Meeting Recap: 10/20/25

Agenda | Recording

1. Consent agenda, which included donations for new sound equipment for the McGlynn auditorium (thank you to caregiver Hendrik G for leading this effort and all the community members who supported it and continue to support it in anticipation of installation and training) and a microgrant to develop new communication protocols between MPS health services and outside providers, was approved.

2. Mustang moment - Science department head Rocco Cieri, principal Nick Tucci, and middle school students Anabelle and Oliver spoke about their experience with Robotics 360 in the new science challenge classes. Of note, Medford is the second school in the country to be using this collaborative, project-based learning program.

3. Facilities condition assessment report - Chief Operating Officer Ken Lord and consultant Kevin Provencher from Habeeb & Associates Architects shared their report about the conditions of Brooks, Roberts, and Missituk Elementary, McGlynn Middle/Elementary, and Andrews Elementary. Lots of detail here if you go in and watch, but the big takeaways I got were that there are $68 million ($84 million with inflation) worth of repairs needed to these buildings across three “scopes” (0-2 years, 2-5 years, 5+ years/when rebuilt) not including the existing HVAC work at McGlynn and Andrews and, thankfully, no imminent danger to student safety.  

Questions and comments touched on what percentage of those repairs were due to age vs. deferred maintenance (est 80/20 respectively), integration with the district’s recent adoption of the OperationsHERO software, recommended frequency of future assessments (5-10 years), applicability to the high school building (doing the same repairs there would almost certainly cost even more), time frame needed to secure bids to complete the work (~1 year), opportunities and limitations of the electrical system for more climate-friendly equipment, reporting progress to the public, and intention to incorporate these assessments into the capital planning process (subcommittee meeting about this on November 20). 

4. Introduction of Dr. Meg Mayo-Brown from the New Superintendent Induction Program - Dr. Mayo-Brown and Dr. Galusi spoke about the program and the training/coaching process. I asked about 360 reviews (part of the program but like other feedback to inform practice, not public) but this was mostly informational.

5. Transition/entry findings report - Dr. Galusi shared the themes, ongoing activities, and next steps for her work in the interim superintendent role. Content presented included purpose, process, how the district is working toward educational equity & excellence, strengths & growth opportunities, and themes of belonging, consistency, and coherence. There was a long discussion with our student representatives about the meaning and utility of MCAS accountability data, and questions/comments from the committee about ongoing assessment and monitoring for academic achievement (this was my question, noting that MCAS data tells us what happened many months prior but doesn’t inform instruction in real time), what the district is doing specifically with responsive classroom and restorative practices, what the budget implications would be for prioritizing recruitment of educators to better reflect the student body, and alignment with strategic planning. Of particular note to the community should be the recommendation to continue doing unstructured listening sessions on an annual basis and a call to action to bring these sessions outside the schools in order to welcome more diverse voices. There were many more specifics about priorities, strategies, etc. so I recommend watching this presentation to understand those in Dr. Galusi’s own words. 

6. Strategic planning report - Member Graham provided context for the current strategic planning effort, offered up the subcommittee’s recommendation for a survey and focus groups, and placed this work in the larger context of other opportunities for community input, namely decision-making around future district leadership, and planning for a new Medford High School. Highlighted in this summary was the need to include diverse voices and acknowledgment of potential “input fatigue” among those providing input. Target date for surveys and focus groups is now through January but again, we need information from the high school project architects about their own community input process.

7. Second reading of policy JJIF - Concussion Policy - approved without comment; full text in the agenda

8. Approval of six resolutions as legislative priorities for the Massachusetts Association of School Committees - See agenda for background and specific resolutions

9. Condolences to the family of longtime MPS custodian John Tully

10. Adjournment

Next meeting will be November 3 (online only I believe)