 Seeing the presence of a quorum. I will call the order this meeting of the Air's Pellum regional school committee at 635 p.m For you know people's awareness this meeting is being recorded for a future broadcast a some stuff by Amherst media And the first order of business is approval of the minutes of October 22nd 2019 There are people have a chance to see those minutes Mr. Fonch a small item and under in attendance My first name is not FIP. It is not It is kept small detail. Okay Keep it okay, right? That's correct. Okay Is it Donald? In the first section under roll call was taken for the regional school committee. I believe I was there That is so my name is missing from that roll call vote. Okay And I believe for union 26 Liz Ordonas is missing from that list. Okay, I have a few others too Under section 2 it's a just a typo resumed the meetings Under section 4 third paragraph the grade span advisory board Or group is a group or board board board And I was that again the first line of the third paragraph in section 4. Okay. There is a guy there Yeah, and then in the In continuing in that section down to the specifics of what are the pros? The cons and I don't know that you meant the barriers to academics and but I wasn't quite sure what was intended there I Think said the word barriers as I recall It's okay to say I think within the areas of arenas of yeah, yeah Yeah I Just had a question in the section 7 paragraph 1 2 3 4 the one that begins with miss spitzer and maybe Dr. Morris you can clarify in that I wasn't sure this didn't match my remembrance the Infrastructure on fundraising and then move forward with itemized budgets. I thought that it was the Is something more about a clear plan to then begin the fundraising but he looks like one of your colleagues would like to comment Well, I just I'm trying to remember that conversation as well, and I think I was just saying that We could start building the infrastructure for the fundraising prior to having the plan complete And I don't know which one of us said that but I think that was the gist of what we're Yeah, I think I believe I said that something I might say yeah, yeah, okay And it's sorry in the transportation bid section which is section C. I think yep And the top of the next page Okay the second Paragraph okay, I think the number one thing that we could do To reduce carbon emissions. I think is what's missing there Is reduce the length of roots and increase the number of families? I think that's a critical piece that was missing from that sentence And then in the next paragraph where it the third line what second line starts with miss stancer agrees And then it says she also asked a question. I believe I was the one that asked the question Okay, so miss McDonald asked the question regarding the impact by shortening the roots Yes I think you might have also been the one who Agreed about walking in the five-year contract Sentence before that. I don't think that was me. So the missed answer agrees. I think should be That's so funny. So you change that them as McDonald's and this one can be she also asked yes So two things and on the next page under policy discussion Yeah, and it's the bdb section The second paragraph it's Said that I described that the policy committee that Margaret miss stancer should revisit the language Regarding the officer duties of secretary. I don't think that was me, but I don't know who it was It's it was one of the two of you I think it was one of the two of you you want to clean it or clean it We need our best recollection and in the next of the last paragraph Under it's under the new anti-harassment policy The last line of the next-to-last paragraph mr. Menino and miss stancer described that feedback from the chair of the committee I think it should say the Palms the chair of the Pelham school committee I think Yes Okay Mr. Demling wrote me a note and said inputs on minutes item 7a Top of page 2 Mr. Demling had a question regarding timing and how long this would take if the schematic design is not done Please add the word soon after done not done soon And that was his comment, but there are other edits Maybe it was at the next paragraph or two paragraphs down right above section B Mr. Nakajima noted capital projects my recollection is that you were talking about that that should be done Now Yeah That actually wasn't it. I was looking for a highly clerical But you're right about this one too that the last paragraph of the fields update Essentially the gist of the statement was that we needed to move forward with a plan immediately For schematic design and a budget for the fields Because the town was engaged and we're kind of Amherst was engaged and debating very significant capital projects And if we didn't get organized in a way that was actionable We wouldn't be part of that conversation able to advocate for the regional schools Great summary what I thought I said last week. Yes, I just noted you that took me to something that I see in The paragraph the second paragraph on that page miss Dancer had the opportunity to go to the Consultants last spring that should be this consultant's presentation Yes No, the last the first paragraph of the last page where this policy applies because it is currently broad and I understood where the policy applied and my question wasn't so much where it applied but more if it was Overly broad in terms of limiting speech in areas where we don't really have jurisdiction Right, that's a fancier way of saying what I was trying to get across Right, but it was more about whether it's it's too broad. I understood where right so is there a Move to approve the minutes of October 22nd as amended Move by stanzas or a second second second by Foch All those in favor of The minutes as amended It carries one two three four five six seven seven to nothing great Okay, so we'll move forward on the agenda. The next item is committee. It's funny We ever since miss cancer pointed this out I feel like we have to have a different title for committee announcements because that just does sound wrong The committee member announcements If people if committee members have any answers I'd like to make they can do so at this time Yes Unfortunately, you weren't able to join us for illness But we had a wonderful night at the Amherst education foundation Miss McDonald mr. Dumbling and I'm actually my step dad stepped in Member of our team and we won a spirit award So I just want to thank the Amherst education foundation for the event and we had a great time. That's awesome Any other announcements Seeing none Well, I'll now open up the floor to public comments if anyone for the public has a comment They can come forward that would be three minutes to speak if you do identify themselves to the microphone For those watching at home later if you can't see Though we do have people in the audience. So we're happy to have here. We do not have any public comments at this time So with that I'm going to close public comments And just remind people again that you can write emails to us mail mail Whatever you like to try to make sure we can get the input you'd like to us to have Sure, I'll be pleased with the update tonight two quick notes that aren't in the written updates. That's in the packet One is that related to the last meeting I have reconnected with town manager Paul Bachmann about the fields and our discussion last week about the fields because there is Implication there are implications and solving those for being in that Group in the past couple years between fields that are owned by the town field on by the region and just kept him abreast of that Conversation discussion because lots of interest in the town side of how that goes as well Which is very frankly even in the region-owned fields particularly the track is widely used by the community. So He's been appraised of that the other one which I know is going to be an upcoming agenda more Intentionally is we did have a meeting last week last Thursday at the Great Span advisory group And I thought we made significant progress I think we got some good feedback from the committee members of the board members about accelerating kind of getting pens to paper and Writing things down pros and cons all those notes are already reflected on our website so that It's a transparent process and people can see at least how board members are feeling and we're looking forward I'm looking forward. I won't speak from a spectacular to the next meeting where we debrief as a larger group What we see is pros and cons kind of what was talked about before the notes last time, but I feel like We've done a lot of the understanding the developmental needs and strengths of adolescent students. And so it was nice to Feel like we were taking next steps in that regard Yeah, no, I thought it was a good session and a lot of a lot of you had stacks of papers Haven't read through all of them, but I also think In planning the next month's agenda, and I think it's November 19 Yeah There was a lot of conversation about the need to get even broader input from from the community and Educators in in the schools more than the the group already encompasses parents from around the the district as well as educators from the elementary schools and the middle school But there was a strong desire to to solicit and encourage and engage the broader community to get Understand the concerns and hopes and sort of questions that are coming up from the broader community When do you expect to? Gather rental input see what the parents think about the situation Yeah, so My first comment is there is a Predominant number of Parents or caregivers in the group already. I'm not suggesting that answers your question But I do think it's important to note that And that's really what miss McDonald I think was speaking to that at the next meeting trying to develop a clear plan of engagement And one of the tricky things we had a good conversation on this topic is at what point do you begin to engage parents with kind of more formal Communication is it you do wait till there's a plan, you know, that's more clear Do you give progress updates? But you know how helpful is that so that's on our agenda for our November meeting of how to Kind of re-engage and at the next at a regional meeting Directly following that I'd be happy to you know I think miss McDonald and I would be happy to share the results of that conversation So yeah, yeah So on the agenda, I'm just gonna be very brief next Tuesday, which is election day. So there is no school For students there is it is a workday for staff. And so as we've done the last three years Our curriculum day will in the morning will be a district-wide day that focuses on the topics of social justice and equity This particular year Elijah who I was talking with again today will be our keynote speaker he spoke last year at the mass glisten conference and Is incredibly powerful describing his experience and particularly talking about intersectionality of identities? so More on that soon, but just we're excited to have that day We've about 20 or so workshops that are being led on a wide range of topics obviously in the paper version It's not as neat But if you got when you got this electronically what's on the website if you click on that link You'll you'll be linked to the different workshops that staff members are choosing To engage in their work Just a couple quick updates below that and I think I'll keep it brief for is a fair amount of writing here Just a reference with Miss Stewart last time that's been a highly successful Athletic season and just listed more details about the postseason The sports that have qualified for postseason play already and this is really Pretty much a hallmark season in my time the last couple years anyway of our student athletes performing at a very high level Congratulations to them in the athletics department We had Australian students students coming and a number of students listed who hosted Families and I think one