HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991-06-22 School Committee MinutesREADING PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Reading, Massachusetts
SCHOOL COMMITTEE MINUTES
ORIENTATION MEETING MINUTES 22 JUNE 1991
CALL TO ORDER
The School Committee members assembled for a second orientation
session for new members. The meeting was called to order at 9:10
a.m. and all members were present.
In the course of the meeting, several issues relating to the
School Committee's meeting process were discussed.
WAYS TO REVIEW SCHOOL COMMITTEE POLICIES
In the past, policy review was to be an active School Committee
concern, but budget crises of the last two years have dominated
School Committee meetings and forced postponement of an orderly
review process. Among the ideas discussed were:
• give thought to a standing committee on policy review;
• commit to reviewing two policies or series a meeting;
o treat policy review as different from event - driven
deliberation;
o type policies into a word processor as part of the review
process - Stan suggests we check out document retrival
software.
Agreement: Mary Williams and Tim Twomey volunteer to be a Policy
Review Committee. They will set up a policy review schedule and
review it at an upcoming meeting.
BRINGING ISSUES TO THE FOREFRONT
The most effective way to bring an issue to the attention of the
full School Committee is to place it on the agenda by contacting
the Chairman and the Superintendent in advance. At the same time,
the member may want to sound out other members about the issues.
The Superintendent will keep the Chair informed of ideas offered
by members of the School Committee.
The members asked for School Committee meeting packets to be
delivered on Thursday in advance of each meeting. The
Superintendent will give this request high priority.
ORIENTATION MEETING MINUTES -2- 22 JUNE 1991
At the suggestion of Mary Williams, the School Committee will
evaluate the Superintendent in March so the long experience of
each School Committee member can be given to the Superintendent as
feedback before the Town elections change the composition of the
School Committee.
PLANNING SEPARATE MEETING TO LISTEN TO PARENTS AND PUBLIC
The School Committee plans to meet at each school district at
least once this next year in order to hear the ideas which the
public may have. This will not be a regular meeting of the School
Committee. It is important that the structure of the meeting be
provided by the local people. At each school, the parents and
staff may plan to present a Highlight or to brief the School
Committee on some of the accomplishments or problems of the
school.
DISCUSSION OF OTHER WAYS TO REACH OUT TO THE PUBLIC
The School Committee discussed additional ways beyond the meetings
at local school sites for reaching out to the public. Tim Twomey
offered again the idea of a newsletter in collaboration with the
Town Manager and other municipal officials. The newsletter could
be produced virtually at no cost as an insert in Suburban News.
Tim feels that misinformation abounds and that a newsletter will
convey accurate information.
During discussion, the members of the School Committee did not
feel that a newsletter should be the highest priority. The
members suggested that the School Committee spend time talking to
the people who have misinformation and misconceptions.
The idea of the School Committee being available for a call -in
television show on Cable Television struck a responsive chord.
Three or four such call -in shows where people of the community can
talk freely to School Committee members would, in the view of most
of the members, address the misinformation and misconceptions
which the public may hold about the schools and the School
Committee actions.
The Superintendent was asked to set up a date and format for a
call -in show with the people at the public access cable studio.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 11:30 a.m.
Respectfully Submitted
ROW I Munnelly, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools
Secretary To The School Committee