The cooler weather is more
than hinting at fall - hope your school year is off to an excellent start! Reference
documents are noted in red – just open the zipped
file on the web site.
Announcements of the
Superintendent
Superintendent Taymore offered
her Entry Plan (Entry Plan) and her 100 Day Plan
(100 Day Plan Progress Report). The Entry Plan
reports her process, along with the documents she’s used and the meeting she’s
held to inform her understanding of the district. The 100 Day Plan Progress
Report details the work she has already done to improve teacher evaluation,
Common Core implementation, and communication/discourse. * She announced that school opened very
successfully. She indicated that administrators had participated in two full-day
sessions of training on the new educator evaluation instrument, adding that the
MEA (Melrose Education Association, known less formally as the teachers’ union)
would vote the next day on the district/union agreement (or Memorandum of
Agreement) regarding the instrument.
Announcements of the
Chair
Ms. Thorp reported that
the city would sponsor a meeting for all boards and commissions regarding the
Open Meeting Law on September 24th at 7:00 in the MHS cafeteria. The MAAV walk is October 28th
and the School Committee will sponsor its annual team. We voted to increase the
salary of Asst. Supt. of PPS Patti White-Lambright for this year, falling in
line with the district salary grid established earlier this year. You can read
more in this document: Setting of Salaries. * Superintendent Taymore’s goal planning process
was reviewed (Superintendent Evaluation, Superintendent Evaluation 2, and Superintendent Evaluation and Process 1), and we
agreed on her 2012-2013 proposed goals. * In
addition, she was appointed as the district representative to SEEM (our special
education collaborative). * A proposal was
presented to move the Melrose School Committee meetings from Tuesdays to
Thursdays beginning in January, 2013 (Proposal to
Change SC Meeting Dates). We agreed to think about it and put it on the
agenda in late winter/spring (before individuals consider running for School
Committee so they can factor meeting times into their decision).
Consent Agenda
We ultimately approved the
School Committee minutes of August 14, 2012 and August 16, 2012; the Personnel Report;
the second vote on Policies 5701: Student Health
Services, 5701.01: Administration of
Prescription Medications, and 6503: Executive
Session; the revised appointment of Attendance Officers; and the Warrants.
Educational Programs
and Personnel
Superintendent Taymore
presented her current organizational chart (District
Org Chart) and will add the Bridge Director (who reports to the supt.)
to the chart. She indicated that a Human Resources Handbook was needed (and
will be addressed), that her staff is working to create a job description
repository, and that the posting of district vacancies is redundant and
outdated (and will also be addressed). * Supt.
Taymore also explained the need for additional special education staffing at
MHS due to shifting enrollments and curriculum sequencing changes. (More in
this document: Staffing Request.) The addition
will be made by taking advantage of cost savings in other special ed. services
and will not require additional funding.
Policy and Planning
The Committee initially
approved a series of policy changes that align the hiring of Central Office
Administrators and Principals more closely to state law, Massachusetts
Association of School Committee (MASC) protocol, and general best practice.
Supt. Taymore fully supports these changes. They include an amendment of Policy
4201: Professional Staff Positions; adoption of
new Policy 4202: Professional Staff
Hiring/Posting of Positions; and repeal of policies 2114:
Interview Search Committee for Central Office Administrators, 2201: Business Manager, 2202:
Special Education Administrator, 2301: Interview
Search Committee for Principals, and 4202.02:
Posting of Vacancies.
Finance and Facilities
Business Manager Greg
Zammuto commented on the number of our crossing guards and the safety
precautions being taken to protect students as they arrive at and depart from
school properties. He reminded parents that there is no drop-off/pick-up in
either the middle school or high school parking lot. He also presented a Facilities Update that provides information on the
maintenance work performed in schools over the summer.
If you have a chance, the start of this school year is a great time to read up on how the Common Core implementation (noted in the Supt’s Progress Report discussion above) will continue to improve the teaching and learning happening in your child(ren)’s classroom(s). Curriculum Director Margaret Adams has some great links on her welcome page (http://www.melroseschools.com/curriculum2/welcome.cfm) – just scroll to the bottom. Thank you all for a safe and supportive start to the year, and for the many wonderful things you do to help children!
If you have a chance, the start of this school year is a great time to read up on how the Common Core implementation (noted in the Supt’s Progress Report discussion above) will continue to improve the teaching and learning happening in your child(ren)’s classroom(s). Curriculum Director Margaret Adams has some great links on her welcome page (http://www.melroseschools.com/curriculum2/welcome.cfm) – just scroll to the bottom. Thank you all for a safe and supportive start to the year, and for the many wonderful things you do to help children!