BOT Meeting 4.9.26.pptx

The Governance Committee updated the norms for the Board of Trustees to include remote participation and an update to the pre-work portion of the norms.

The new addition to the Behavior in Meetings norms is:

Remote participation accommodations will be made available at all Board meetings. Members should attend meetings in person as possible.

The edit to a Pre-Work norm is:

The administration and members presenting on a topic will comply with Massachusetts Open Meeting Law and distribute relevant information in a timely manner. Administration and members will strive to have materials available three days prior to a meeting. Members should review all materials prior to a Board meeting.

Division II student John Marble, a member of the Parker Ambassadors program, spoke about meetings that have taken place at Parker among Parker representatives and the project funders about the new courtyard project space and what would be some of the intended uses of the space. Everyday use ideas include a quiet space where the community can sit for an outdoor work environment rather than play. Outside of regular school hours or at special times of day, the space could be used for theatrical presentations, student exhibitions, or community social gatherings. 

Board members wrote appreciation and concerns on the white board of the ideas in the courtyard design. Members were appreciative of the intentional inclusion of student voices in the project per the current Parker Strategic Plan. Many supported a well instructed and thorough maintenance plan for the area along with the idea that infrastructure for future upgrades (sound system, irrigation) be included as funding and building codes allow. 

Martin Turnbull and Michelle McKenna explained the next steps in the project will be hiring an architect. If we stay on the current projected timeline, work on the courtyard will begin in November.

Brian Harrigan summarized the Executive Director report including a successful Parker trip to a mock UN conference. 

Current enrollment for the 2025-26 school year is locked at 393. Next year will also see full enrollment with 90 offers going to next year's new 7th graders and 10 to new 9th graders after last month's lottery.

Trustees were reminded of upcoming dates including senior exhibitions and graduation.

Members broke into small groups to measure the Parker Board's success so far in our current goals.

After small groups, the members came together to report out on their discussions.

Overall members rated the Board success as high in supporting full and diverse enrollment, supporting the annual fund target, and providing academic oversight to DESE standards. Members felt the urgency of salary parity for Parker's teachers was constant but that Parker continues to face headwinds in achieving the goal. The same urgency for high-quality partnerships is also there, but measuring the success requires a clear definition. The teacher pipeline goal has not been a priority but action is starting to be taken now.

As Board representatives of the DEI committee Caroline Beasley, Luciana Hayner, and Tiffany Testa spoke about supporting the Trustees in moving forward on our goals with an equity mindset. The committee had the Trustees complete an online survey to inform what PD opportunities for the Board the committee would like to pursue in the future.