the classified.
[John Intoppa]: But something like that where it's like where people find opportune times in their schedule, where people, because once I had a rhythm going, I knew what to do.
[John Intoppa]: But that was bestowed upon me by another peer.
[John Intoppa]: So if they don't have that, so would an informational suggestion be of other usage to the students, essentially?
[John Intoppa]: In addition to re-looking at the policy.
[John Intoppa]: But I wouldn't want to exclude that.
[John Intoppa]: Informational sharing is a beautiful thing.
[John Intoppa]: Just curious if that would be of interest as well.
[John Intoppa]: No, that makes sense.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you for sharing.
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, I think that'd be great.
[John Intoppa]: Meeting with Mr. Guillaume, Mr. Green is also at a former position was also a proofreader so he'll be able to help.
[John Intoppa]: If there's anything that he feels like should be added as well.
[John Intoppa]: I love how much thought has gone into this, especially I think I heard someone I think might have been knows like quantifiers in terms of.
[John Intoppa]: missing homework, especially on snow days.
[John Intoppa]: And then, you know, at what point do we go, okay, we kind of need to start instruction back up.
[John Intoppa]: I think that's an incredible thought to be brought into it.
[John Intoppa]: I did have a question.
[John Intoppa]: There was a comment made about homework assigned.
[John Intoppa]: Is our, backtracking for one second.
[John Intoppa]: Was a point made, has this been happening where
[John Intoppa]: faculty members will assign homework like way after hours to be completed for the following day is that what that was referring to where like homework will be assigned at like four or 5pm to then be completed during the school day is that like I don't want to get.
[John Intoppa]: you know, into something if that's not the case, but is that, was that, is that a reoccurring thing that's been happening?
[John Intoppa]: I gotcha.
[John Intoppa]: So it's more of looking to, especially in those lecture hall, which are usually like the last worst case scenario situations of having the work be assigned so that way you're not sitting there playing with playing cards and just kind of doing other classwork.
[John Intoppa]: It's in that instruction period where your mind is set to work on
[John Intoppa]: American history to be working on a push homework essentially is what the thought is with that so it's more about that and less of like.
[John Intoppa]: you're getting an email at 4pm that saying hey this is actually doing eight now okay just just checking to see what that was I wasn't sure what was going on, so I appreciate the information.
[John Intoppa]: But overall, a lot of thought has been going into this, and I really appreciate the research that's done with the National Parents Union, within district and local wide, within quantifiers looking at, sometimes there may be certain situations where, thinking about the faculty member, if there is an extreme case in their end, they may just not be able to get it.
[John Intoppa]: So the understanding of working with people, I'm talking in circles right now,
[John Intoppa]: overall just really appreciate the work that's being done and looking forward to seeing what will be presented in the discussions we're having.
[John Intoppa]: So in terms of pick up, I don't recall.
[John Intoppa]: So drop off to the school, I don't recall.
[John Intoppa]: I drove or got driven in full transparency in terms of hiccup.
[John Intoppa]: The side where community schools is where that like stone courtyard is, that is what we're talking about in terms of like students funneling in.
[John Intoppa]: It's always been a mess.
[John Intoppa]: I remember students like standing on the hills.
[John Intoppa]: They used to line up on the hills and try to balance themselves.
[John Intoppa]: But also in terms of the buses, I am a victim of the North Medford Heights.
[John Intoppa]: I live in the North Medford Heights.
[John Intoppa]: I live right on the border of Malden.
[John Intoppa]: So if I had to take the bus home, I was on the yellow school bus.
[John Intoppa]: So I also know that and that picking up at a way different location was always weird to me of why that picks up by the Vogue automotive shop where the MBTA buses pick up at the community schools entrance.
[John Intoppa]: So yeah, it's always been crowded.
[John Intoppa]: It's always, I don't, I never viewed it as a safety issue at the time.
[John Intoppa]: So I don't, I haven't been up there during drop off.
[John Intoppa]: So I don't know if it's getting worse in terms of like people just not knowing where to stand, how it looks.
[John Intoppa]: It sounds like from the student representatives that it is getting a lot worse.
[John Intoppa]: So if we can figure out ways to
[John Intoppa]: channel students to understand where to go or if the line gets too long where to wrap around and make sure you're still in the same line of the 95 versus the 101.
[John Intoppa]: But yeah, also wanted to give my thanks for this for the students who are working on this issue because it has always been an issue.
[John Intoppa]: It was an issue when I was there.
