Worcester School Committee Debates AI Privacy Policies

WORCESTER – The Worcester School Committee is delving into the battle over privacy policies as artificial intelligence (AI) applications become standard use in classrooms across the United States.

The school committee’s Standing Committee on Teaching, Learning, and Student Success will take up two related items on Thursday, Jan. 29, that call for updates to school district polices “to require explicit consent from parents/guardians when a third party service wants to use personal information collected from students to train or otherwise develop artificial intelligence technologies.”

The second item calls for policies for explicit consent “parents/guardians before a third party service collects any data that could be a
biometric identifier, such as audio recordings, photographs, and/or video.”

The administration of the Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools (WPS) Brian Allen appears ready to argue that such a policy is not required.

According to a memo to the school committee, attached to the agenda for the standing committee meeting, current policy “mandates that every app or tool we approve for use in Worcester Public Schools must meet strict data privacy and safety standards. These standards are ensured by executing legally binding Student Data Privacy Agreements.” The memo says these agreements are in compliance with federal and state law.

If a third-party vendor won’t sign that agreement, WPS will not do business with that company, except in rage cases, according to the memo.

In rare cases, including courses with special requirements aligned to industry standards such as CTE, career-prep, and/or industry recognized credentials (FERPA),” the WPS “will ask for explicit parental consent before using the product”

The Standing Committee on Teaching, Learning, and Student Success meets at 5 PM at City Hall on Jan. 29. The meeting is also available via Zoom.

Study Shows Childcare Out of Reach for Most Families

WORCESTER – A new study by Lending Tree shows how out of reach affording childcare is for most families in Massachusetts.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services set a benchmark that child care is affordable for a family when it costs no more than seven percent of income. In Massachusetts, the average annual child care for two children costs $47,012.

To spend seven percent of income on childcare, a family in Massachusetts must have an income of $671,600. That’s 246.8 percent over the average income of $191,671 for a family with two children in the state, according to Lending Tree.

The difference nationwide is smaller, but still largely out of reach. Full-time, center-based care for an infant and 4-year-old averages $28,190 annually. That is 176.5 percent more than the average income for households with two kids, $145,656.

Lending Tree found that Native American families earn $94,094 and Black families earn $98,019. That means they need to earn 328% and 310.8% more, respectively, to meet the seven percent benchmark.

See the full Lending Tree study here.

Mini-Grants Applications for Worcester Teachers Now Open

WORCESTER – The Worcester Educational Development Foundation (WEDF) announced it has opened applications for 20 mini-grants for Worcester Public Schools educators.

The round of grants coincides with WEDF’s 20th anniversary. Founded in 2

Each grant, for up to $500, will support projects for students in Worcester Public Schools (WPS).

Funded
projects must align with at least one of WEDF’s four focus areas:

• Arts and Culture;
• College and Career Readiness;
• Health and Wellness; or
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

These grants funds may be applied to instructional and non-instructional materials, transportation and fees for field trips or competitions, or consultants.

Applications must be less than two pages and approved by the principal where the teacher works or an immediate supervisor.

The scoring rubric used to evaluate proposals and the application are available on the WEDF website.

720 Tickets, 400 Tows in Worcester During Storm

WORCESTER – The City of Worcester announced today that the Winter Weather Emergency, declared on Friday, Jan. 23, and the Declared Winter Parking Ban, which went into effect at 1 AM on Sunday, Jan. 25, remain in effect until further notice.

During the storm, the city issued 720 tickets and towed 400 cars to date as of 1 PM on Tuesday. Find the restrictions that apply to your street on the city website.

For questions, residents should contact Worcester 311 by dialing 3-1-1, emailing 311@worcesterma.gov, or visiting the city’s 311 website page. Residents can submit requests through the 311 app and email 24/7. Residents looking to locate a vehicle that has been towed are advised to contact Worcester 311.

According to the city, 72 municipal vehicles and 295 private contractors began treating roads at 7:30 AM on Sunday, Jan. 25, and worked overnight and into Monday, Jan. 26, at 4 PM. During that time, 19 inches of snow accumulated.