of the things that we really appreciate is that we learn from students And this is a very international community and we try to as best we can Provide additional experiences for students around the world as well as students here to experience that and in today's digital times That gets a little easier actually there's a number of projects both at the elementary and secondary level where students are able to Collaborate and connect with students living in very different contexts That describes it we're very happy with our flip side our academic scholars the National Merit semi-final corporation Is one that sets up the National Merit scholar program and we had a significant number of students who are known as finalists and semi-finalists Again, congratulations those students and the staff members who worked with them to achieve at the very high level and I think that is As I said, I'm going to try to keep a brief and I think I'll do that tonight Any questions for the superintendent? There are none. I mean, it's time for the chair someday We're better for worse so One of the things I wanted to talk to the committee about today is we've talked previously about the fact that the chair Not just of this committee, but of other committees tends to be used as a sounding board for the superintendent When things come up for that reason You end up getting a prize of more information more communication than other members of the committee might and for better or for worse that's People wanted to change that there's a lot of information you could get if you really want to I smile only because most of it the reality is if it's fun The superintendent takes it directly to the committee if it's complicated He might talk it through with the chair of this committee or another if it's really unpleasant He'll almost always just talk to the committee the chair of the relevant committee And so the reality is we're you to have the great pleasure of getting all this what you're going to find out is your You're an aggregator of unpleasant realities some of which could be incidents that have occurred where the proper Teams need to evaluate what's happened and come to a good assessment and appropriate one then essentially the superintendent will act as if the chair is Representative of the committee and saying look I'm trying to handle this appropriately. I want to make sure somebody knows I'm looking at another chair of another committee simply because I know it's not just true for this committee is true The other committees as well One of the reasons why that's relevant for what I'm bringing up tonight is just because We we've started going into developing a policy around harassment By it's a broad policy in terms of its potential application But it's also talked about specifically members of the community harassing students or staff and I just I feel like we're at a point where I Felt like I felt a responsibility To talk more to the committee about what's going on Simply because in my observation This is becoming a Significant detriment to the functioning and operations of some of our individual schools As well as the staff members. I don't know if this is Accurate to say but as I think it's getting bad enough that people are calling in sick because they're feeling Like they're confronted with a hostile work environment or they're very uncomfortable There are folks who are unsure how to handle their duties because of that and essentially when you look at the policy We're trying to develop the the notion that any individual incident that occurs could be seen as Somebody having a bad day when they hit a keypad But that when you start to aggregate it what you get is you get something that looks more like harassment and bullying I think the further point I'd make is that If you look at the language people choose to use We had a really contentious conversation With multiple parties last spring about our athletic fields and even in the most passionate moments in which Honestly the committee and the DPW and the superintendent others were being accused of potentially Neglecting our duties around the safety of children, which I I can't think of there being a More sobering accusation that you could face in a school The reality is what people were focusing on was the facts They would say come out to the field and look at the terrain look at the rocks look at the how dry it is Whatever it is, they would say look just come with me to the fields. We can talk about what we're seeing here Or what my child's experiencing? That's less true and becomes I think frankly untrue entirely when somebody starts using language that itself by its nature Is disparaging people's character? I'm aligning them or trying to make them deeply uncomfortable Based on their identity or anything else and I'll just I'll give I'll give one example of an email And by the way just to be clear to the public although the policy we're developing is Dr. Morris that repeatedly is Intended to solve any number of issues that come up The reality is we're getting emails from a particular individual in the community dozens of them I forget what the total number is but the point is this isn't a widespread issue This is singular in a singular in a way, which is why we talk about Knowing it when you see it in terms of the cumulative impact of it and just as an example I mean I there was an email sent to our attorney this past weekend that questioned his competence questioned his sense of decency also described me as a a label is it again a Lonely child sad lonely childless man who knows nothing about public education Any number of those things could be true if somebody wants to point them out I don't really care my point is if you're trying to make a policy point And you think you have an intelligent and well-reasoned and well-documented point to make you probably don't have to use language like that Similarly, I recall in the last few months. There was an email in which a senior member of our administration Was accused of having an affair with a prominent member of the public? There was there was bluntly the language I thought wasn't actually there was another email I think the committee might have seen but there was another email that I was I was privileged to That was much more direct than its accusation or its smear There wasn't any truth to it, but also what I'd say Wanted to make is why does somebody even make comments like that they make comments like that because they're trying to bully people In ways in which the facts are not on their side And also and this is really to me the critical thing is that if you know what it's if you know what it's like to be Somebody asked me recently why I love doing what I do and the comment I made to them is when I was a kid I was the youngest of seven kids in my family in a very close Uncle's family and even though they were a loving family everyone picked on me and the funny thing is what I got out of that Was I got a strong sense of looking for underdogs looking for people to be picked on and understanding what the climate's like when people are Picked on right and what you know is bullies get power when people are silent about it They get they get they get they get their power out of the idea that when somebody's sitting at work and gets an email That email feels like their own private hell and it feels like it's nobody else's And then no one else necessarily would validate their feeling that they're under stress under strain Particularly if the person writing the emails is clever enough that they that it never quite seems actionable Which is one of the frustrations that I've had about this, but So I just would say I'm gonna leave names out of it But a quote from this individual I did research in red article and by the way some of the grammatical challenges in here are from the emails themselves So I apologize. I'm not gonna correct the grammar I did research and read articles about where my own patterns are coming out in order to examine what I'm actually saying if all the individuals quote if all the individuals involved are Jewish as I was told today and what exactly is going on There's another pattern that reveals a level of ethnocentric bias against investing in or dispersing equitable funding and privileged anyone outside of the Jewish faith and that was written to somebody who is Jewish and The clear accusation is that they're behaving in a way that is biased based on their religion If you know anything about any semitism, that's anti-semitic flat out Another another comment not once has arps ever been upfront honest about anything but a group of manipulative group a Group of manipulative group of deceitful a-holes Mike said I Kids might be watching and I should be careful with my language Although the person writing wasn't careful with their language just to be clear That's the entire point and I want to go back to the point I made a moment ago If you've got as harsh as the critique can be If you've got a reasoned argument, you can make your reasoned argument as hard as it can be You can say the committee's not doing his job You can say the superintendent's not doing a job But it's unlikely you would write if you're trying to do anything of them bully someone That a slob of a human such as the person referenced who wouldn't even be hired to work in the back room of home depot Quote-unquote that was about as professional as fill in the blank wearing pajamas to work for the last 10 years Another quote from another email that's slob of a human Uh, another quote bring that old hag if you want Fill in the blank to the person You can call your sleazy lawyer Um, you you use the school district to project your own ethnocentric ideology You were killing a child. You were killing the student You almost killed this child Arps is like the catholic church and you are you're all not different than the priests Presumably that's referencing the clergy sex abuse scandal The next phrase in that email said midda connected midda, which is uh What is that? Hebrew Hebrew expression says what goes around comes around Um, and again the recipients of that email were two people who are Jewish Um, what of whom also received the earlier email that referenced the idea that the hiring and investing patterns were biased based on that person's religion So that's what we're dealing with just want to be clear about this stuff. That's what we're dealing with Uh, not once did you fill in the blank or that slob of a human fill in the blank ever effing respond to a single goddamn attempt that I have made Um to support this job Uh Soon you fill in the blank are going to have a harder time getting getting unlimited access to waste school funds without your poor your pool boy Uh to another person again time to retire you've done enough. Thank you very much You homophobic old woman who I couldn't dot dot dot Um See, uh, it's unclear how you secured It's hard not to say who this is without reading the email I guess I'm reading the email It's unclear how you managed to secure assistant superintendent out that debacle lawsuit Did you threaten one took advantage of the school committee who didn't have a clue about licensure evidence by the total confusion at every turn Um, uh, you could have stopped This is also very one Uh White rash woman. I'm going to quote instead what was somebody highlighted here for me White rash woman who intentionally got pregnant to force equal attention from a divorced man with another child because of his jealous of his ex-wife The email goes on from there. I'm going to I'll stop at that point But but the and there's believe it or not from what I've been told there's actually a much Longer pile of them. I know that there is a longer pile of ones that I've seen That attack school committee members because some of them also similarly get very very personal Again, I just want to repeat this especially because I know the public will be watching I'm not saying I've never heard a member of this committee