[John Intoppa]: It sounds like the safety part is a bigger issue that I had never heard of.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you for bringing that up.
[John Intoppa]: But yeah, the whole the North Medford bus is a whole nother issue with the MBTA not offering their services really up in our, our neck of the woods, so.
[John Intoppa]: No, I think this is great.
[John Intoppa]: Like I said, my, my education, my background is in user interface user experience.
[John Intoppa]: How do we tell people what the information is.
[John Intoppa]: So I'm looking, I'm looking at it right now.
[John Intoppa]: That's why I'm on my phone.
[John Intoppa]: I love the color coding.
[John Intoppa]: I'm just going to like
[John Intoppa]: The fact that we're talking about state level changes how that because what this does is it does a great job of how you know how would you connect the mass legislature to an elementary school, like, how does that work that feedback gets there and this is a really good job of showing how this actually goes through the channels and the ways we need to get it done.
[John Intoppa]: definitely support having this in terms of on the school committee website in terms of how student voices are heard, and how that process happens.
[John Intoppa]: Because it also helps empower the students to show that you know your voice does matter and sometimes that can be hard to convince students of how.
[John Intoppa]: you know, even at student government level, like, why does it matter?
[John Intoppa]: Why does it matter what I say?
[John Intoppa]: Nothing gets changed anyways.
[John Intoppa]: Well, this is how it matters.
[John Intoppa]: This is how it goes up the ranks and we work together and we get what we need to be done changed.
[John Intoppa]: So I really applaud you all for taking the time to actually take a lot of complex information and ideas and put it into a very visual, very visual chart.
[John Intoppa]: So thank you for doing that.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, everyone.
[John Intoppa]: For sure.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Director Schulman for presenting all this information.
[John Intoppa]: I guess the first question is a clarification on the STEPS program.
[John Intoppa]: It's very similar to the BRIDGE program.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: It's like our chapter of like we've renamed it.
[John Intoppa]: Exactly right.
[John Intoppa]: that's huge, and that's proven in other districts to really help a lot of our youth, especially, well, not our youth, but it is, seems to be helping our youth, but youth in other districts, especially as the mental health crisis and epidemic, as people were calling it, is increasing.
[John Intoppa]: And we saw that in an increase in numbers, and then, you know, we're slowly seeing them come down.
[John Intoppa]: In terms of tier one, tier two,
[John Intoppa]: two and tier three in terms of, I noticed that, was it suicide screening and prevention was on all tiers and different approaches with that?
[John Intoppa]: How are we approaching it at a tier one versus a tier three?
[John Intoppa]: Awesome.
[John Intoppa]: And then love to see that a lot of things were starting in middle school.
[John Intoppa]: I was curious to hear about some of the things that were starting in elementary school in terms of,
[John Intoppa]: sort of education with this, because obviously you don't want to like put all these topics on elementary schoolers, but I know I was a student who suffered with severe anxiety and was put into therapy as a third grader.
[John Intoppa]: And a lot of that was the unknown of what I was feeling.
[John Intoppa]: So I'm curious to see, there's two parts to this, curious to see where we're going in terms of possibly seeing in some soft integration of possible mental health education within our elementary schools,
[John Intoppa]: because that can be one of the scariest parts of when you're eight, you don't know what's happening, why you feel a certain way.
[John Intoppa]: I know that was certainly the case for me, as well as looking at, and we talked about it, I believe you talked about a little bit in the program about the self-reliance skills, not self-reliance, but it was social and emotional learning outside of the classroom and looking at other programs, sort of, I know that some universities are adapting
[John Intoppa]: Things like headspace subscriptions for students, you know, obviously institutionally wide but maybe for us case by case basis ways for students to learn how to I hate to use the word deal with these things but off hours of how students are able to get support and resources.
[John Intoppa]: Because a lot of these issues are still stigmatized.
[John Intoppa]: There's still an issue of why are you stressed, you're 13, what's going on, what's stressing you out so much.
[John Intoppa]: But for a lot of these students, it really is a huge, huge problem.
[John Intoppa]: So curious to see the direction possibly we're looking at.
[John Intoppa]: of out-of-class help, support and resources, you know, even just like a brochure of phone lines to call if you're feeling this way in the middle of the night.
[John Intoppa]: Who do you get into contact with?
[John Intoppa]: Because I don't, again, I've only been out of the public schools for five years now, but I don't ever remember seeing that.
[John Intoppa]: Maybe it's because I didn't need the resources at that time.
