Information Flow Between School Committee and Superintendent Still a Work in Progress

Report on the Joint Meeting of the Amherst Regional School Committee and the Union 26 School Committee, November 1, 2023.

The meeting was held in person at the Amherst Regional High School library and was simulcast over Amherst Media Channel 15.  A recording of the meeting can be found here. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m and adjourned at 9:25 p.m.

Present
Irv, Rhodes (Chair, Amherst School Committee, Amherst ), Sarahbess Kenney (Amherst Regional School Committee Chair, Pelham), Margaret Stancer (Pelham School Committee Chair), William Scherr (Pelham), Tilman Wolf (Leverett), Jennifer Shiao (Amherst),  Ana Heard (Shutesbury), Katie Lazdowski (Amherst), Roger Wallace (Amherst), Gabriela Weaver (Amherst), David Pinero Jacome (student representative) and Miguel Pinero Jacome (student representative)

12 members of the public were streaming in real time.  One member of the public attended in person.

School committee members continued to request more information from interim superintendent Doug Slaughter and said they felt the information was slow in coming.   This was especially true, they said, with respect to reports on investigations of harassment of LGBTQIA+ students at Amherst Regional Middle School last year.  Slaughter has indicated that there is little from those reports that he will be able to share with the school committee or the public but that he will write his own report that will indicate actions and repairs that the district will undertake to address problems that occurred last year. Committee members continued to pose questions, asking for particulars on a range of issues and Slaughter continued to promise to get back to them with answers.

Update from Superintendent’s Search Subcommittee (SSS)
The committee finalized the Request for Proposal (RFP) for a search consultant for the superintendent position. The RFP is expected to appear on the state website for RFPs on November 6 with a submission deadline to the district of November 17.  The subcommittee hopes to recommend a search firm by November 20 with a vote of the full School Committee on a search firm hire on November 28.  The search process is still on track to have a new superintendent in place by July 1, 2024.

The SSS will submit for approval of the Regional School Committee (RSC) at their meeting of November 14 a draft of the form that community members will submit to express interest in participating in the hiring process.  

Irv Rhodes, Chair of the Amherst School Committee sent two memos to members of the RSC, one on October 19 and another on October 23, expressing his concern about the search process, saying that the SSS is moving too quickly and possibly at the expense of diversity in the search, noting that only one search firm under consideration has any Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) experience.

Rhodes’ memo from October 19 is below:

“I am writing to create awareness that the Superintendent Search process has prioritized expediency at the cost of creating a diverse superintendent search. In the last meeting, the SSS went over their search process for a search firm, and it basically consisted of referrals and seeking out information from other districts or firms that had conducted previous searches. Missing was an almost complete lack of information on these firms’ policies, practices, and procedures regarding matters of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices. Only one firm recommended had a DEI statement. The discussion around the possible need for an RFP was particularly distressing because it would prevent a wider search for a superintendent position. There was no mention of any effort to contact Black or African American Superintendents Associations, Latino Superintendents Associations, or minority-owned search firms. If we are to live up to our values and policies, mainly policies ACB and ACD and our stated values of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, then we would be demonstrating this in our words and actions. The current process falls short of this as far as looking for search firms goes. I want to see a level playing field so that all firms available to search are given an equal opportunity to do so. I will be bringing this issue forward at our next meeting.”.

Rhodes’ memo from October 23 is below:

“It’s easy for us to slip into our comfort zones and default modes of behavior. Instead of identifying and naming our actions, we use vague phrases like “increase the scope of,” “show how they will recruit diverse candidates,” and “given Irv’s concerns.” We need to take ownership of our actions by identifying our default modes of behavior and what we’re actually doing. Our comfort zones are what worked in the past, but what worked in the past was highly exclusionary and denied access to all classes of people. Our default mode is to cater to those who are privileged in the in-group, like us, traditionally have access and share our privileged position.’

“When we make errors or omissions that may have caused harm, it’s important to take responsibility for our actions. We should publicly and privately accept responsibility for our mistakes and omissions, apologize, take corrective actions, and move toward a better future for everyone. Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened yet in this case.“

Margaret Stancer reported that she looked for additional search firms and found that there aren’t that many out there.  Rhodes responded that there are a lot of professional associations out there besides the search firms and that the district should be looking for a search firm that will reach out to a number of these associations.

Public Comment
No written public comment was received and no one offered public comment in person.

Superintendent’s Report
New Student Representatives: Slaughter introduced the two new student representatives to the RSC,  brothers David and Miguel Pinero Jacome. Both are seniors at the high school.  They indicated that they had been among about ten students who had submitted essays explaining why they wanted to serve on the school committee and were subsequently chosen In a vote of their peers.

Morning Movement Activity: A morning movement and mentoring program has been started for students who arrive at school early. The program, offered in collaboration with the Amherst Recreation Department, provides a variety of movement activities including basketball, as well homework support and academic guidance.  This is an expansion of a program that started last year.  At the moment, participation is mostly among Middle School students. A press release is forthcoming.