say that if you if you really dislike what we're saying You may come before the microphone and speak in ways that are unartful ways that you might regret later the language You use speak with an intense amount of passion about how much you think we're making a mistake and the decisions we're making There's nothing about what I'm saying in terms of bringing forward. This is a problem that is criticizing that in any way If you have a problem with what we're doing bring it on We want we actually in fact we need to hear from you if we don't we can't learn We can't do a better job. We can't hold mic accountable or anybody else who works here in this district But there's a different tenor in a different tone if you're going to smear people's characters Um Characterized them in ways that make them feel uncomfortable. I've had other ones at me that are similar in that way And um and also just to point out that because this is something that's not happening publicly It's happening through emails, which are public records, but they're happening through emails what the clear intent is to create Multiple cells of little private hells people are going through where they feel Put upon they feel isolated. They feel extra burdened in their job And they're finding it more difficult to bring their best self and their best professional self at the work that they're doing um, so You know The reality is I'm just going to say this bluntly the reality is if if we Collectively as a community can't find a way to change what's happening and change the culture of what's happening We're going to drive people out of this district who work here We're going to change our ability to get our work done effectively and well And I and I'm not trying to make a big thing of this but I actually think we've made a lot of progress as a school committee over the last couple of years and A lot of that could be backslid because ultimately our effectiveness is the people who work here And so if they're not supported and able to do a good job, then Um, this enterprise doesn't succeed. It doesn't grow So I don't so I'll take I'll take some comments or questions, but this wasn't an item on the agenda So I want to be careful about how far we go. So nonch. Well, first of all, I think it should very much be on the agenda So don't don't apologize for it not being there. I think every member of this committee should have an opportunity to address this kind of nonsense But having said that I appreciate your comment about Inviting people to come to the microphone and say it to us in our faces I think you can dare them to do that I appreciate your reading these in public Because I think most of the public doesn't know about this and if they watch Amherst media, they will know about it Um, I think sadly and tragically I don't see this as new I do see it as intensifying over the last 15 to 20 years, but it's nothing new This kind of stuff has happened before in in Amherst And that's a sad statement to make about the community that we all either live in and or work in And last, um, I'm sorry next to the last people have already left long before this nonsense came out because this is fairly common in Amherst this kind of character assassinations this kind of belittling and Um Disgracing people's reputation is not not new and people have left people in higher levels of administration in this district have left And finally as much as I regret having to ask for this, I would like to have a copy of the One that you read that is explicitly anti-semitic Being Jewish, I would like to share that with rabbi weiner So that he knows what's going on in the community. I think he has the right to know that Happy to do it anyone else. I mean, I I would give any of us an opportunity I just wanted to say, uh, thank you to the chair for Bringing this up publicly. Um I've you know, both been the subject of some of these attacks, but also witnessed The incredible number of attacks that administrators in this district and school committee members have received from this one individual And I believe that it is one individual I think this person has claimed that they are speaking for multiple people previously But the only evidence that we have is that it is one person who has been undergoing a campaign basically against this district primarily because The district is not doing the things that she believes the district needs to be doing And everyone is entitled to their opinion the public we welcome public opinion and we welcome it when it's different from ours But when it's this level of abuse and attack and is driving people from our district as as mr. Fonche has stated That is when you know It should be alarming to our community that we have a such a sustained level of attack and vitriol Being directed at individuals and again, it's around character assassination not even just You know, it's not factual disagreements. It's uh claims being made based on hearsay You know gossip that has been heard and then immediately Launching into attacks against people based on very little factual information And I personally have requested this person to come forth and share any factual information or evidence that exists I believe that the chair has done so as well Um And we're still waiting for other things other than just uh accusations. And so when it gets to this level Of of attack, um, it can only be called a campaign It can only be called as somebody who will not stop until all of us basically quit and this person has said that publicly as well Um, that's just not the way that democracy works. I'm sorry. It's you know, that that's one individual who's who's serving Their own needs and their agenda And so I have a severe problem with that because I think that if the rest of the community were given an opportunity to hear From this person, um, the facts that they claim to have Then they could make their own decisions about whether or not this is true But I think in the the kind of tactics that this person has been using Um, it doesn't allow for anyone else to actually weigh in or or provide an opinion or anything like that And I think as far as the anti-semitic comments, it's also been several protected classes that have been named Um, and that is incredibly, uh, you know, uh Mortifying to me that we are in an environment where we have one individual the community who is making these you know consistent attacks Against protected people. We have had pregnant women. We have had people of color Uh, you know in name I mean the names that are that are launched against them and the way that they've been they've been addressed In these emails is is horrifying And I don't particularly see myself as a person who's very sensitive to that kind of thing I've worked in environments before where people are very cruel and you know can say things that whatever's on their mind And we're not looking to police speech But we cannot allow in good conscience Our staff and our administrators to be driven out that way simply because they're afraid to turn on their emails in the morning No, the crazy thing about it is is that if you if you had some but first off I firmly believe with someone who's using that kind of language Uh publicly like at the microphone then the entire community would turn Against them or at least let them know what they thought of it. Um, I have no question about that Um, but I think when you use that kind of language In individual emails that are essentially Even though it's public records public emails that would work essentially they're private moments Like you get to work you have a cup of coffee in your hand You look at your email for a minute and boom what comes at you Is something that's assaultive to you in terms of the nature of your what your identity is who you are and making you uncomfortable It's the very it's the very nature of a civil rights violation actually of someone coming forward and Just trying to live their life and you know have as good or bad a day at work as anyone ever does professionally And all of a sudden they have to have this wave coming at them Of uh of hostility based on who they are as a person And the other thing I would say too is that um The emails and I think the committee has seen some of these the emails are a little grab bag because the more public facing ones We'll talk about policy and budget in vague ways But if you if you if you public record requested the broad set of emails that actually have gone to Members of the school committee as well as to the superintendent and others They're actually much more directive. I want you to fire this particular person In their place. I want you to hire this other specific named person Now if you're again, you talk about as my colleague Isardonia has talked about what you do in a democracy or in a government If you want to talk about good process and best practice best practice is not somebody wielding Inuendo and slander to say you have to spend a thousand dollars more on this land item Then you need to fire this specific person Oh, and by the way, I have the replacement lined up and you better hire them and I think the the uh The interpolation is or else I won't quit and I'll keep harassing you and bullying you intimidating you until you do And so the reason I bring this up is because again If if you even look a sort of the end at the end at the end of this journey and say Well, what is this all in the service of you'd say well goodness You can't have one individual of the community or one member of this committee anybody Saying well, I've decided I I want to I want to override everyone else's judgment And substitute my judgment for everyone else's not just on the broad parameters Like you could do if you run for committee and say well, can't we do the budget differently? Which is a very reasonable thing to ask Instead or our priorities, right? Could we put more money here or there? But specifically say I guess I had an unpleasant interaction one day in one of our schools I don't like this person and I'm going to go on a relentless campaign until they're either fired or so uncomfortable that they quit These are the emails that members of the staff have been getting relentlessly relentlessly It's wrong So, um, we're gonna have to keep talking about what we do I've I'm saying this also because the superintendent Everyone in the district answers the superintendent. And so I think um, this he has a burden To carry to try to ensure that we have the best possible work environment for all of the staff As well as the best environment for all the kids Um, but who does he turn to? If the pressure is boiling Us So I'm not asking again, it will be on the future agenda probably on the 12th our next meeting But I'm just saying I'm bringing it up now Because the committee has to be aware. This is very very serious. It needs to be dealt with It's a significant problem and we've On to subcommittee updates Any subcommittee updates? Yes So we had a budget and finance committee meeting just before this one and three things from that Um, we reviewed the fees The list of fees And this information will all come to the entire committee at some point, but um We had a first look at the fiscal year 21 capital budget And we chose a date To invite Budget and select board people from the four towns to talk begin the conversation about assessments So there will be more coming Any questions any other committees? The policy subcommittee is going to be meeting on the 11th monday the 11th at 5 30 What will be continuing our work on the policies we discussed at last week's regional committee meeting anything further? Seeing nothing, uh, we will move on Transportation bid on renewing business item 6a would in which we could anticipate possibly voting To authorize a three-year contract term with two additional one-year options for a maximum of five years We're going to create a contract that will begin on july 1st 2020 And this is to authorize you to offer a bid that includes these