[John Intoppa]: But that also says I feel like
[John Intoppa]: Or I am under the impression of, I feel like this information should be present without needing it.
[John Intoppa]: Like we should have these ready.
[John Intoppa]: It should be nowhere to go before we even need to, you know, think about the bridge program.
[John Intoppa]: Sure.
[John Intoppa]: So that's a lot.
[John Intoppa]: But I guess the two, the too long didn't read of all that is looking at possible integration with, you know, the elementary school, seeing where we're at in terms of screening there.
[John Intoppa]: because that's also where I was screened for ADD, and that really helped set me up for my further education, as well as the, as it's put in the report, social-emotional learning integration throughout.
[John Intoppa]: So where we're at with that?
[John Intoppa]: Yeah, and I guess the more part of like, I know this would probably be more for high school or would integrate starting in the high school, but again, that looking at other programs outside of the classroom for students to access, whether it's a portal online or even like, again, like a brochure of resources outside of the Medford Public Schools that they may utilize, looking at integration of that as well within this.
[John Intoppa]: Awesome.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you so much.
[John Intoppa]: Really appreciate it.
[John Intoppa]: Yes, thank you, Director Zahara for coming and giving all these numbers.
[John Intoppa]: I'd be interested to see at some point sort of our statistics.
[John Intoppa]: I know this probably pertains more to our high school students who come in as English language learners with their sort of integration into the arts and athletic departments and how they are sort of
[John Intoppa]: coexisting in those spaces.
[John Intoppa]: I know that at least my time at the high school, it always seemed very sectioned off in terms of not just academics, but also in terms of culture, like the culture of just leisure and existing in these spaces together.
[John Intoppa]: And that's really unfortunate.
[John Intoppa]: Even at, we had a lot of EL students participate as stage crew,
[John Intoppa]: And the drama club and they always stuck together and we're off by themselves.
[John Intoppa]: And I'd love to find out if there's a way that we can minimize that culture of things I mean it's a very scary thing of.
[John Intoppa]: you know, learning linguistics and settling in.
[John Intoppa]: And for some of these individual students, there was an individual who was on the crew team with member Olapade and I, who had just landed in the US in Somerville their first year, and we met them their second year.
[John Intoppa]: And they didn't know the word for screwdriver.
[John Intoppa]: And then by the end of it, you know, they were,
[John Intoppa]: The growth that we witnessed with that individual because of how integrated they were and how socialized they were with us and how the program really benefited them.
[John Intoppa]: It was a really beautiful thing.
[John Intoppa]: So I'd love to see sort of what we're doing as a As a
[John Intoppa]: division, I don't know the right word, at the moment to push students to sort of more coexist together because it's benefit for both sides.
[John Intoppa]: It's benefit for all involved.
[John Intoppa]: So I'd love to see that at some point.
[John Intoppa]: Love to see that.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you.
[John Intoppa]: Sorry, my apologies.
[John Intoppa]: Thank you, Madam Mayor.
[John Intoppa]: I share a similar concern with Premier Reinfeld about section two.
[John Intoppa]: Each new member will present to the committee secretary official certification.
[John Intoppa]: I
[John Intoppa]: I'm not sure where else it's done.
[John Intoppa]: But to me, I feel like this as someone who just went through the process of policy not existing and policy being vacant and a week of anxiety around what happens next.
[John Intoppa]: This, I, it almost, it,
[John Intoppa]: I don't want to say it feels unnecessary, because I appreciate the work that's been done.
[John Intoppa]: But I don't see what the committee secretary has to do with the process.
[John Intoppa]: And again, that could just be my naiveness of this.
[John Intoppa]: I'm two weeks into this.
[John Intoppa]: But to me, I feel like striking almost this from the policy, I don't see it's
[John Intoppa]: Like you said, less is more.
[John Intoppa]: And to me, again, if we have a total rehaul of our school committee, which could happen, what does this do?
[John Intoppa]: And what happens then?
[John Intoppa]: But I would almost move to have, like the rest of the policy, very understandable, makes sense, especially the Massachusetts Ethics Commission summary of the common interest law, making sure we're up to date on that information.
[John Intoppa]: However, section two, to me, feels almost like it could be striking out of this policy.
[John Intoppa]: I was going to say, because I believe that is the protocol we had to follow, was we had to present the certification of election, or in my case, appointment to the city clerk.
[John Intoppa]: I was just gonna say, does a motion to amend need to be put on the floor?
[John Intoppa]: Because I can do that right now, is what I'm asking.
