Vote Medford 2007

Full Text: (Q1) Transparency of Decision-Making

How can the process of decision-making around such issues of redistricting and teacher hiring be made more transparent and open to greater public input?

Attenazio: (Q1) Transparency of Decision-Making

In terms of re-districting, discussions regarding the purpose of it should be discussed openly in SC meetings and provide Open Forums for public input and comment. Regarding hiring of teachers, this is an administrative matter delegated to the Superintendent. Ed Reform laws outline how this administrative matter is be site based and typically managed by building Principals.

The SC can provide some guidance or discussion on how they might like to see that handled, but, technically, this is not in their purview. The purview of the SC is in governance, policy and fiduciary matters.

Brady: (Q1) Transparency of Decision-Making

The Medford School Committee conducts all its business at public meetings. Community members are always welcome to address the Committee in open session and in most instances on cable television. Individuals are always free to call members with their concerns on any issue. I get back to everyone who calls me and I refer issues to the appropriate administrators for resolution. The Educational Reform Act of 1993 determined that most hiring is the responsibility of the principals, department heads and the superintendent. The School Committee votes for a few positions upon the recommendation of the Superintendent. The School Committee does work with the Superintendent to conduct open public interviews for major administrative positions. This past year, for example, public interviews were conducted for the Principalship of the Andrews Middle School and the Directorship of the Pupil Services Department. Prior to School Committee involvement there were broadly represented advisory committees that screened and prioritized the candidates. The School Committee holds the Superintendent and his staff accountable for the hiring process. We want them to find high quality people that meet state standards. The School Committee is like a Board of Directors of a large corporation. We delegate administrative tasks and evaluate the outcomes. We encourage our administration to be inclusive and to seek participation. However, we do not micromanage. This year the school system hired over seventy people. We received information on them and expect that the administration will supervise and evaluate them consistent with best practices.

There has only been one redistricting decision made by the Administration and the School Committee since the advent of the new schools. The decision was made in public and was done to alleviate projected overcrowding at one school and under-enrollment at another. Individuals already attending a school were grandfathered into the school and sibling preference was maintained. Change is not easy for everybody and some people felt that the decision was unfair. School Committee members must be prepared to make unpopular decisions from time to time for the best interests of the entire community. We strive to listen to all points of view, but ultimately must make a decision.

When the new schools were being built we listened very closely to people all over the city and held many forums. Eventually, district lines had to be drawn and they have worked out well for most people. All our decisions were made after listening and in public.

Cugno: (Q1) Transparency of Decision-Making

I believe that redistricting and teacher hiring can be made more transparent and open to a greater public input by forming sub-committees and surveys distributed throughout the schools. Even though sometimes we do not have enough time in the day for more committees I believe in certain cases it is highly important to take in consideration the viewpoints of parents. We also need to have a balance of letting our administrators have the liberty of hiring. The DOE states the hiring process belongs primarily to the Superintendent and the Principals. However, we have taken steps implementing change. A good example of this was having sub-committees with parents, administrators and teachers in the hiring process of Beverly Shea, our Director of Pupil Services, and Tim Blake, our Principal to the Andrews Middle School.

D'aveta: (Q1) Transparency of Decision-Making

Citizens, and especially parents should be notified of teacher hiring by placing the ads for new hires on the web for all to see. Site councils should be actively encouraged to be part of the process.

For any future process of redistricting, parents should be notified by backpack note, notices on the school and city web sites and government cable access channels. This is not a process that should occur by fiat or by candlelight. This process should be done with openness, fairness and accountability to the affected students, parents and community at large and in cooperation with the school department. It is also important to include teachers for informational purposes, for it is they who will be the front line of any redistricted student population

DiGiantommaso: (Q1) Transparency of Decision-Making

The Education Act of 1993 stated that the Superintendent does the hiring not the School Committee. Due to this fact I made and passed a resolution that all the teacher finalists be interviewed in public by the School Committee. Our primary role is to make a policy and see that it's carried out. We do not micro-manage the school system.

Kulik: (Q1) Transparency of Decision-Making

In general, the district needs to communicate better to the parents and public. Although the school committee agendas are posted to the Medford School District web site, they do not arrive until late on Friday, and the information is too scant to understand the nature of the issue to be addressed.

Major issues need to be brought before the community well in advance of the scheduled school committee meeting, so that parents and other interested parties have a chance to research the issue, discuss it within the PTO and school communities, and provide input to school committee members. Currently, only those who have contacts amongst school district personnel learn of major decisions prior to the school committee meeting.

If elected, I will propose a motion that superintendent and the school committee provide ample time to inform the community about upcoming major decisions and solicit feedback before discussing and voting at a formal meeting. Naturally, an exception would be made for those urgent decisions for which time is truly of the essence.

Regarding hiring, the district needs to be more proactive and less reactive. Many cities and towns run advertisements in early spring advertising interviews in anticipation of upcoming openings. Although Medford occasionally runs ads in the metropolitan papers, they seem to be only when a specific position is difficult to fill. Medford waits until an opening has occurred before beginning the search process, by which time prime candidates have already accepted positions in other districts.

Second, a school team should be maintained to review applicants and monitor the process by which both teachers and major staff are hired. The team should consist of parents, teachers, and administrators, similar to the teams which were put together recently for the hiring of the Andrews Middle School principal.