terms. Mr. Mangana, welcome And so yes last time we met on an agenda item, we shared a bunch of feedback That would go in the stacks, which we'll do our best to incorporate We continue to welcome that feedback either through communications to mike Communications to dr. Morris or emailing myself or rupert our facility director But this vote in particular is really just about including that one clause in the bid package to offer the five-year contract Dr. Morris just just to add to that the reason it comes to school committee is any contract that extends beyond three years Needs to be voted by the school committee So the reason in particular it comes to the committee Is because we're asking you to approve looking at more than a three-year contract for the transportation bid Obviously we talked about this last week What's last week wasn't it? Are there any questions from mangana or comments? Yes, just a clarification. This is the way that the current contract is built correct Yeah, our current contract was a three plus one plus one And the plus ones are at the sole discretion of the school committee So it's completely your call to extend it to a five-year and make a motion sure I moved to authorize a three-year contract term with two additional one-year options for a maximum of five years for the Transportation contract that will begin on july 1 2020. It's been moved. Is there a second? Second Move on second McDonald. Any further discussion of the debate? Seeing none all those in favor signify out or is in your hand It carries and what do we have here? We have eight people. Thank you, right? That's eight to nothing Great Item seven six B strategic planning update for the high school Yes, this is an update only not a not voting And as mr. Jones is coming up just a brief context sharing So Last year we went through a pretty thorough strategic planning process And as we shared end of last year and then the beginning of this year and heard my goals The real work of this of this year is at all three of the regional schools to take Those broad district-wide goals and bring them into what are the initiatives at the school level that will contribute to those goals? How do we prioritize those ones that happen the school level versus versus those that are happening in the district? And to come up and bring back later this winter What that looks like at the school level how to operationalize because if you remember the strategic plan It was very ambitious, but it was also at a pretty broad level And so mr. Jones is going to update us on his work with the high school faculty and staff Of taking those broad goals and making them more actionable and specific at the high school level So thank you for coming principal Jones. Well, thank you. Dr. Morris committee members dr. Morris. We're very excited about the Uh new beginnings at and her's regional high school And the strategic plan Early fall as we started the year and the faculty was getting to know me and vice versa We took the plan from a perspective of the moral imperative Worked in by michael fuller and We wanted teachers to identify In the beginning what are they passionate about and what are they committed to? And this was activity where They took two words or two phrases and put them together It was so powerful that we put it on our board as you come into the building So as you walk into the building just in front of the main office, you will see that we are arhs And you will see what we are Committed to and what we're passionate about and this all came from the teachers every statement there that you See on there is teacher driven And it really says a lot about what we're about here at arhs The moral imperative as we defined it was shift. It was a shift from stating the vision to creating the reality So the initiative that we would be doing would be creating that reality as dr. Morris Gave us the charge if you will that the objectives and the The outcomes are already pretty much written in stone by 2023 We can now put those initiatives in based on the objectives In september a few weeks later We introduced the plan itself because because some of our faculty some of our new staff had not seen The actual document and we wanted them to see it. We kind of spelled it out. There was some terminology that they had some Concerns about that they wanted to discuss and further define And also we were integrating the moral imperative in as the umbrella of the strategic plan And of course, you see the objectives here from a to f going from increasing our diversity in our staff strengthening our instructional practices and just to say I've given the charge to our administrative team to be in classrooms every day Personally, I'm in at least five classrooms every day and that's just not do observations That's what I call just passing through and to reaffirm all the good things that are happening in our classes also strengthening our instructional practices I mentioned before And having the cultural identities With students of color pretty much what was just being said earlier We have certain courses that address a lot of different issues And we have very much diverse groups in our classes Oh, the emotional well-being of our students Restorative justice has been very successful in its full implementation this year Mr. Mendez who was our coordinator for climate and culture here in the building has been meeting with students And beginning second semester will kick off our course in restorative justice and he's been aggressively recruiting students for that program as well as other organizations that are offshoots of our restorative justice program Wide learning opportunities And which also of course speaking of restorative justice, but as we look down the road and initiatives What other opportunities can we have academically for our students to broaden their range of ways in order to have postgraduate opportunities? And of course we talked about our fields, but our instructional plan I must say that you know coming here. I'm very impressed with what we have We have some great bones to work with I think we can expand our instructional program here at arhs And of course our outcomes and this is what we will see by 2023 which can change You know sometimes you have to adjust to some things that may occur But they'll all be in a positive for student success Just recently at our early release day October in the cafeteria. We moved from our normal setting here. We set by departments Our para educators were involved. They were so excited because they're now being asked to be a part of what we're doing here So everyone is a part of this decision making We talked about what lies beneath and we took A video from Robert Spicer who's in Chicago who's a restorative justice expert And one of the things that he talked about was The iceberg what's below because we know what's on top But what are the strengths and our challenges below the iceberg? Navigating iceberg you see an activity that teachers were able to work in groups. Do you see how many posters are there? There are a lot of good positive things And some challenges that we're identifying and we'll identify those things through our initiatives through the strategic plan We had turn and talk Activities as well as what you see on the on the right picture of identifying and defining implicit bias. We gave some examples As well as the term white supremacy That was the term that they were having a little bit of You know angst about and wondering where they come from in terms of the development of the document But there was also a article That some had read prior to and there was discussion There were some people from departments who were on the planning committee and explained how the term came about But what we're looking at is the initiatives So it has become a term that we really worry about Because we're about all and all does mean all here at arhs and that's how we're going to do it Our next steps As early as tomorrow We will identify three focuses from the objectives So it could be objectives bc and d We're looking at you know ranking and that will be our focus throughout the whole year And looking at initiatives that we'll be able to Be implemented with those objectives And as we look at each down week period, we'll be monitoring some best practices Where we are and then from there At the end of the year, where do we stand? How well did we do? Next year we'll pick right up with the three and maybe add one more So we'll have four and then by 2023 We'll match it now the last objective I believe is the objective f that's a little bit more Building wise But we can also say how can we use the building that we currently have and make it for our students? We have three three d printers in the building And our teachers are ready to use that for that stem outlook These go to the initiative the house How we'll be able to do this Restorative justice in a weaving net through the strategic plan And we I think we already are identified that I believe is bc d and a little bit of e Already can fit into Uh, this the strategic plan and mr. Mendes and I have already been Talking about that in discussion and getting that in play Finally, uh, we'll have student input with our new newly formed student advisory committee Uh, we had our first meeting about two weeks ago We'll have our next meeting on november 4th And we'll do the activity of navigating the icebergs and having the students give input We've had our teachers now. We have students put them both together and also identifying and uh defining Their version of implicit bias here And our challenges and our strengths and what we have that can combat that And That's pretty much where we are and moving forward. We said this is not a race of a sprint It's as I told as I asked chris gu for his expertise It's a cross-country meet a couple hills a couple valleys But then we'll get to the goal when it's straight ahead Are there any questions I'll entertain them the questions for the committee Yes I just want to say principal jones. I mean it is absolutely a delight to to hear The way that you've taken especially the restorative justice program, but you know the input from uh administrators and teachers and uh educators throughout the school as well as students And incorporated that into your strategic planning process and thinking Um, I've had the pleasure of talking with you several times about your plans and what you want You're trying to achieve and I know that your conversations with the school equity task force have also been greatly appreciated Your openness around the restorative justice program in particular and how you've embraced it and and really, you know Want to help it see it succeed um and grow in the school So I just I just wanted to comment on that. I think it's it's a wonderful step forward for our district and for our school I know the students are better for it. Uh all of us quite frankly are better for it And so just wanted to commend you for that. Thank you so much. Well, thank you. And it's it's it's been fun Uh, we are very excited about what we're doing and uh tomorrow we'll go to another level And we'll see it's come to its uh eventual reality And uh as we said before not just stating it but making it a reality Well a follow-up question. Um, when do we see like a what the strategic plan actually is is there a document as a product? What does it end up looking like when you're done with this process? I think if you look at the objectives as well as the outcomes in between there If you want if you're looking at a document in between the filling are the initiatives Uh, and I think you'll also see another document that I've used before Which is kind of a check-in. I call it a nine weeks report Where we can be looking at our focus areas what how we're monitoring them and how we're doing at that point And there could be some other things that I'll ask faculty for input Uh, there's the instructional side Of how we're doing academically as well as the