A second shift of equipment operators worked from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning, including 40 municipal vehicles and 210 contractors actively clearing roads as well as clearing and salting main arteries.

With 250 pieces of equipment on the road on Tuesday, crews transitioned into clearing and treating residential and side streets and clearing snow piles at intersections and near schools.

Worcester experienced nearly two feet of snowfall across its 460 miles of public roads and 80 miles of private roads throughout the storm, according to the city.

The city also reminds owners and occupants of both residential and commercial property that they are responsible for clearing and treating sidewalks adjacent to their property within 10 hours after snow ceases to fall. The city’s Sidewalk Snow Removal Ordinance requires snow and ice removed to a width of no less than 4 feet for the entire distance of abutting sidewalks and the clearing of both abutting crosswalks and curb ramps.

Those who fail clear snow as required by the ordinance are subject to a fine of $75  per day.

Municipal garages remain free of charge during the Declared Winter Parking Ban. Those garages include:

• Major Taylor Garage – 30 Major Taylor Blvd.
  
• Federal Plaza Garage – 570 Main St.
  
• Pearl & Elm Garage – 20 Pearl St.
  
• Worcester Common Garage – 3 Eaton Place
  
• Union Station Garage – 225 Franklin St.

Groups Announce Event Supporting Haxhiaj at Prosecutor’s Office

NORTHAMPTON – Several organizations announced a “Drop the Charges” event in Northampton on Saturday, Jan. 31, outside the offices of the Northwestern District Attorney’s offices at One Gleason Plaza in Northampton. The event is scheduled from 1 PM to 2 PM and will include multiple speakers.

The event supports dropping misdemeanor criminal charges brought by a Worcester police officer against former Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj.

The groups cooperating to hold the event are Worcester Indivisible, Indivisible Northampton, Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution, Indivisible West Quabbin and Standing Up for Racial Justice – Worcester, Refuse Fascism, and Independent Socialist Group.

A statement about the event released by the groups says, in part, that “unlike elsewhere across the country, State Prosecutor Steven Gagne is continuing to press charges.”

Gagne is the first assistant district attorney in the office of Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan. Worcester County District Attorney Joe Early Jr.’s office recused itself from the case.

The Worcester officer filed charges against Haxhiaj for assault and battery on a police officer and interfering with police in the days after an arrest by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on May 8 on Eureka Street in Worcester.

Community members received notifications of immigration-related enforcement from a network established by LUCE, which describes itself as an immigrant justice network. Several community members reported to the scene, including Haxhiaj, then a Worcester City Councilor. The incident took place in the district she then represented.

Federal agents used the daughter and grandchild of Roseanne Ferreira De Oliveira to lure her from her home, according to multiple public statements and news agency reporting. The agents did not possess a judicial warrant to enter her home. When Ferreira De Oliveira arrived at the scene, the agents took her into custody.

Several inviduals  attempted to prevent federal agents from leaving the scene with Ferreira De Oliveira in custody. The U.S. Department of Justice did not file any charges related to the incident.

Worcester Police responded to the scene and enabled the agents to leave with Ferreira De Oliveira in custody.

During that scene, the Worcester officer claims Haxhiaj pushed her while attempting to reach Ferreira De Oliveira. Haxhiaj has denied all charges. A trial on those charges is scheduled for Feb. 10.

Ferreira De Oliveira was lawfully present in the United States at the time of her arrest by federal agents. She had a pending legal claim for asylum. Applicants for asylum may legally remain in the United States during the adjudication of the claim.

At the time of her arrest, Ferreira De Oliveira faced a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a pregnant victim. The police report filed in the case said that the complaining witness claimed that Ferreira De Oliveira “struck her with a phone charger cable, causing visible welts on her arm.”

Prosecutors dropped that charge on July 18, as the complaining witness declined further cooperation with the prosecution of the case.

