Letter from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui communicating information from the School Committee Regular Meeting on January 21, 2020

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR Sumbul Siddiqui Mayor To: Cambridge City Council From: Sumbul Siddiqui, Mayor Date: January 23, 2020 Subject: Communicating information from School Committee Meeting January 21, 2020 To the Honorable, the City Council: The School Committee and administration held its first Community Meeting on January 21, 2020, inviting input from staff on the FY21 School Department Budget Priorities. I have attached the presentation for your review. A similar Community Meeting and presentation will be held this Saturday, January 25 at 10:00am at the Cambridge Senior Center, 850 Mass Ave., for parents and caregivers. The input from the two Community Meetings will be reviewed at the upcoming School Committee Budget Retreat on Tuesday, January 28 at 6:00pm in the Dr. Henrietta Attles Meeting Room. During the School Committee’s Regular Business Meeting on Tuesday, January 21, Superintendent Kenneth Salim provided an update on the Committee’s priorities for 2019-2020; this presentation is attached. It should be noted that the CPS school district has committed to 1) improve the investigation and response system for racist incidents and other inappropriate behavior reported by students regarding adult staff members; 2) design mandatory staff strategy on anti-racism and racial equity issues; and 3) center the voices of families of color, while actively engaging with parents and caregivers around issues of equity and racial equity. Additionally, on January 30 CPS will launch a new newsletter focused on equity, with regular updates surrounding these commitments. At last Tuesday’s meeting the School Committee also approved a motion calling for a School Committee Retreat with district administrators and the Building Equity Bridges leadership team. The purpose of this retreat will be to provide an opportunity for developing a shared understanding of the work raised in each of the twelve areas outlined by the Building Equity Bridges movement, as well as recommend policies that strengthen the district’s racial equity and anti-racism work. I will be providing future correspondence on how the City Council can best support this work in partnership with the School Committee. Please contact me with any questions or concerns. Respectfully, Sumbul Siddiqui