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LSC Workshop 9/14/16
LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Upper Level Conference Room
146 Maple Street, Lexington, MA
Present:
Chair, William Hurley; Vice Chair, Alessandro Alessandrini; Judy Crocker; Eileen Jay; Jessie Steigerwald;
Superintendent, Dr.Czajkowski; Consultant Facilitator, Rob Evans PhD.
The minutes were taken by the Chair, William Hurley
The meeting convened at 9:05am
Call to Order and Welcome:
Chair, Bill Hurley called the meeting to order, and introduced committee members.
Mr. Evans opened the session by asking members to provide a check in regarding how the committee
felt things were progressing since the last retreat. Members expressed progress to some degree but
with continued concern about how messages between themselves and the superintendent are
expressed.
Rob revisited his earlier comment of distinguishing between content and intent of message. Members
shared examples of communications through texts and emails and oral communication that were
perceived differently by the sender and the receiver of messages. Rob and members shared how these
examples have the potential for misinterpretation and false assumptions. These kind of incidents lead to
distrust that participants acknowledge they sometime experience. The candid dialogue that continued
led to further exploration of how to avoid these pitfalls so that the group can work more effectively in
the future. Specifically, it was suggested that meetings with individual members and the superintendent
periodically to have check in time with each other to keep lines of communication open and that there
be clarity of intent.
It was agreed among the members that this applies as well for members to have individual
conversations with each other, not to deliberate on specific topics reserved for open school committee
meetings, but to better clarify assumptions from past communications in different forms that might
have been misinterpreted.
Rob emphasized the importance of what he heard all committee members and the superintendent state
during the morning retreat, that they each believe that each person really cares about the work in which
they are all engaged on behalf of the children and staff of the school system. He also expressed that the
norms of the committee which he had read were good norms, but that norms, in general, only have
meaning in how people act. He offered to be available to meet with the committee and superintendent
if and when it is considered appropriate.