Ferreira De Oliveira remained in federal custody from May 8 until after the approval of her asylum claim in September. Although it could appeal the decision to grant asylum to Ferreira De Oliveira, the federal government declined to do so.

Old Grumbly Fan’s AFC Championship Preview

The Houston Texans came to town with arguably the best defense in the NFL. They went home with that argument still in place, but a new team has entered the best defense chat.

Your New England Patriots.

In a mostly ugly, turnover-filled game, the Patriots defense was the best unit of the night, holding the Texans to 16 points despite great field position because of Patriots turnovers.

Mike Vrabel is now 2-0 with the Patriots in the playoffs with the 28-16 victory (not to far from Old Grumbly’s 27-12 prediction last week). His team remained poised despite turnovers and a ferocious Houston front four. The game was never really in doubt after the second quarter saw the Patriots went up 21-10.

Houston scored 20 points or fewer 9 times during the regular season, going 4-5. In games where they scored 21 or more, they were 9-0 coming into this game. With a balanced game plan, the Patriots kept them safely at bay.

Drake Maye had both a terrible game and a great game at the same time. He had 4 fumbles, 2 that were lost. The first led to the only Houston touchdown drive (of 27 yards) all day. This fumble was on a pocket collapse, and Maye stepped up, gaining four yards, but was just careless with the ball. His lone interception was on a Hail Mary to end the half.

Maye also had three touchdowns against that great Houston D. The one to Stef Diggs was a bullet into traffic, and the one to Boutte to go up 28-16 might be the prettiest play you see all year.

Maye’s ceiling is MVP-caliber. His current status is still a second-year QB who makes mistakes. The stakes are higher now, so the critique will be harsh.

Will Campbell was again targeted, and attacked on the blind side. This was no regular pass rush. Still, he needs to hold his ground instead of hand-fighting in some spots. It is better to have a play blown up and end then blown up and turn it over.

McDaniels’ play-calling got aggressive in this game. The running game was struggling against Houston, no shame there, until a fourth-quarter drive where they gained 38 yards on the ground and punted. With the time that came off the clock, it effectively ended the game. Houston was tired at that point, and despite still forcing the punt, the field position swing changed the end of the game. Expect more aggression in Denver on Sunday.

The defense put together its second dominant game. C. J. Stroud looked confused from the first play, and his 4 interceptions does not tell the story. There were at least 4 others that were just dropped by the Patriots D, and 2 others that got tipped out of bounds or into the ground. They held the run game to 48 yards with 10 points coming off of two drives of 27 and 26 yards. Zach Kurr continues to dial up the pressure, and the defense rolls into Denver with a chip on their shoulder.

Stefon Diggs is a big-time money player. His 4 catches for 40 yards were all timely. He had two first downs and a key touchdown with a defender basically in his jersey. He continues to be a key piece for Maye to go to when he needs it.

Old Grumbly Divisional Playoff Predictions

Denver hosts the Patriots in what has long been a New England house of horrors. Patriots are 12-29 in Denver lifetime, with an 0-4 lifetime playoff record in the Mile-High City. In a normal year, home field would seem a formidable weapon for the Broncos.

Then, Bo Nix broke his ankle got injured on one of the last plays of the game in their own overtime win in a thriller against the Bills, 33-30. Former Patriot Jarrett Stidham steps in the the Broncos starting QB role without throwing a pass all year. Many in the national media seem to suggest that Stidham will step in and get it done.

I just don’t see a backup QB giving this defense the business. He might keep it close, but I doubt he plays at an all-world level. The Broncos have been a mediocre offense all year, relying on Nix in close and late games that the defense kept them in.

Denver’s defense was the 3rd stingiest for points in the NFL (Houston was 2nd), and has the second best run defense all year (Pats 6th). In four of their last seven games, they gave up 346 yards or more and over 400 twice (Washington and Buffalo). The defense will need at least a steady offense to keep up with Maye.

