WSESD Board Policy and Amendment Committee Meeting Agenda and Minutes

WSESD

Policy and Amendment Committee
August 8, 2022 at 3:00pm
WSESU Central Office Conference Room


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Agenda
I Approval of Minutes from 7/26/22
II Summary of submissions to the WSESD Board Meeting 8/9/22 for approval

1st Reading:
D9 Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace
D10 Resignations
D12 Policy on Prevention of Harassment of Employees
F22 Student Assessment
F30 Pupil Privacy Rights

III. Continue Review
C7 Board Relations with the Administrators
D7 Volunteers and Work Study Students
F12 Transportation
H1 School-Community Relations

IV. New Business
F26 Participation of Home Study Students in School Programs and Activities
F23 Policy on Prevention of Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying of Students


V. Policies Prioritized by this committee for review before beginning of academic year
H7 Leadership Councils
G8 Local Action Plan
D2 Professional Development
F1 Student Conduct and Discipline (Hold pending review of all related policies)

VI. Backlog of Additional Issues
D1 Personnel-Recruitment, Selection, Appointment, and Background Checks
Regarding including students in the hiring process
Meeting to conclude at 4:30.

………….

Windham Southeast Supervisory District (WSESD) Board
Policy and Amendment Committee
53 Green St.
Brattleboro, VT 05301
Tuesday, July 26, 2022


DRAFT MINUTES
Members attending: Deborah Stanford (DST, Chair), David Schoales (DS, Vice Chair), Shaun Murphy (SM), Tim Maciel (TM, Clerk), Liz Adams (LA, via Zoom).
Guests attending: Barbara Nowakowski (BN), Kerry Amidon (KA, via Zoom), Mark Speno (MS), Lana Dever (via Zoom)
DST convened the meeting at 3:03 pm.
DST amended agenda in order to move the discussion of policy review prioritization as well as the date/time of the next P&A meeting to the top of the agenda.
SM asked if F24, the Firearms policy, had been discussed. DST noted that it had been discussed and the committee had decided not to accept any of the VSBA strikeouts. It has been sent to the full board for 1st reading.

Next meeting: August 8th at 3:00 p.m in Central Office.

Policies given high priority for P&A committee discussion:
H7: Leadership Councils
D2: Professional Development
G8: Local Action Plan
F1: Student Conduct and Discipline
Also on the P&A docket for further discussion:
F12: Transportation
D7: Volunteers and Work Study Students
_________________________________________
Motion to approve 7.12.22 minutes by DS. Approved by committee.


POLICY REVIEWS


F22: Student Assessment

BN made changes agreed upon at last meeting including adding “guardian” when referencing “parents.”

MS said that the COVID Recovery Plan will be updated at the August 15th Admin Retreat which
he will lead and will include the two Curriculum Coordinators (Paul Smith and Brin Tucker),
school-based staff plus some SU coaches and administrators.

F22 and other policies will be discussed at the retreat. Currently, the COVID Recovery Plan is not up-to-date.

MS noted that the biggest challenge to be addressed at the retreat is the staffing shortage.

Committee agreed to present F22 at next full board meeting for 1st reading.
_____________________________________
C7: Board Relations with the Administrators

Attorney Lynn responded to DST’s questions regarding C7 and said there is no problem adding language proposed at the last meeting that requires the superintendent to present the criteria used to assess administrators (#4, p. 1 of the policy). BN will make changes to the draft.

Discussion of when materials and reports should be disseminated to the board prior to a board meeting. There should be guidelines for getting information to the board in a timely manner. Large reports should be distributed well in advance. There should be a distinction made between “updates” and “reports.” Board should be considerate of the time required for the Central Office to gather information.

Lengthy reports should be warned along with the agenda for the benefit of the board and the public.

Majority of the committee feels that policy should note that material needed for issues that require board action should be warned along with the agenda, if not before.

Discussion of 3rd bullet point on p. 1 (“the need to maintain distinction between the administrative role of the administrators and the policy making role of the board.”

No consensus on where the line is between micro-managing and meeting the board’s due diligence.

Policies are only as good as their implementation.

BN will modify C7 and distribute to the committee before the next P&A meeting.

DST tabled C7 until next P&A meeting
_________________________________________
D12: Policy on Prevention of Harassment of Employees.

Attorney Lynn reviewed the draft and warned the committee to avoid specifying specific dates that may not be enforceable. He also changed “40 years of age” to “18 years of age or older. Committee agreed to present D12 at next full board meeting for 1st reading.

D9: Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace.

Committee agreed to present D9 at next full board meeting for 1st reading.

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