To date, I have submitted the following 28 motions during my third term on the school committee (ongoing), which is from January 2008-December 2009. All these motions passed on a majority vote.
Feb. 20, 2008
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent provide a report to the Lowell High School Subcommittee on the non-athletic school-sponsored clubs currently offered to students, including a breakdown of number of students participating and the faculty stipends awarded for each organization.
March 19, 2008
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent provide a report to the Lowell High School Subcommittee updating members on progress regarding creating smaller learning communities at the high school including grant expenditures and any plans for implementation next year.
April 16, 2008
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent provide a report to the committee on the dates of 2007-2008 parent/teacher meetings held at each school, including times, formats of the meetings (such as scheduled appointments or not), and numbers of parents participating.
April 16, 2008
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the superintendent post approved minutes from school committee meetings on the district’s website.
May 7, 2008
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent invite student groups to perform at the Community Reception for Superintendent-Elect Chris Scott on June 11 at the Hall of Flags.
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent work with the City Manager to improve recycling efforts in the schools.
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent explore the feasibility of student involvement in the city’s Seniors Count project.
August 20, 2008
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent provide a report to the Technology Subcommittee regarding the status of all school websites, including identification of updating procedures and minimum standards.
Sept. 3, 2008
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent or her designee reconvene meetings with city youth providers (such as YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, Girls Inc. etc) to determine priority areas for partnership in delivering services to children. The school committee should receive periodic updates on the group’s progress.
Sept. 17, 2008
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent provide a report to the Special Education Subcommittee detailing current programs or plans to include K-12 special education students in after-school activities. The report should also include information on any substantially separate after-school programs, either existing or planned.
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent update the Special Education Subcommittee regarding the status and process for obtaining nurses for field trips as needed.
Oct. 1, 2008
(by Jackie Doherty) –Respectfully request that the Lowell School Committee vote to oppose Question 1, a ballot initiative to eliminate the state income tax. Passage of Question 1 could cut the state budget by more than 40%, cause massive reductions in local aid to cities and towns, and result in drastic reductions in school programs.
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the superintendent provide a report on high school health A & B courses, specifically providing information on the sex education component of the curriculum as well as including numbers of students taking it during freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior years.
Dec. 17, 2008
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent prepare two budget proposals: one for a level funded budget and one if the budget is reduced by ten percent.
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent update the Curriculum Subcommittee regarding scheduling, implementation, and instruction time regarding math interventions in the middle schools.
Jan. 7, 2009
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent update the Safety Subcommittee regarding the situation with school nurses, including staffing, the status of the Memorandum of Agreement, and the progress being made to meet state criteria for renewal of the Enhanced School Health Service Grant.
Feb. 4, 2009
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent inform the committee about a state mandate regarding Cyberbullying Programs as well as provide a report outlining the district’s plan to address the issue at each of our schools.
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent provide a report on the number of students and teachers being released from school early for sports-related activities. The report should include data for the first six months of the current school year and include the number of students/teachers per week, per sport.
Feb. 18, 2009
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request permission for Lowell to host a Massachusetts Assoc. of School Committees Urban Division meeting on March 28, topic to include sharing and advocating for cost efficiencies during difficult financial times.
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent provide a report updating the committee regarding progress on vertical articulation of the science curriculum across the district.
March 4, 2009
(by James Leary and Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent update the Finance and Lowell High School Subcommittees on high school re-organization plans to support the new Pathways Program, including any changes in curriculum, scheduling, staffing, and other major areas to be impacted.
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent provide the Personnel Subcommittee with any existing policy regarding committee interaction with school staff and administrators, including protocol for visiting and obtaining information.
April 1, 2009
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent determine whether the Commissioner of Education would waive the physical education requirement for high school students who participate in school-sponsored sports programs. If allowed, request the Superintendent explore the feasibility, benefits, and drawbacks of instituting such a waiver system at the high school, providing a report with recommendations to the Lowell High Subcommittee.
Sept. 2, 2009
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent provide a report to the Finance Subcommittee on long-term use of consultants to the Lowell Public Schools (more than five years), including costs, dates and times services provided, nature of those services, and rationale for continued usage rather than building capacity with internal personnel.
Sept. 16, 2009
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent provide a report on the use of early-release time at Lowell High School, including specific activities, objectives and measureable results from last year as well as plans for the upcoming year.
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent provide a report updating the committee on the status of development of a new instrument for evaluating teachers, including copies of both the proposed and current evaluation instruments in the report.
Oct. 7, 2009)
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent work with city youth providers to develop ways to collaborate and make use of the Rogers School as a community center.
(by Jackie Doherty)—Request the Superintendent make recommendations regarding the use of biodegradable throwaway materials in our school food program, rather than Styrofoam, as well as the potential benefits and drawbacks of switching back to reusable items wherever possible.