Finally, the individual schools should keep parents informed in a timely manner about pending staff changes, including when teachers have left the system, when new positions have become available, and when teachers have been reassigned or positions filled or eliminated.

O'Keefe: (Q1) Transparency of Decision-Making

Redistricting is always a concern for some parents. Through Accountability of the central school administration, all our schools should have the same Mustang Pride, synergy, and curriculum framework as defined by the Department of Education. This is directed, managed, and reflective of the central administration's leadership and encompassed and embraced by the principals who pass that effective message to the parents (taxpayers) and community who participate in defining what their community schools are all about. Policies should be available for public view and accessible. If a policy is not already written that discusses the re-authorization of the re-districting decision, it should be documented and reviewed for approval in collaboration with the School Committee, the City of Medford, and this community through PTO's and other forums. Demographics and student population shift consistently over time and resources as well as fiscal responsibilities will need to shift to accommodate those needs. A review of the School Committee policy defining redistricting must to be spelled out for public input periodically. As a school committee member, I will communicate and facilitate this topic for discussion. Logistically, busing school children through the community has already been made as a long term commitment. We must be successful with the appropriate attention and standards consistently being reviewed to ensure safety, cost efficiencies, and parity.

1b. Teacher hiring is important. Posting all job openings via public forum such as medfordmass and PTO yahoo groups, the City of Medford, and school web page and perhaps an ongoing article locally that is written by the school committee or administration would be ideal tools for communication. Recently, the school committee authorized and approved a request of the Superintendent for money pertaining to advertising which many taxpayers in the community believed was a cost savings initiative. The Superintendent's pitch to the committee was this would reduce our advertising print costs with the Globe and Herald and maximize the flow of qualified teacher applicants through a web site Massachusetts Superintendent of Schools. The effectiveness vs, cost is difficult to gauge but metrics that identify how the job applicant came to apply to Medford Public Schools should be captured and measured for data collection as seventy-one (71) teachers were recently hired and are currently in our community schools. Accountability, Communications, and Teamwork with the community and PTO's will continue to build trust around this process which must open and fair. The long term benefits of public input will allow prospective parents and those considering moving to this community the best applicant with the appropriate credentials were selected. Forecasts for new and qualified teachers, aides, paraprofessionals and school administration positions have dramatically increased each year and competition for applicants is getting more difficult. Myself, having a strong Human Resources background in both recruitment and retention coupled with my educational and legal background allows me objectively look at this particular topic and make appropriate policy decisions. Having worked in a union environment as a shop steward, I recognize and will work in collaboration within the Teacher Unions Collective Bargaining Agreement. As a strong voice on the school committee, I will make appropriate recommendations that would be beneficial for the next flow of teacher recruits which will shape our school and reputation for the future. With this new wave of hiring, an appropriate review and information for long term career planning for both incoming and outgoing teachers needs to be provided also. As 403 (b) regulations have recently changed pertaining to Teacher Retirement Funds, we, as community leaders, must ensure that through collective bargaining that the school committee, administration, and city is positioning ourselves accordingly to ensure we are making the grade for School District Employees for their long term career planning options. The future is now.

Pompeo: (Q1) Transparency of Decision-Making

For decision making to be open to greater public input calls for providing ample public notice and specifically home notices to parents.

Skerry: (Q1) Transparency of Decision-Making

The Medford School Committee meets regularly in public session. There is significant opportunity to participate in public meetings.

All regular meetings are televised. Agendas are posted prior to meetings on the website, in city hall and at the school department offices.

Anyone can have an item placed on the agenda under community participation and address the committee and community.

The issue of redistricting has come up one time since the new schools were built. There was one change that modified the western boundary between the Brooks and Columbus zones. Students that were already at the Brooks were grand-fathered in as were their siblings. The matter was discussed openly at a public meeting and opposition was minimal.

There was a need to balance enrollments. It was not done in secret. When tough decision are made, not everyone will agree. It doesn’t mean that the decision was done deceitfully.

Teacher hiring is governed by the Education Reform Act of 1993. The Massachusetts Department of Education has advised school committees that their primary role is to make policy and oversee its implementation. The hiring process belongs primarily to the principals and the Superintendent.

This year the school system hired over 75 people to fill vacancies. The interview processes involved including principals, department administrators, teachers, parents and school committee members. Principals convened screening committees to help them make decisions in most instances.

There were several key administrators hired. These processes were very open and public. For example: Director of Pupil Services was interviewed by an inclusive advisory committee and the School Committee. The same was true for the Principalship of the Andrews School.

When a teacher is hired, it must be remembered that the school system will own this person not just a particular school. Therefore it is important for the Superintendent and the subject specific administrators to participate with the principal. The law and the DOE advisory speak to this point.

Collective bargaining contracts must also be respected when hiring. Often seniority rights require the transfer/placement of personnel independent of individual building preferences.

Sometimes the placement of certain programs in specific buildings determines personnel assignments.

The School Committee must trust its administrators to make decisions about the personnel and not micromanage the process. Administrators must work together to ensure that qualified professionals are hired to get the job done.

Principals and other administrators evaluate teachers and make decisions to retain or dismiss individuals based upon performance.

Principals are sensitive to the feedback they receive from parents and other within their respective school communities.