managerial side of what we're putting in as the initiatives So, you know, it really depends on where we land on the objectives Say for instance, if it's uh The instructional piece Well, we'll be looking at certain instructional look for us in the classroom as we do our walkthroughs And how we're moving forward on that Data collection and how we're using data collaboratively. So I'm just using some examples Uh, if it is some expansion of some programs like we say with STEM and restorative justice Mr. Mendez has already given me a report on how we're doing so far. We're connecting with students How many conferences we've had so far and the success and follow-up So with that you can probably see some data of what I call quick wins As well as where do we go next in our next steps Okay, thank you So we haven't done we have a process that we do on the committee about our budget guidance where we Work with mr. Mangano and the superintendent to Identify areas that we want to hear about more But also what that's Tied to is the committee hopefully providing feedback of areas when we're looking at the budget we want to provide Support or at least we want to know what's going on so we can we can weigh in to say hey, that sounds important to us We'd love to know more about it. So one of one of My hope is it sounds like you're on track to do this My hope is that some of the ideas that you and your team are coming up with will be Big baked and just baked enough anyways If not more than that um that they get that they could come back to us And have an impact on what your budget requests are um I mean and I don't I don't know no idea where you land, of course, but I know that I'm sure you know this that outcome one Is one in which there's just been so much conversation and so much Passion especially because you could you I think you can look at That kind of like a sort of justice actually as a really affirmative Set of interventions or initiatives that brings your school to a different place that is like nothing but positive, right? Just a wonderful thing to see kids taking advantage of of different opportunities ap courses and everything like that And so I'm I don't know why I'm throwing this out, but I guess because this is what we do If I don't know if you have anything to come back for us on that that's a that that is an outcome one Influent you know that that's basically an initiative that looks towards getting towards outcome one but If so, I'm going to be a big cheerleader to making sure it gets Well, mr. Nakajima your minds will start cheering We're looking at the psat results when they come in and that's where you get your ap potential So we can start looking there as we look towards for next year with students signing up for courses And identifying those students who we can encourage to take ap courses The next would be providing that support which our teachers are here every day Except for Wednesdays when we have meetings on some Fridays Where we can now start looking at identifying students and providing that support One of my firm beliefs is that students who do take Higher rigor courses do whether do well in four-year schools, of course graduating on time And just being exposed to the rigor you may not get the three or better But if you get a two or one you've been exposed to the rigor and it has you well prepared We've just been having some discussion about Bilingual identification so things such as access and programs like that to encourage our students to be More proficient in those areas So there's definitely a push Very happy that we have our college counselor on board who has been very aggressive And getting a lot of students signed up in various programs our family center Has been working very hard with Getting students exposed and my prior experience working with students to Not just historically black universities and colleges But other post-secondary options in the world of work and career work experiences That's pretty much where we're looking to be heading awesome. Nothing more excited. There's nothing more exciting to hear Yes, there really isn't. I want to go around the table if anyone has anything else Sponge? Yes, congratulations. Well, thank you. As far as you've gotten and best wishes for the rest of the journey. Thank you I do have one question though and that's regarding the student advisory group Can you would you describe the composition of that group and in particular? I can recall that there were many students who were kind of Melted into the walls and disappeared as a result and I'm wondering if You've identified any of those as quiet but important students to add to the group I would say from the first meeting that we had and there'll probably some other students joining For my understanding, but it's a definitely a cross-section of the school in terms of race gender and grade level Some of the students at of course seeing the building a couple I met for the first time in terms of knowing them by name But I can say that that group Has a pretty good pulse on What they want to see in the building. I was very impressed with some of their questions When we have a meeting on the fourth, we'll be talking about some academic instructional things that they want to delve into Which I was very impressed that they had those questions or they had identified those things But we definitely want to include as many students as we can but there's some of their subject areas Of terms of agenda items. We're reaching out to students in a very diverse manner That last comment is my next question. How were they chosen? Oh, it was really an open invitation from my understanding Liz hey good our student activities coordinator had put the invitation out Students heard it in announcements from what I could see One of our teachers wanted to become the sponsor And it kind of took a life of its own It's not to be honest with you It's not the normal students you would see from student council or other organizations is a very broad range a group of students that have joined so far It's just a casual question students who take an ap course and get a one do they feel the effort was worth the rigor Well, you know the thing about it is One thing that I've had is the philosophy Is that if you get a one You've been exposed to the rigor of being ready and being prepared for college because of how the course is being taught Unfortunately, you know getting a one doesn't get you the credit in some schools where you get a five You don't get the credit depending upon what you're majoring in the school But we still want to encourage students to be as rigorous as they can to provide the support that we can And hopefully that they get a three or above But if they got a one they're not a loser because they've been exposed to Rigor that when they go to To a four-year school, they'll be prepared for that type of work So I hear a lot of talk about ap and about academics. What about the students who are probably not going to go that way? Are they included in this also? Yes, they are. I mean that's always been an issue in Amherst Well, that's why we're talking about change If you look at one of the objectives there providing those opportunities where you talk about stem Korean tech programs School to work As we look at the budget and I know that's an issue But you also have to have a plan of how to incrementally put that in when you do have budget issues So As I said, we have good bones here Every time I look to the left of my office I go down the hallway make a right and I go down the hallway. I see something that's a lab That could be really really good To provide opportunities for students in a variety of ways And if I go to the back of the building With the woodworking welding More of your hard Korean tech options as well as a studio And the 3d printers and what we could do with that and have students create Some amazing things not just some nice things, but things that could help the community And the creativity of our students We could do some things here and take this to another level for our students to be Leaving here with a certification In certain areas such as mechatronics There's some openings here in the valley from what I've seen And we can have them ready So as we talk about budget we may have to have that discussion Okay, well, I'm glad to hear that because I I've been in the valley for 40 years and know a lot of people and I know that For example when my daughter graduated from Amherst They posted all the names of the people in the schools they were going to but not everybody was going to school So there was this segregation that happened between the academic students and the others and I think In that particular case they were made to feel less And the students that weren't going to college and so I hope hope you bring that into this also Yes, we are One of our goals is to Have a comprehensive high school great and we'll say comprehensive that's cross the board If you look at our guidance office, you'll see a huge map of the united states in a small map of massachusetts Because we won't be a little personal But on that map we'll have where students are going not only just to college But career in texas and it'll wipe out in august and we start it up again So in other words, it's a kind of a visual of where students can see where they're going And it's also our way of keeping us accountable where we send students So looking at what we have on campus And looking also at what we could possibly start with in terms of career to work We have to look at the budget look at a few things of how to make it work But if we can we can include students say from some of the academy Our special needs students as students who have English and second language As well as our students who have been here for the whole time And give them options and opportunities to be successful post high school Great Okay, uh, Dr. Morris, do you have something you want to say? Um, I'll pass. Okay. Thank you though. Um It's okay. May I yeah, of course one more question. Um, actually it's not a question. I guess it's a comment. Um When discussion, uh Focuses on things like AP Um resources for honors level students and so on and so forth Um, I never or seldom if ever hear references to the budget But hearing um Someone talk about those kids who aren't going to go to college And who are going to be interested in more of a vocational direction um, suddenly the budget comes up and I'm not sure I feel good about that. Um, and I'm wondering if um, there are efforts to Um, identify those youngsters as early as eighth grade so that they can be directed to Smith We can do Franklin And I'll let uh, Dr. Morris also weigh in and I could too but I'll defer to uh, Dr. Morris Yeah, so, uh, I think a couple things one in relation to the budget. Um I think when we're talking about things that are different than we're currently doing their budgetary implications So I think it's a point well taken to that, you know, perhaps the way I'm interpreting your comment fairly or unfairly Is that you know when principal Jones is talking about Programs that don't currently exist in our school that are More geared for student center the workforce instead of enter higher education. We're talking about budget but that's an artifact of the fact that historically Like many comprehensive high schools most of the budget attention has been Uh more focused on College readiness and then that if you look back 10 15 years ago. No one was saying college a career ready They were just talking about getting to college. So it's been a shift in educational thinking I think it's been my personal opinion a positive shift that we're thinking about that You know, we have something like and I'm the data is going to be a little wrong But you know, if you look at students who attend colleges from us high schools and then graduate from colleges You know the graduation graduating from a four-year college or the bachelor's is less than 50 of students who