While Maye had turnovers in both playoff games, his career so far does not show he’s a turnover machine. There’s a high chance he bounces back this week, and frankly, no one has shut down the Patriots offense completely. Since their Week 2 loss against Pittsburgh (the game with the 5 turnovers), the Patriots scored at least 23 points in every game until the Wild Card game against the Chargers (another top 5 defense). If the Patriots get to 23 in this game (and they will) I expect that will be enough to beat the Broncos and advance to the franchise’s 12th Super Bowl, adding to their record.

Look for a big run from TreVeyon Henderson in this game, and a big game from Hunter Henry. I think the momentum train carries this team into the big game.

Old Grumbly Prediction

Patriots 34 – Denver 9

Emergency Shelter Opens Today at Worcester Tech High School

WORCESTER – St. John’s Catholic Church and its St. John’s Food for the Poor program announced that an emergency shelter will open in Worcester on Friday, Jan. 23, at 5 PM. Worcester Technical High School, at 1 Manny Familia Way, is the site of the shelter.

Transportation is available from St. John’s Church, at 44 Temple St., starting at 5 PM on Friday.

The emergency, temporary shelter will remain open until Monday afternoon, Jan. 26.

The shelter effort requests donations of food and snacks. It also seeks volunteers for all three shifts. To inquire about either, visit the Facebook page linked below.

NWS: Extreme Cold Friday Night, Heavy Snow Sunday

WORCESTER – The National Weather Service (NWS) issued two notices today that apply over the weekend, beginning Friday, Jan. 23.

Starting at 10 PM on Friday, a NWS Cold Weather Advisory warns if wind chills as low as 15 degrees below zero across much of southern New England, including Worcester County The agency warns that Frostbite and hypothermia will occur with unprotected skin exposed to these temperatures. That advisory begins at 10 PM on Friday through 10 AM on Saturday.

The NWS also issued a winter storm watch beginning Sunday morning through Monday evening that also applies to much of southern New England, including Worcester County. The NWS warns of the potential of heavy snow and accumulation of eight to 15 inches. The agency urges residents to delay all travel, as travel conditions may become very difficult or impossible.

For those who must travel, the NWS advises:

• drive with extreme caution;
• Remain prepared for sudden changes in visibility;
• Leave plenty of room between you and the motorist ahead of you;
• Allow extra time to reach your destination;
• Avoid sudden braking or acceleration;
• Be especially cautious on hills and when making turns; and
• Ensure your vehicle is winterized and in good working order.

Snowfall estimates are likely to be revised before the onset of the storm on Sunday.

New Councilor’s Requests Highlight Worcester Council’s Dysfunction

In the second meeting of the current Worcester City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 20, the council considered several orders from Dr. Satya Mitra, one of four serving their first term on the council.

I can’t say I had writing support for Mitra on my bingo card, especially this early in the term, but these orders are reasonable requests for practical changes to the operations of the city council.

They are also unlikely to happen.

Mitra comes from the business world, where things sometimes operate in ways that make sense. While I’m sure he understands that he is in government now, I’m not sure he understands the reality of Worcester’s government and the reality of the role the city council remands itself to.

Brief Background

Mitra founded The Guru Tax and Financial Services, Inc. in 1990, which he still operates. Mitra also served as a board member at the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce for several years, including a stint serving as chair of the board. He has also served on the City of Worcester Planning Board , the Worcester Public Library Board, and the Worcester State University Foundation Board.

Before immigrating to the United States in the late 1970s, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in biochemistry in India in 1976.

In short, the man is experienced, smart, and has achieved some success. Those are valuable traits, even if your politics differ from his.

Orders for Basic Information

During the city council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20, Mitra had three orders that appear like common-sense asks for most other organizations.

Information on Reports

In item 9j, Mitra asked for a report on the processes the City Manager’s office uses to track the endless requests for information reports by city councilors. During the meeting, City Manager Eric Batista said the backlog of outstanding reports is around 1500, going back many years, with some originated before the council appointed him.

