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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-08-20-SC-min LSC Meeting Minutes of 8.20.15 – Amended and Approved by LSC 2.2.16 1 LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING OPEN SESSION MINUTES Tuesday, August 20, 2015 McSwiney Center for Professional Learning / EDCO Collaborative North Crossing Academy, Thoreau Room, 36 Middlesex Turnpike, Bedford, MA Present: Superintendent Dr. Mary Czajkowski, Chair Jessie Steigerwald, Judy Crocker, Margaret Coppe, Alessandro Alessandrini, Vice Chair Bill Hurley, Also Present: Dorothy Presser, Massachusetts Association of School Committees – School Governance Project The Minutes were taken by Jessie Steigerwald. The meeting convened at 7:00 pm. At 7:08 p.m. Jessie Steigerwald called the meeting to order and Dorothy Presser facilitated the meeting. Framing & Aligning the Work Ms. Presser reviewed goal setting and the importance of making sure goals are aligned throughout the district. She introduced the Governance quadrants articulating impact our actions can have on student learning (Important/Unimportant – Low Impact/High Impact), and discussed the importance of making sure the committee stays in the top right-hand quadrant as much as possible (Important & High Impact). Lexington’s Goals & Goal Alignment For the next hour and a half, Dr. Czajkowski reviewed the District Improvement Plan, School Committee Goals, her draft Professional Goals and the alignment between all three. Dr. Czajkowski also provided an update on her recent Leadership Team retreat (with Central Office lead administrators and school principals), and discussed the way she plans to support the School Committee goals. Making the School Committee goals SMART Ms. Presser reviewed what makes a goal SMART and will showed the Homework Goal as an example. Ms. Presser and Steigerwald worked to transform the approved Committee goal into a SMART goal prior to the retreat. Dr. Czajkowski’s input was incorporated to demonstrate how she would help implement specific action steps. The retreat schedule intended that Committee members would next transform the remaining approved goals into SMART goals but this work was tabled. Year Long Agenda Steigerwald provided updates about the work she and Dr. Czajkowski have undertaken to draft an overview of the 2015-2016 public meeting agendas. Dr. Czajkowski brings experience from other systems to share. Steigerwald and Dr. Czajkowski also met with Ms. Presser to prepare for the retreat, and LSC Meeting Minutes of 8.20.15 – Amended and Approved by LSC 2.2.16 2 upcoming agendas will stress the relationship between monitoring goals and achieving goals. There was a five minute break. Communications styles Presser introduced an exercise to invite people to self-identify their communication styles. Members discussed the strengths and weaknesses of their preferred style, what others need to know to work successfully with them and how understanding others can contribute to the success of the governance team (and keep people focused on the top right-hand quadrant.) Expectations and Commitments Dr. Czajkowski provided her perspective on what the committee can expect from her and what support she needs from the committee for everyone to be successful. Committee members practiced “lightening round” sharing to outline their individual perspectives on how they could support Dr. Czajkowski and what they think the committee needs from the Superintendent. Effective & Efficient Meeting Tools There was a brief discussion about tools that any member can use to keep meetings efficient and effective. However, this item will need more discussion in the next retreat as time was running too short to complete Ms. Presser’s planned segment. Member Roles Steigerwald re-introduced the idea of expanding the use of subcommittees to help balance workload between members, provide an opportunity for every member to work with the Superintendent, to help accomplish the approved School Committee goals and to support both the District Improvement Plan and Superintendent’s goals. The committee agreed to add to the two existing small group structures (the Curriculum Workgroup and the Policy Manual Review Committee). The new groups will be: Superintendent Evaluation Subcommittee: Sandro Alessandrini and Margaret Coppe After Dr. Czajkowski presents her draft Professional and Student Learning goals, this subcommittee will meet with Dr. Czajkowski to provide feedback. This subcommittee will also meet with Dr. Czajkwoski prior to her mid-year presentation to the full School Committee and prior to her end-of-the-year presentation to the full School Committee. The Chair will continue to write the annual evaluation and all members will complete and submit individual evaluations of the superintendent. Individuals will all be able to provide feedback about the superintendent’s goals. Finance: Jessie Steigerwald and Judy Crocker This group will work with Dr. Czajkowski and Ian Dailey to accomplish the goals set out for 2015-2016, including monitoring the FY16 budget to provide resources that promote high-quality student learning, and projecting the impact of anticipated rising enrollment on operating expenses over the next 3-5 years. The budget LSC Meeting Minutes of 8.20.15 – Amended and Approved by LSC 2.2.16 3 discussions that ordinarily take place at the full Committee level will continue as in prior years, and all members will continue to be able to provide feedback about the budget. This group will also follow the development of the FY17 budget. The group reviewed liaison assignments and Alessandrini agreed to join Steigerwald and assist with the Coalition work outlined in the approved School Committee goals. Hurley had been serving in this role. Norms Members reviewed norms and reached agreements about appointments for future positions. Members will provide input and the Chair will recommend a name to fill available positions. 10:15 p.m. Adjourn: On a motion made by Crocker and seconded by Coppe the School Committee voted unanimously to adjourn at 10:15 p.m. Materials: Mission/Vision Statement Policy AD Agenda Superintendent’s Goals 2015-2016 School Committee Goals for 2015-2016 2015-2016 District Improvement Plan Lexington School Committee “Role of Public Meetings” Lexington School Committee “Roles and Responsibilities” School Committee Member Roles & Liaison Assignments 2015-2016 “Eight characteristics of effective school boards: At a Glance”, The Center for Public Education Draft Lexington School Committee Norms – Draft for August 20, 2015 Retreat “School Committee/Superintendent Roles & Responsibilities” Voted Approved by the School Committee September 28, 2015 Amended minutes were Approved 2.2.16