I submitted the following *16 motions during my first term on the school committee, which was from January 2004-December 2005. (*The below list may be missing motions between November 2004 and June 2005 due to incomplete records on my part. Sorry for the inconvenience; I will update when that information is available.)
2/25/04
(by Jackie Doherty) – Request that the Superintendent locate and provide to the School Committee any information of documents from 1978 to the present that are relevant to the control of the land upon which the Ayotte Parking Garage Garage sits; seconded by Mr. Mendonca. APPROVED
4-14-04
(by Jackie Doherty) – That the Superintendent report to the Lowell High School Subcommittee on the various programs and services at the high school that are available to reduce absenteeism and failure rates, and how their services are being used to promote retention and academic success of our students who are most at risk for failure; seconded by Mr. Mendonca. APPROVED
4/28/04
(by Jackie Doherty) – Request that the Superintendent report to the Curriculum and Instruction Subcommittee on programs and approaches to challenge high-achieving students that are available in other school districts, particularly urban schools such as Worcester where similar challenges exist. Include in the report those programs and approaches, whether within our school district or outside, that could be a model of success for us to duplicate to ensure that our most high-achieving students are appropriately challenged; seconded by Mr. Leahy. APPROVED
9-15-04
(by Jackie Doherty): That the Superintendent’s Annual October 1st Enrollment Report Include an Analysis of Class Size for Grades K through 12; seconded by Ms. Martin. APPROVED
10-06-04
(by Jackie Doherty and John J. Leahy) – Request that the Superintendent provide an update on the status of the Lowell High School heating system. APPROVED
(by Jackie Doherty) – That the Superintendent provide to the Lowell High School Subcommittee a complete report of the students who have been non-membered this school year, including information on age, ethnicity, house, and reason; seconded by Mr. Leahy. Unanimously approved on roll call by all members present. Six yeas; one absent. APPROVED
(by Jackie Doherty) – That the Superintendent provide to the Lowell High School Subcommittee an updated attendance report listing the number of student absences this year, including information on class year, ethnicity, and house; seconded by Ms. Faticanti.
In discussion, Mr. Leahy moved to amend Ms. Doherty’s motion to include a “Tardiness Report”; seconded by Ms. Martin. Motion as amended APPROVED
11/3/04
(by Jackie Doherty) That the Superintendent provide a quarterly report of indicators that can help the School Committee see progress being made to achieve a safe and respectful environment in every school.
*There is a good chance some of my motions are missing here based on incomplete records on my part. Will update when that information is available.
6/1/05
Ms. Doherty moved for a Substitute Motion:
Request that the Superintendent and her staff provide the School Committee with a 15 year analysis of the school department’s budget appropriation including the identification of local and state revenue sources; and to include the breakdown each year of the student enrollment and the non-speaking English students; seconded by Mr. Leahy. Amended Substitute Motion APPROVED
6/15/05
(by Jackie Doherty) – That the Superintendent provide a report regarding preschool attendance since bussing was cut that includes a demographic and ethnic breakdown comparing actual students with potential attendees. seconded by Ms. Faticanti. APPROVED
7/13/05
(by Joseph M. Mendonca and Jackie Doherty) – Request the Superintendent provide data and a longitudinal analysis of Terra Nova test scores for each of the middle schools over the last four years. Unanimously approved on roll call. APPROVED
(by Jackie Doherty) Request the Superintendent provide data that compares teacher absenteeism over the last three years, excluding unpaid leave. The report should include average absenteeism rates as well as a breakdown of number and percentage of teachers absent by number of days out each year; seconded by Mr. McHugh. APPROVED
10/5/05
(by Jackie Doherty) That the Superintendent provide a report on the outside agencies working with LHS students through student support services, including the names and purposes of those agencies and the number of students they are working with broken down by age, house, income and ethnicity. In addition, the report should identify the process and timeframe by which students are selected and the LHS staff responsible for collaborating with these agencies; seconded by Ms. Faticanti. APPROVED.
(by Jackie Doherty) That the Superintendent provide a report regarding the status of 504s in the last year, including the number of students by school, age, and ethnicity, as well as a breakdown of the most common reasons for developing a 504 plan and the most common accommodations provided. The report should include a review of the process for identifying students who need accommodations, the staff responsible for oversight, and the timeframe for delivery of adjustments to the students’ learning environment. In addition, the report should provide information regarding the vendors who provide the services/equipment and the costs associated with those accommodations; seconded by Ms. Martin. APPROVED.
10/19/05
(by Jackie Doherty) That the Superintendent report to the Lowell High School Subcommittee on the feasibility of providing academically rigorous courses for freshmen students who are not in the Latin Lyceum but who demonstrate the skills to do high level work at a comparable level. Amended to availability and APPROVED.
(by Jackie Doherty) That the Superintendent provide a report on the relationship between Terra Nova and MCAS scores; seconded by Mr. Leahy. APPROVED.