[John Intoppa]: have the channel links, but to have the community media link, the YouTube link, as well as the channel numbers, because again, it helps if you're trying to watch that on the TV.
[John Intoppa]: Channel numbers and YouTube, correct, yes.
[John Intoppa]: So that would be my motion to amend, would be to strike that and include channel numbers and YouTube link.
[John Intoppa]: Then, yeah, with that, that information makes complete sense.
[John Intoppa]: Then I would move to make a motion to amend and just have the YouTube link on the
[John Intoppa]: agenda circling back thousands of times.
[John Intoppa]: But if the if we can't rely on the channels being consistent, even if they're next to each other, we do open ourselves up to that liability of, again, false advertising, where the it's being broadcasted.
[John Intoppa]: So I was thinking from a standpoint of people who may not have smart TVs, maybe using, you know, the educational platform, but then again, we don't want to run into that issue.
[John Intoppa]: If I can, I'd like to waive my time.
[John Intoppa]: I believe a member of the public would like to speak.
[John Intoppa]: So if I can waive out of order and then circle back, because I don't know if I have some questions about impact.
[John Intoppa]: So if the member of the public has any answers about that, I can reassess my questions, I believe.
[John Intoppa]: So I waive my time.
[John Intoppa]: Well, first off, I just want to thank you for coming forward and sharing your story.
[John Intoppa]: That's not easy.
[John Intoppa]: And I apologize that that happened.
[John Intoppa]: My question surrounded the effectiveness of what we're proposing, but it almost sounds like we need to take a reassessment of what we look at in terms of the disciplinary practice of suspension looking at the cases.
[John Intoppa]: and also just to do the work looking at the claim of who's being affected higher in terms of suspension rates, as you had mentioned with IEP students.
[John Intoppa]: So my questions have greatly shifted, but I'm wondering where we have to look at, reassess the language and to see what fits in best practice.
[John Intoppa]: Present.
[John Intoppa]: That's right.
[John Intoppa]: I don't know what's going on, but I'll just go for it.
[John Intoppa]: It's fine.
[John Intoppa]: No, I was just gonna, to member, thank you, to member Rousseau's point of the Cummings Foundation, that large grant funds the CCSR over an expanded amount of time, so that might be why, and I don't know if they have to give it back, but I do know they have to apply, I think,
[John Intoppa]: every 10 years or so, it's like somewhere between six to 10.
[John Intoppa]: But I was curious about the gift fund and if that had any in time in with the alumni association and where those funds are handled, where the overflow of SGA funds from the previous classes, I know some of them, sometimes they're retained, sometimes the SGA funds
[John Intoppa]: go into like the alumni association so that way they can do their own private scholarship.
[John Intoppa]: So I'm curious to see how much of that may be attributing to that, if at all.
[John Intoppa]: Or if it's purely outside, if it's purely outside donations of people who wanna give back to our schools.
[John Intoppa]: I know, my apologies.
[John Intoppa]: figure out my mic, but I would be interested to see where the MHS gift fund, what is funding that, if it's anything with the alumni association, if it's in terms of like overflow of SGA funds, the student government funds with fundraised funds.
[John Intoppa]: And then the beginning point, again, I don't know how much was heard, fixing my mic situation for next meeting about the Cummings Foundation being a grant that's spent over a few years.
[John Intoppa]: And I think we're actually,
[John Intoppa]: in year one or year two of it.
[John Intoppa]: I think it was just replenished, which might be why that number is so large, but that is the predominant funding source for all of the units of CCSR and all the projects.
[John Intoppa]: Yes.
[John Intoppa]: Hello, it's good to see you all again.
[John Intoppa]: My name is John Intoppa.
[John Intoppa]: I'm the senior class president of the class of 2019 and a member of the CCSR.
[John Intoppa]: I run Project Little Library, which is goal is to bring the love of literature and more reading towards the Heights and North Medford area.
[John Intoppa]: Through the CCSR, I have been able to fine tune and work on my social responsibility and leadership skills.
[John Intoppa]: And by doing so, I can proudly say that Project Little Library is 100% locally business funded from businesses such as Modern Hardware, Fabrizio Wood Products, and the Vogue graphics department.
[John Intoppa]: And I couldn't have done it without help from the mayor's office and the Bill Cummings and Crystal Campbell Fund.
[John Intoppa]: So there's one right now and I'm working on many more.
[John Intoppa]: The one that I'm working on will be on display at the project fair on April 25th.
[John Intoppa]: The one that we're doing right now will be on Murray Hill Road in the North Medford.