graduate high school Think last and I'm hesitant in numbers, but I think a couple years ago I was at a conference and it was in the neighborhood of a third So the idea is even if you double that You'd still have a third of the students who are not graduating with bachelor's degrees and somehow We need to think of better pathways. We've partnered, you know So I think when we think about the budget, we're thinking not framework Framework I think as it relates to middle school students That's actually part of a larger conversation It's coming up in our great span advisory actually about how What's our programming look like at the middle school level because the reality is we've expanded quietly Perhaps a lot of our programs existing programs at the high school in terms of woodworking cad computer lab A lot of the staff that's there have expanded their programs Some of that has come as new courses to this committee over the last few years And yet we don't have reflected similar coursework at the middle school level and so separate from vocational piece Which is fine What I think, you know, we're sensing or I'm just saying I'll say what I'm sensing We need to think about is what's the pathway to that and how do students if they want to go to voc school Fantastic and that can be a great fit But what are we building internally for our students? Not just at the high school, but seven through 12 So that they can take advantage of all the offerings and perhaps expand the offerings at the high school And so I think if you looked if you did a mapping of our courses that Are looking at least have the potential to be more career readiness You'll see a fair amount of them at the high school You will not see them reflected as much at the middle school level and and so when students get to high school For many students, they're experiencing these courses for the first time and we'd like to think about How that would be different in the future so I was a long-winded answer But I think it's it was important and it's worth it. It's worth a conversation for another time too And I think you were giving us a taste of what you're doing. It's been more of a entree That's very well, that's very welcome. Well, I didn't want to put too much entree out there But the play was just a little bit big. That's right. We're going to be back at this conversation again soon. I hope okay, and thank you very much Thank you. Thank you The next item is the warrant signing process Without question one of the more scintillating topics that we can have Around our payroll and other expenditures, so just there was two questions that and this is what's going around that The committee asked me to find an answer or to request an answer to you from Council that came up last week's meeting. The first is if there was an individual who was If the committee goes to the model where an individual is designated to sign warrants and update the committee What would that look like? So the first paragraph describes this is from our attorney Mark terry describes what that process would look like which He uses quotes intentionally to suggest this is literally a statement that could be read and filled in at each meeting Um, I think there was the way I understood it the concern the last meeting is would they literally would the person literally Need to read every line item in the warrant and the short answer is no That you know, we would have to give summaries by general fund Revolving fund and grant fund and payroll. Those would be the four areas that would need reporting out in terms of the finances for each And the second question that I was asked to find out about is a subcommittee model And I think I'll just read this from over to the public as well So the subcommittee models also are miscible as a delegation of the full committee's authority But it does require compliance with open meeting law Whereas as the delegation to an individual does not And because the action would be one of a governmental government body There would have to be a motion and vote to approve the warrants community uses subcommittee model There's no need for the reporting described above Um So that was the answer to those questions and again the the potential vote anyway the language on there Is essentially whether the committee wants to establish a process that the entire committee will vote and prove warrants at each meeting Or if the committee would like to designate one committee member to sign warrants and update the committee at each meeting And that's the choice you have but those are the two that's sort of like the decision tree That's laid out in the mass municipal act from a couple years ago And Is that fair Yeah, and I just want to clarify if I can for the the committee But the reason why my name is on there is because this question had actually originated with a different committee And so this has been sort of spilled over into the region, but I hope it was the nearest one. Yes Yeah, this would be tremendously confusing Um, sorry, uh, mr. Minino. Could you briefly update us as to why the current model has to be replaced So yes, because at the current time the committee Does neither of the two acceptable practices So one is that the committee would literally read and vote at each meeting on the warrants That does that has not been the practice of the district Nor is there one committee member identified or designated to perform that function So with the mass municipal act we you know districts are actually committees of all types Not just school committees need to update their method of signing of approving warrants and these are the two methods that are We're laid out in that law so the municipal modernization Act that became a law is the reason they have to do this I just had a clarification question so this The statement about the subcommittee model is also permissible Is that a third option than what's described in the agenda because the agenda describes That the entire committee votes to approve warrants. So there's three options. Is that one? Right, so they would um, I think it's that's sort of a version of The First option you have because there still is a public vote on warrants But the but technically the answer is yes. Yes. There's a third option I mean, there's a third option It's just that and I think the my get I mean it forgive me for saying this My guess is the reason why it's not listed into the vote is it wasn't anticipated that we'd go that way because If we really want to vote on this an open meeting we can do that right here I don't need to create another subcommittee to do it. No, okay. Um, sorry. I miss I don't miss No, that's fine. Thank you All right. Um, I just have a clarifying question about the option where we delegate to an individual. I'm just thinking um about instances where that individual may not be Available so would we be able to dealt with would we have like a a chair and a That's a good question because if if I'm on Vacation, I don't want to be worried that I'm holding up something getting paid If I'm that person like you need an alternate essentially exactly just somebody you can step in in their absence so the way that The first paragraph third line from the bottom And it's not totally addressing your point, but I think this is a conversation starter perhaps If the individual is not able to attend the meeting they can provide this statement and writing to be read by the chair or superintendent Or any other committee member and is your question if that person wasn't just It's also physically you have to sign the warrants, right? So you have to review them and sign them. Yeah, so let's say a statement argument that the person goes on a week of vacation For 10 days with their family. Yeah, and there's a payroll period in there. Then what? Um, right. So I think that'd be another question to go back to my guiding assumption is that if it's not a subcommittee there could be A backup. Yeah. Yeah, that person would then be able to delegate someone to play that role But you probably would have an identified alternate, right? That would be that seems cleaner because if this committee is going to vote to identify someone Is the designee that you'd want to have an identified alternate put it by the committee as well Okay, what is this? So this is just really in the weeds and pragmatic But thinking about the individual that's signing in theory that person could be signing them at these committee meetings much as we do today Or would they would it would be required that they come into the business office? and sign Mr. Mangano you have an opinion My preference would be that they would come into the business office either weekly or every other weekly A because that's one of the advantages they can be signed more often. Um, if we waited for school committee meetings and it doesn't Eliminates that. Um, but also that's where all the invoices are too. So if they had they wanted to pull the invoices They're all right there and they could easily do that So there's some advantages to it being in the business office And this this may sound funny, but the other reason is too is that if If the person is designated is going to have to fill in this information and read it Um, I am personally uncomfortable Is my opinion with them doing it on the fly in these meetings and hope they get the number right You know what I mean? Yes. I'm funny. Yeah, like I would I'd love to have that, you know the dot the eyes dotted and a tease crossed On whatever they're reporting out on and I think they'd do that best if they were in the business office beforehand Uh, okay anyone have an opinion by the way and I guess I guess another question I have is Anyone have a burning interest in being designated to Because by the way the default answer is going to be we're probably going to have to vote to do this in these sessions if nobody wants to volunteer to go to the business office and rummage through all the warrants and sign them Yes That's wonderful Anyone want to be an alternate? We could live without an alternate for a while We could live without an alternate for a while Especially an alternate wonderful. So now we need is we need a motion to do that. We need Here's my question actually, uh, dr. Morris, who's the question for you? um So I think we need a motion like move To establish a warrant signing process Uh designating this answer to sign warrants and update the committee at each meeting With miss spitzer serving as an alternate So moved. Is there a second second? It's been moved and seconded. I realized I made a motion Just go with it. Um Is there any further debate Seeing none all those in favor signify It carries unanimously eight to zero. