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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-03-03 ad Hoc - Naming of Facilities Committee Minutes r L � j`` Town of Reading . NI, l Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Date: 2014-03-03 Time: 7:00 PM Building: School - Memorial High Location: Superintendent Conference Room Address: 82 Oakland Road Purpose: Naming of Facilities Sub- Session: General Session Committee Attendees: Members - Present: Chris Caruso, John Douglass, Frank Driscoll, John Arena, Julia Popken, Kevin Higginbottom, Joanne King Members - Not Present: Russ Graham Others Present: John Doherty Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Linda Engelson on behalf of the Sub-Committee Chair Topics of Discussion: I. Call to Order Mr. Caruso called the sub-committee to order at 7:00 p.m. II. Recommended Procedure Dr. Doherty reviewed the process and said his role was to support the sub-committee through their deliberations. Mr. Caruso asked the group if there were any suggestions regarding the established process that they would like brought to the School Committee. Dr. Doherty reviewed the proposed timeline indicating that the hope was to be able to present the recommendations to the School Committee on March 24th Mr. Arena asked if there were any guidelines for uniformity of the nominations. Mr. Caruso said there were none and the process is dictated by policy. He went on to express concerns about naming facilities quickly and perhaps tighter criteria for nominations should be established. He also shared the idea of an Educator Hall of Fame or Wall of Remembrance may be a better way to honor exceptional educators. Mr. Arena agreed that a central location would be a better way to honor exceptional educators. Page I 1 Mr. Driscoll asked if the policy has established years of service and other criteria that would better demonstrate the candidates qualifications and if not should it be proposed. Mr. Caruso explained that some School Committee members feel that a naming should only be considered after the person has passed on. Mrs. King would like to see more consistency in the application process. Every educator touches lives and she would like to explore different options to recognize them. Dr. Doherty feels that these concerns should be reported to the School Committee. Mrs. King feels it may be a good idea to step back and take a breath and explore other possible avenues for recognition. Mr. Arena wanted it understood that if the sub-committee agrees to change the process, it would not preclude the nomination for a facility to be named after someone. Ms. Popken shared that the meaning and honor would be lost if there were to be an over naming of facilities. Review of Nominations Sally Mucica Library Media Center @ Wood End Mr. Driscoll feels that the nominee is known to a small community. He does not doubt that Mrs. Mucica has touched many lives over her career but may be better served being recognized in a different manner. Mr. Arena asked how to address the fact that the nominee has only touched a fraction of the community. Mrs. King shared that Mrs. Mucica had worked in several schools in town over her career. She also indicated that the Wood End School is only 10 years old and cautioned the group on the message it may send, if this nomination was approved, to others that have touched the lives of Wood End students. Mr. Douglass indicated that the nomination form did not provide enough information for him to make an informed decision. Mr. Caruso shared that a Hall of Fame type of display would be perfect for not only Mrs. Mucica but all exceptional educators that have touched the lives of our students. Mr. Arena feels there is a need for an application that asks for more information, possibly a template that outlines the required information that would be standard for all nominations. Mrs. King and Mr. Arena agreed that even with the presentations the sub-committee may not get all the information they are looking for to support the candidate. Frederick Wales Engineering Classroom Page 12 Mr. Higginbottom heard of Mr. Wales and his impact during the hiring process of the new Engineering teacher. Mr. Wales was ahead of his time using inquiry based learning versus paper and pencil traditional learning that was common during his tenure. He feels there is a strong connection between the man and the structure and the naming of a classroom would be appropriate. Mr. Caruso pointed out that this particular application had more information to be able to base a decision. Ms. Popken agreed. She feels it is important that there is more than one person supporting this nomination. Mr. Caruso once again felt that the sub-committee would like to have a more uniform nomination process which might include an application template. Ernie Spence Way Mr. Douglass started off by saying the thought of an Educator Hall of Fame is a wonderful idea. He feels, like others, that the application process is flawed and perhaps after the nominee presentations he would be able to make a more informed decision. Mr. Driscoll would like to see the proposed space reserved for the possible naming as Veterans Way. Mr. Caruso offered to present the sub-committee's concerns to the School Committee and asked for guidance on how to proceed. Mr. Driscoll reiterated that the application process needs to be improved. Mrs. King expressed concerns about naming a space after one person. Mr. Higginbottom thinks the question"What is the lasting impact?" needs to be asked when reviewing applications. Some applications do a better job conveying that information. Mr. Arena shared that there should be three steps in the process: 1. Set the criteria 2. Review the process 3. Determine the result The spot chosen to be named should have meaning Mr. Caruso is not sensing urgency on behalf of the sub-committee with these three applicants. He asked if this sub-committee should be repurposed to review and expand the current policy. Dr. Doherty suggested that Mr. Caruso provide an update from this meeting to the School Committee on Monday evening. Mr. Douglass feels the application needs to be more thorough and referenced sections A & B of the current policy. He feels it is important to make an informed decision. Page 13 Mr. Caruso said he would contact the nominating parties to let them know that the sub- committee is recommending that the process for this cycle be suspended to allow the sub- committee to review the policy and develop a template to make a more common application process. The consensus of the sub-committee was that the current application process is not comprehensive and the way the policy is written does not appropriately address the long term significance. Mr. Caruso advised the sub-committee to hold March 13 at 7:30 for the next meeting. Mr. Arena moved, seconded by Mrs. King, to adjourn. The motion carried 7-0. III. Adjournment NOTE: The minutes reflect the order as stated in the posted meeting agenda not the order they occurred during the meeting. Approved 7.21.14 Page 14