The following is a portion of the Aug. 18, 2014 Westford School Committee meeting. For links to other parts of the meeting, click here.
8:27 p.m. – Murray had a question on the implementation of feedback and how that can be done.
Olsen said that the state has recommended that student evaluations should happen at the end of the year and they occur for Grades 3-12, with work being done on Grade 2.
He said it has concerned a lot of the teachers throughout the state.
Murray asked if the School Committee could get more information on a vision statement regarding implementation of plans.
Harkness asked about breakout session regarding technology and asked if there would be tweets about snow days.
8:30 p.m. – Olsen said that enrollment at the Elementary level (K-5) is slightly lower than projections, although Kindergarten at Miller and Nabnasset is slightly higher, and that the new Princeton Properties apartments on Littleton Road have brought 22 new students.
He said that he would need to keep an eye on the Robinson School kindergarten due to staff cuts there in previous years.
There is also a half-time teacher at the Miller School, which may be not enough to meet staffing needs moving forward.
Middle School and High School registration has not yet occurred.
Kohl asked about enrollment numbers, with an answer by Olsen.
Keele then asked about a question regarding 14 fewer students than expected in the fourth grade.
Olsen said that with projecting enrollments, one can never quite know from year to year.
There are eight sections of fourth grade this year, with 21 students per section.
Ryan said he knew one person who sent their child to private school and said that parent thought their child was lost in the shuffle.
Kohl asked who would be taking over for George Murray in terms of demographic projections. Murray was a former School Committee member and expert at demographic projections.
Ryan then asked a question about student ratios in first grade, with Olsen saying class sizes there were at 19 and 20.
8:38 p.m. – Olsen said she had gotten a request from the assistant principal of the Miller School to allow her child to be a student at her school.
It was unanimously approved.