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you both very much And even better we are now back ahead of schedule, which is just so cool Regional assessment And just to clarify real quickly that previous vote that's only for the region right so the amherst Still has to impel him Stays the same for now Regional assessment update regional assessment method update. Um, so quick recap The method we voted to use for fy 20s assessment method was to phase in 30 of the statutory method the plan that was Put together sort of the direction that was put together by advisory board and shared with all the town officials was to go to 40 percent for next year and then 50 percent the year after and A town meeting that plan was seemed like there was support for that plan, but We now have some rumblings that may be At least one of the towns which town meeting or are you just for town choosing the four town meeting in December January No, February. Yeah, but over the past the spring and the summer We've heard at least from one town that there's some people in a town that aren't supportive of that plan um, I went to a meeting in shootsbury um few weeks ago and They basically discussed That plan versus going all the way to statutory they heard from some constituents that are advocating for going all the way to the statutory method And so I talked to their town administrator today They're going to be having a series of meetings over the next month or so and by the end of november they hope to give Some direction to the school committee and to dr. Morris and I on sort of what at least from a board perspective What their their views are on the assessment method? so there's really Maybe four options to consider and I'll lay them out for you really quickly There's to stick with the plan. What should we go to 40 percent? statutory method for f white 21 There is to go The model what going all the way to the statutory method would look like There's to do something in between There's three options. There's there's fourth one in there, but something in between So those are really what we can consider and we'll be looking at models of that over the next month or so And really this group and dr. Morris and I are really trying to think about how we want to structure the four town meeting To be as productive productive as possible And keep things on a positive track Can we have that for December December seven seven? Yeah Okay, I think the only if I could add just very briefly the um, I'm very appreciative of that the Some of our local representatives have reached out and are will be attending that meeting because I think they're What they've shared is that they're aware that there's some tension in some of the communities They want to work with the towns to come up with mutually agreeable solutions because they're dedicated to our school staying as strong As they can and they know that that relies on Kind of the fiscal piece has a large impact on that. So I just want to say publicly I'm appreciative that That the outreach was what occurred and that our local representatives seem highly engaged in this Question and it cuts across two local two state representatives and both seem highly engaged So is there a thought To go to the other three towns Is there a thought to go to the other three towns And apprise them of what's going on and talk to them. Yeah, so we have a temperature, right? We've informed them a little bit of sort of the What's going on we did talk about having an advisory group meeting sometime in november Is that is that analogous to what we did what we did last year of having like one represented from each town To come meet with us kind of share input and then report back Um It's unclear whether all the towns still want to do that or not before the four town meeting. Well, I just meant if you if we went to Shoot spurry. I mean the media that was at their invitation. Yeah, that was at their invitation to kind of hear the mainly to provide data and sort of background context for The I'm the reason I'm asking a part. I'm not trying to just like have a conversation. Yeah But I the reason I'm asking is because I um We can talk about this many ways But there's there we all know that one of the possible outcomes And depending on where the conversations flow It's not an unlikely outcome could be that we can't get agreement this year between the towns And so for that reason As early and as fulsome and engagement as we can have With towns both collectively but also even individually make sure there is fully apprised as possible Is I think really advisable In one reason is because I think it's entirely possible that We go all the way to town meeting in amherst council next year We're not going to be able to an agreement. And so we're literally getting stuck in like desi um division of local services um purgatory For a long time figuring out whether we can then build agreement And I just want people to be prepared for it prepared for that but also prepared in that context For what these conversations need to be at each step And I don't I don't I mean my hope is when we go into december 7th We don't want it to be a day that'll live in infamy We want to make sure that you know We don't have an asymmetry between the towns and what their knowledge base is So that they're able to come in really feeling informed and able to have a mutual conversation Yeah, no, we can certainly reach out to um the towns. It's just to give them an update sort of on more things are at Yeah, um the difficulty or just the the uncertainty really right now is just sort of what guidance we're going to receive from Finance committees and slack boards and shoots barrier because I think they're still literally having those conversations about Both extremes really is what they're looking at. So um, but we'll reach out and keep them up today Are there any any Oh, just want to thank you for all the hard work you're doing on this And the hard work you've been doing over the could you speak up? Yes, so I just want to thank sean for the hard work he's been doing on on this because it's it's really important for For our schools that we do come up with a plan. I'm also Who hesitant to bring this up, but I I think everybody hears aware that you're leaving at the end of this year so in terms of planning for what will probably be a very Not definitely but potentially be a difficult um negotiation period Do we have a plan and who will step in to take over sean's place other than the because I could see Obviously, I know we're hiring a new director of finance, but given his um role in these negotiations and the importance of having somebody who's had the knowledge that he has now Historically like and I'm not talking about years back. I'm just thinking like a few months Experience on it. So yeah, I would love to know what our plan is. Sure. So um, I think my short answer is that Whoever places mishamangano. I really appreciate mishamangano that he is Shared with me that he's willing to provide, you know that context and ongoing support to make sure that person's successful Even beyond, you know, not an official kind of I want to come back to the four-ton meeting in february is really when I'm That is uh, just to be really clear because it's public that is not going to have Which I got a whole five other things on a saturday to do skiing sat on playing sledding whatever it is But um, you know, we've talked and I just want to publicly thank sean for Being willing to provide ongoing technical support, you know in limited capacity But just to make sure that that institutional knowledge and memory does not go away on january 1st. So thank you Is there anything else from the committee? So I was just wondering I mean if if um, if we've had one town that has requested already Uh, I'm wondering if there's anything that this committee can do to urge our respective towns the remaining respective three towns to Invite mr. Munkano the superintendent whomever Uh to you know, maybe have a sit down or even make a presentation or sorts You know to the digital town. Is that how this happens? I mean, I'm not trying to sound funny, but you know, I love how these conversations on camera like Do you have to be asked to the dance or are you willing to call someone up? It goes both ways, I guess Typically, I'm asked to the dance, but I usually offer an invitation I don't know myself for going down. I just wear in a high school. Yeah for getting for going down this This analogy. I just I just meant do you can right can you initiate a phone call to set up these meetings? Or do we really want to have our towns ask for? No, we can initiate. We'll reach out I mean we've got good contacts at all the towns between town administrators and finance committees again, most of the towns if not all of them are a prize of sort of What really what we know to this point, which is there's uncertainty around it And that there's been a push they all know how the vote turned out last year And that it was a vote that was closer than we'd be comfortable with But we'll reach out and offer again It's not so much a data presentation because a lot of them have people who have been involved in this process They know what the numbers are they know the situation, but it's really just to Check in to kind of see how things are going if they have any questions before we go to four town meeting I just want to know I mean technically like if you know, there's anything that we need to do to get a ball rolling You know, I can volunteer myself for you know for the Amherst town Um, but it just seems like it's a good idea to try to get as many different people who will be present at that meeting on December 7th or whenever At the table to an understanding what we're talking about before that actual Meeting happens because oftentimes I find that Folks show up and the element of of surprise if you will from seeing the numbers on the screen Tends to skew conversations and you know unwarranted or you know, undesirable ways So if if we can do that that would be great We've also had a lot of debate around whether or not Um, the talents could be forced onto the statutory method and what happens if you don't pass one And you've gotten a lot of clarity or how that would actually work and so I think I don't to be honest with you I'm completely uninterested in talking about that as like A factual item like how does it work? You know at the four-time meeting we may have to anyways But I mean to the extent that we can actually socialize the information you've gotten has feedback to the four towns So that everyone's aware about what you've heard. Um Well before they get to that meeting would be really desirable. Mr. Fonch and then Yeah, I think Leverett has a pretty good idea of what what it faces Had a meeting a couple weeks ago With the board and the finance committee and using data that is current Assuming that there's no increase in The potential regional budget um And if we go up you have to understand we're also going to be hitting that two and a half max And so they're trying to be very careful How much they increase as they go towards that figure? Okay? um And just some figures that were played around with and we have to also remember and this is probably a good argument for regionalization Union 28 for for levered it's going to go up about 11 grand So after you take this the regional budget in union 28 If we go up 1 it leaves about 30 000 for the rest of the town that school fire police Library when you say union 28 you mean just the central office for union 28? Correct So that's a pretty big increase So that's sort of the playing field for us And I think they're willing to go with what was done last year Can't afford to go to the statutory method Otherwise does nothing left for the town May even have to increase What it pays for this regional budget so You know some some compromise has to be worked out. Why suddenly? last year's Formula is no longer Valid is something that I think needs to be answered And just really quickly and again a dilemma if we do go with the full statutory method You're not going to have those numbers till the end of January early February to even really start Letting towns know what their assessments are going to look like because it's going to be based on the governor's Budget and the minimal contribution so it's going to push everything way back I think just in addition the additional complication. Excuse me of that. There's a huge educational reform bill that's going to potentially be hammered out in conference committee or committee conference and Then voted it the timing of that plus the governor's budget is going to I think there'll be potentially even if there's good outcomes the uncertainty of When that occurs and how quickly that can be fed into The governor's budget with accurate numbers. I think it's it's an open question Because it's it is a new it may will be a new ballgame if if All these other things change and again, that's not a critique It's just this year is not like every other year in terms of the governor's budget if this bill actually passes Or if there's uncertainty whether the bill will pass which is possible anyone else Yeah, so I'll just add that shootsberry has been talking and discussing and wrestling with the direction and it's