LGBTQIA+ Programming: There is no school on November 7 (election day), but all full-year staff will be in the building and in the morning will do some additional work around LGBTQIA+ issues.  The Keynote will be “Supporting Non-binary and Gender Expansive Students.” This will be followed by five different breakout groups to allow discussion on specific LGBTQIA+  issues.

Questions For The Superintendent
Jennifer Shiao asked, as she has at previous meetings, if there have been any personnel terminations as a result of the Title IX reports. Slaughter responded “We are still in process.”

William Sherr reminded Slaughter that he had said that the RSC would get a first draft of his alternative report on the Title IX and other investigations at this meeting and wanted to know how that effort was progressing. Slaughter responded, “Slowly.  It’s a work in progress. Because of the confidential nature it can’t be delegated. Hopefully soon.”

Gabriella Weaver said, “I appreciate that you are putting a great deal of care into it, and that it is challenging. But I want to emphasize how important it is that the community be informed in a timely way about policy relevant findings.  This has impacted the community as a whole and they are experiencing it as a gap of information.  Can you outline some of the policies that we hope to address, even as you continue to work on getting this into final form?  What are the topics that are likely to be addressed by this body and your office?”

She continued, “I am concerned that the number of people who can see the actual report is so small.  We, who are responsible for formulating policy, must do that through the lens of your interpretation.  Is there a way that we can broaden the number of people who can see this to help out in this respect?”

She added, “Any person as a reader of a document brings their own lens to it and so if there is only one reader,  you have the potential of a very narrow lens.  It’s not that you intend to leave anything important out but it’s still limited by your perspective, your understanding.”

Slaughter responded, “I am asking that the everyone trust me to include everything that can be included. In several instances the policies that we have in place will be fine and it’s the way we enact those policies that is the issue.  How might we operationalize some of those policies more effectively?  When we get to that point – to the point of talking about operationalization and corrective actions – that’s when perhaps we can bring in more people.”

Katie Lazdowski said that regarding the upcoming professional development day it would be helpful for the RSC to have information in advance on the curriculum and its content and on the people who will be making the decisions about it and the people who will be doing the trainings.

Slaughter responded that Marta Guevara, Director of the ARPS Family Center, is working on those issues along with the director of curriculum Mary Keily. The Stonewall Center at UMass will be a partner in this work.  Slaughter added that the LGBTQIA+ parent advisory group has started to meet and is working with the new mental health coordinator Maureen Fleming. That group is apparently open to all parents and guardians who want to participate. Fleming is also organizing a student advisory group around LGBTQIA+ issues.

Rhodes noted that Art Keene had sent “a number of serious questions to all of us” and asked RSC members to consider what needed to be done to answer those questions.  He said, “I’ve read the (investigator’s) report twice.  I believe that there are policy issues that can be made public and I believe that those issues need to be shared with the public as soon as possible. (Editor’s note: it appears that there are multiple reports: at least one from the Title IX investigations which will not be shared with the School Committees or the public and at least one from non-Title IX investigations, 119 pages which was shared with the RSC on October 10, but was viewed by the chairs on October 5.) 

William Sherr asked for an update on the hiring a new human resources (HR) director. 

Slaughter indicated that the district has two retired staff helping out in HR.  One of those people is Kathy Mazur who is a former HR director for ARPS. Slaughter indicated that he didn’t think the district would be looking for a new HR director anytime soon. 

Heard asked if Slaughter has “stopped using the consultant in HR”. Slaughter indicated yes.
Heard said “I’d like you to stop.”  Slaughter said personnel is his purview so the RSC has no say in this matter. Lazdowski echoed Heard’s sentiments.

Sherr asked “if there is no HR director who is doing the bullying investigations and who is filling out the reports?” (Editor’s note: until Doreen Cunningham’s recent departure, she served as both HR director and DEI director. It is not clear that these two positions need to be combined). Slaughter indicated that bullying investigations and reports are now the responsibility of the building principal who completes the investigation and then hands it off.  Where it goes next (e.g., HR, Title IX coordinator, etc.) depends on who is named in the complaint.

Sherr asked if administrators know who to go to in specific instances of bullying? Slaughter replied that this is a work in progress and that his staff is monitoring how the current procedure is working and that they would make a change in the procedure if necessary.  Sherr reported that at the first LGBTQIA+ parents’ advisory meeting there was not much awareness of bullying reporting procedures nor of pronouns policy – either by faculty or parents. Student members supported the impression that policy and procedures are not widely known among their peers.  Slaughter replied that “ we’re continuing to message this out.  Regarding the form, we have checks and balances in place to see that things are addressed the way they are supposed to be.”  (Editor’s note: no one asked what those checks and balances are or whether they are working and there is no description of them on the district web site).

Slaughter pulled up the ARPS web page on the display screen and pointed out a link to the bullying report form. “It’s right there on the main page of the ARPS web site under forms for parents and guardians”, he said.

Lazdowski pointed out that it would not be obvious to students to look for it there.

Weaver suggested that since students primarily use Power School for their work that the link ought to be added there.  Slaughter said he would look into that.