The city manager’s office couldn’t possibly fulfill the volume of reports requested. This allows the manager to choose which reports the administration returns to the council. As the manager can be terminated only by a majority vote of the council, the majority’s needs naturally receive priority. It also allows the manager to ignore reports for information that he doesn’t want public, for whatever reason.

The root cause is the non-functional city council committee system. Council committees do very little, if any, oversight of the operations of city government. If committees demanded that department heads appear before their committees and sought data, not reports, directly from departments, they could obtain information.

The dictator-like powers of committee chairs contribute to the problem as they have total control of the agenda of each committee.

Quarterly Report on Council Orders

Mitra’s order, 9k on the agenda, asks the city clerk to “provide City Council with a quarterly report outlining the various City Council Orders adopted over the previous three (3) months.”

Another request that seems simple, but not in Worcester.

The city clerk’s office in Worcester has plenty of responsibilities. It is the office of the clerk, not the council. The responsibility for this request should fall on the city council staff.

The problem: the city council refuses to do anything about its funding, which is embarrassingly low. The mayor’s office has two employees, and the other 10 members of the council have a support team of three.

Three employees for 10 councilors. Completely absurd. It also reflects the council majority’s views on what little responsibility it has.

Goal Setting

Item 9h on the council agenda asked for a report on the feasibility of establishing SMART Goals ” to standardize and track residents needs in a transparent and effective manner.” Mitra’s order asked for these goals to “include but not be limited to issues such as the amount of potholes that can and should be fixed in a month, providing services for homeless individuals, determining appropriate speed hump locations, and improving public safety outcomes.”

Some reasonably view SMART Goals, an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timebound, first introduced in 1981, as outdated. PACT Goals, Purposeful, Actionable, Continuous, and Trackable, are arguably more popular today after their introduction in 2019.

City Manager Eric Batista responded, saying, in summary, that departments in city government under his authority have implemented KPIs (key performance indicators) and as a means of measuring outcomes. There is no reason to dispute that, I’m sure they do.

What wasn’t said is that if any means of measuring performance involves reporting to the council, reports delivered to the council become part of the meeting agenda and easily accessible to the public. The last thing a majority of councilors want is any measurable outcomes made public. That’s not in their interests.

This highlights a fundamental flaw in the city’s system of government. The city council hires and appoints the city manager. They chose him, so negative outcomes reflect on them. While councilors do often use the manager as a shield to absorb criticism, as he doesn’t need votes to stay in office. However, they have every motivation to prevent measurable outcomes from public view.

The same reasons illustrate why the majority of councilors refused to even allow a search for the next city manager when they appointed Batista. Councilors can’t argue they made the best choice for the city. They couldn’t possibly know that, as they didn’t bother to look. They did what was best for them.

That’s a consistent theme of this city council majority. After all, the election just happened in November, but the next one is only two years away.

Unfortunately, Dr. Mitra is going to have to learn how to operate within nearly total dysfunction.

Court Orders Prediction Market Website to Cease Operations in Mass.

BOSTON – The office of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced on Tuesday, Jan. 20, that a court issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting Kalshi from accepting online wagers on sports and related events from Massachusetts customers until the company complies with state laws governing sports gaming. That includes licensure by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC).

Kalshi describes itself as “a regulated exchange & prediction market where you can trade on the outcome of real-world events.”

“The Court has made clear that any company that wants to be in the sports gaming business in Massachusetts must play by our rules – no exceptions,” said Campbell. “Today’s victory marks a major step toward fortifying Massachusetts’ gambling laws and mitigating the significant public health consequences that come with unregulated gambling.”

Campbell sued Kalshi in September alleging the company is violating state law. The court also denied a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on Tuesday.

The lawsuit alleges that Kalshi uses an online “exchange” to offer sports wagering under the guise of “event contracts,” which allow bettors to place wagers connected to sports, such as the likelihood of a certain team winning a game or a certain player scoring a particular number of points.

According to the attorney general’s office, the Kalshi platform offers “event contracts” on sporting events, including moneyline contracts, point spread contracts, and over-under contracts.