going since probably mid-july and We're meeting on the 26th of november you know to hopefully Hammer out some kind of resolution between the boards and a select group of town members I'm just hoping that it works out for the best We wish you well I invited myself to that meeting by the way, but I don't know if I got We can snapchat or I did I talked about you today Uh, anything else Some it's good. Great. Thank you very much. Thank you agenda planning calendar It's an awkwardly phrased item Cut to this copy and paste it from the last couple. No, I don't open to any other It's also referring to a different committee Oh Talk about copy Yeah, we're not doing that We're gonna talk about the regional schools I'm hoping like there in the bag looks like the correct one. It does. Yay Okay, maybe offer just a little bit on the next meeting. Yes, of course. Yeah, so uh as we've done in the past So I'm a little concerned about how packed this meeting is. I'll say that at the beginning But we have uh, it the plan is for it to be a joint meeting because there are the first two topics Which would be joint topics one is a six through 12 math update and About six grades and in two elementary schools in the districts that I serve The math folks felt like you can't separate out six grade because you lose the full context of the curriculum change that occurred in math math grades six through 12 So we asked to have that be done jointly and the second item Is the collaborative from educational service. We'll do a brief update on their programming But there are two districts that have asked to join the collaborative And to for districts to join the collaborative. It's actually a very long complicated as the members of the The subcommittee members of the reps the CES know a long complicated process has to be approved by multiple levels at this In the state and it requires a certain quorum of votes of member committees And so mr. Deal and dr. Deal and I talked and we thought Instead of making go to three meetings and for some of you everyone here actually hearing him twice If we could do it all in one full swoop that it would work well We also at least have slated right now The hr diversity pd update, which we've done each year the last few years School calendar review, which we has drafts of that have gone out to the through the teacher association Thank you to michael connor who's the president of a pea In working with me and mr. Smurlin on that It's a little bit of an odd year because the very late labor day So the models look slightly different in the past couple years So it might require a little more dialogue than the average year We have Some revolving fun pieces to close We have some debt actually Mr. Mugano who just left asked that we may have to make a not just rescind the authorized debt but also to look at ongoing debt and he wants to do more of a full update before he leaves and that would be two meetings both the november and the december meeting Capital plan review so mr. Roy Clark's working on that Fewer view and then wellness approach and update. So just even saying them it probably is too many topics for one meeting And I could definitely suggest something to move to december, but that's at least what's slated and I haven't even talked about the great span advisory as well Where do you want a great span advisory? december Because the meeting's after the 12th right it is Yeah, so we have to put that in there. Yep. I will add that right in my notes My sense is the fee review could be pushed. It's not that urgent and our budget process will play out over time Um And the wellness actually might be better served to do in december Because we're doing some work this thursday, but we're also doing significant work on november 14th Uh, and so I'd like to actually have that work have occurred before I report back to the committee So perhaps if we move both those two items down that picks the november leading So then we'd be looking for a fee vote On january 14th. Yeah That is there acceptable for committee. Is there um Is there any continuity issue you have around having some different committee members potentially? Actually a different thing we could do is just do it in january the two meetings in january Why don't we do that? Yeah, since since december 10th is already packed. Yeah, why don't we just do that 14th and 28th I just I feel I mean not that we're not that on some level at a meta level This is always going to happen But when we literally have two consecutive meetings saying discussion vote and then we know there'll be some different members That just feels weird Unlike the budget where we kind of can't help it. Yeah, I completely agree. I think that's a good suggestion I think earlier on this year. We also talked about having a meeting once If there are new members on the committee in december um having the Budget informational session about how all of that stuff works sometime in december right also Right as an additional meeting. Yeah, right Yeah, I was I was going to mention the same thing. I mean, I think we've been talking about this for a while Yeah, it feels like really important to try to get this in here. Why haven't we gotten that scheduled anyway? We will We agreed that we would schedule it later And it's getting later This is like a pending item that's hanging there for no good reason I was going to say one other thing on this particular time. Is that okay? So, uh Not to be awkward, but in a week we'll know who new members will be their seat not seated so january So it may make sense to I don't know how the committee would feel wait to at least give them the option They won't be members in december But if the goal is to have some orientation that it's inclusive of members who are new to the committee We might want to wait to find out who that is and that was the original thinking and then Oh, yes, meeting to make sure that yes, both current committee members, but also people will be new I wouldn't I wouldn't mind Finding a couple of dates so that we could okay. Very good I just because I just I I think it's a mistake to suddenly like wake up on November 6th and say Let's schedule for three weeks from that for actually three or four weeks from now. Yeah, you know, we all know though like once you get past veterans day Basically the rest of the year is a black hole that like sucks everyone's attention and time And then all of a sudden it's like january 3rd or second Right, and it could be a wonderful time. People will be very happy I mean it could actually people are too happy doing things that are not school committee related But the point is we know that that's the time is going to get away from us. Yeah, if we're not careful I like that save at the end that was I just wanted to clarify the meeting on december 10th for the sc tf. I believe it's not an update It's rather a discussion of goals So sc tf goals, which we've discussed for the previous two years already have been done really well Thanks to the subcommittee's work and budget guidance So I just want to clarify that because once it goes on the agenda, you know, that'll be important to To have that distinction. Sure. Got it It's the answer What is sc tf So that is the school equity task force Is it done? um Look at We have the first read of several policies at our last meeting. Um, two of those probably will move to a different committee Rather than bring back to this committee But two of them the anti-bullying which I don't believe there was Much comment or reason on the policy could subcommittee will take another look at that on the 11th Um, and then there's also the anti-harassment party. So I don't know if we want I know november and december are pre-packed, but I don't know if we want to We actually we have to have it. No, we have to have Gotta have them back in november and december We're gonna be voting if we're gonna the committee's got to either vote it up or vote it down by december 10th period So we'll be meeting on the 11th to look at both of the both of those particular policies. Um, so just give it give us feedback And we'll we'll fit them in we're just gonna we have to fit them I'll put a place holder in there for the on the 12th at least for one of them It seems like one is certainly ready to right ready to be considered. No, that's good. That's good. Yeah, anything else? Yes A review of sabbatical application approval process and the budget cost for the last five years For various reasons. That's good. I'm wondering what it costs. I'll let it down I heard the first part. I missed them. A review of this is a sabbatical application approval process And the experience over the last five years sure Um, I'm just thinking of when to place that Sometimes which is when sabbatical requests are typically considered Anytime before the end of the year Sure, can you get that captured? Yeah, sorry. I missed the second part. No, it's okay Anything else? I mean at some point later on we're gonna. Oh, you have athletic fields on here for december done Because I knew we're gonna come back to this done. Um, I don't hear anything else. Yes Superintendent evaluation, I believe that was something that was also commented on last time But just trying to plug some of those things in in advance. Uh So that's in june early june Oh, this seems to sort of absent for you. Yeah, so I thought and maybe I missed it that I was uh, going to wait for guidance from the evaluation subcommittee on The timing they wanted to have because I think what I heard was different opinions based on the different town elections of how we wanted to do it so um I'm happy to plug it in but my understanding was I was waiting to hear guidance from that subcommittee on I think the committee is sleeping. Do we I think I am the chair. You are the you are the chair definitely So I will oh and keep give it do you have enough fellow members? Yes, so kip has no idea that he's even a member of that committee The superintendent evaluations Oh, you do Well, then it's not awesome What a happy thing. All right, so then we'll look for feedback and then we'll plug it in And I guess if there's any way that could play plugged in before december 10th, that'd be ideal Including what about a mid-year review? I'll have that on there Cool anything else Do we have any gifts? So you do not yes, there's I saw it in the regional folder Yeah That's why we need one person to sign this Is there really something in there I Moved to accept the following gifts from the emmerist hurricanes athletic boosters Inc number 485 a donation for HU deli HU DL software in the amount of $1,999 And from Mary Lou conca number 2597 Region student lunch forgiveness in the amount of $63 for a total of $2,062 It's been moved. Is there a second second Moved by spitzer seconded by funch. Yes. I just have a question. I've noticed that there has been a regular donation from one individual for The lunch forgiveness and I'm just wondering if the superintendent can shed a little bit more light on where that money is going and how it's being handled I can certainly get back to you next meeting. Um, I was told that 445. There's no gifts. Mr. Mangano snuck it in on me So, um, I will but I've noticed the same thing that you've noticed Yeah, but I can definitely follow up with the committee Okay, and I'll just mention that I made I'm gonna make another phone call But I personally called the the person that's made those donations because now it's 193 dollars That she has donated to the Lunch program. Yeah, and I will call her again and thank her For this third one. This is the third. Yes. She has done that If that's if that's exhausted the comment We'll move to a vote. All those in favor accepting the gifts as enumerated the signifier is in your hand It carries eight to nothing It passes. Thank you very much. Is there a further motion? The title move to adjourn Second second seconded by agonist. Uh, it is not debatable. All those in favor signify It carries it to nothing. We're adjourned