Committee Chairs Reprimand of Shiao and Heard
Rhodes said he had sent an email to all members of the RSC, co-signed by RSC chair Sarahbess Kenney with a formal response to an incident on October 10 in which Shiao and Ana Heard removed a copy of an unredacted  investigator’s report on last year’s LGBTQIA discrimination incidents from the Superintendent’s office when they had been instructed not to do so. Rhodes and Kenney expressed anger that Shiao and Heard had not respected the rules. They wrote “The members who took it upon themselves to remove the documents violated the trust placed in them by their fellow school committee members and our constituents, putting our district staff in an untenable situation. This directly undermines the integrity of our committees.”  And they added:  “A meeting was set for the same day to work with legal counsel and the superintendent to find a solution and compromise that would satisfy the needs and requests of the committee members while still protecting the district from potential legal ramifications for mishandling personnel material. Less than one hour after the incident occurred, a solution was presented, and the timing of the incoming solution was made clear to these members.”  Addressing Shiao and Heard, Rhodes said “it was made clear to you that you could read the materials in the superintendent’s office but that you could not remove them.” 

Shiao responded:  “ I am one of those SC members who removed the report.  I contacted the interim superintendent in advance about seeing the unredacted report and he told me that it was not his decision to make and he told me that access was the decision of the school committee chairs (who had already reviewed the report), who did not assure me that a solution (to the problem of access) was in the offing. Personally, if I had been chair I would have declined to accept the report if it was not going to be made available to the other committee members. I don’t regret the actions that I took.”

No motion was offered concerning the Rhodes/Kenney email.

Hybrid Meetings
Slaughter reported that the district will be testing a hybrid meeting format using Google Meet over the new few weeks.  Amherst Media will be able to tap into the Google Meet feed directly to simulcast and record the meetings.

After some discussion in which the merits of various formats were considered, the committee agreed to try the hybrid format with the hope that it would lead to greater engagement with the public and facilitate more public participation.

Superintendent Goals
Slaughter presented a draft of his proposal for Superintendent goals for this year. The superintendent is evaluated based on his or her performance with respect to these goals. Slaughter’s contract sets a limit of four goals across all three districts and he suggested the following four goals:

Goal 1: Develop and implement various strategies and initiatives for students and staff related to LGBTQIA+ issues through the following:

● Professional development work focusing on LGBTQIA+ topics will be ongoing, mandatory professional development work for the administrators throughout the school year. Inclusive in this will be reviewing disciplinary responses with a focus on appropriate responses to harassment and/or bullying incidents. 

● Mandatory professional development focusing on LGBTQIA+ topics will be provided to all faculty and staff from all employee groups at the beginning of the year. The onboarding process for all new staff, substitute staff, interns, and student teachers will now explicitly include our commitment to supporting our LGBTQIA+ students and staff. Additional mandatory training will be provided multiple other times throughout the school year. 

● There will be multiple opportunities for all ARPS students to learn about gender and sexuality, including how to honor and respect the differences between people. 

● Enhance existing processes and procedures related to updating Names and Pronouns and develop a centralized process for ensuring that all of the faculty and staff members at the student’s school are notified of any changes. 

● Modify the online Bullying reporting system to allow for the reporting of harassment (e.g., Title IX) concerns. All reported concerns will be investigated and addressed. 

● Creating and supporting an LGBTQIA+ Family Advisory Group, modeled after other family affinity groups in the district, to build connections between families, as well as to provide a forum for members to share candid feedback and identify promising practices. 

● Establishing a Grades 7-12 Student Advisory Group specifically for students who identify as transgender or transitioning to provide peer support and guidance. 

Goal 2: Provide effective FY25 Budget Planning and Communication by:

● Collaborating with the School Committee to host forums to assist with budget planning; 

● Communicating the budget process and decisions in order to promote public awareness and understanding of the district’s fiscal challenges; and 

● Engaging municipal leaders from all four communities to promote common understandings of multiple perspectives on school spending.

Goal 3: Identify components of the Amherst-Pelham Regional Agreement that need adjustment including, but not limited to: 

● Moving 6th grade to the Middle School Building; 

● Changes needed relative to the form of government change in Amherst; and

● Changes to comply with state and federal law. 

Goal 4: Review and evaluate efforts to create and sustain curriculum and practices that facilitate student success in math by:

● Documenting and reflecting on the implementation of the iReady Math curriculum in the elementary schools with particular focus on the needs of students with opportunity gaps; and 

● Overseeing the efforts of math educators at ARMS and ARHS to improve alignment in grades 7-12 to increase coherence in curriculum and teaching practices, and to support student learning and equity. 

Slaughter reminded the RSC that the evaluation that they will be doing based on these goals is for the benefit of the person who will be coming in on July 1. He suggested that the evaluation that they do might frame these goals as being less about himself personally but about the nature of the job.

There was a substantial discussion about region vs. district requirements and prerogatives and also about the planned move of Amherst 6th graders to the Middle School building

The committee returned the draft to Slaughter for further refinement.

Budget
Slaughter shared a first quarter budget update. (See also here). The discussion included a review of all of the student activities organizations that were being funded for 2023-2024 and a brief discussion on how funding for these activities works. The RSC voted unanimously to approve the Student Organizations as presented in the above memo for the 2023-2024 school year.