Bill reviewed the school’s high-level reopening plan, including the proposed lease of space at B’nai Torah for 6th grade to ensure we have the space to properly distance all students. Bill also discussed the 2 recent COVID cases at the school, including the process for contact tracing and family notification. He noted that these cases did not show evidence of in-school transmission.
 

The committee discussed the potential to add a new Board member, Amy Piela. Kelvin and Bob have spoken with her already; both are enthusiastic about proposing a vote to have her join the Board immediately. She is a CPA which will be a valuable skill set to add to the Board. The committee would like her to join the finance committee given her background.  

On the topic of Board member recruitment, Bill noted that he had spoken with Jean Callan, Finance Committee Member, about possibly joining the Board. She noted that she is enjoying being on the Finance Committee but is not able to join the Board at this time.

Bill and Kelvin also shared that they had each reached out to individuals regarding potentially joining the Board and would follow up after further conversations with each person.

The committee discussed the Board’s DEI work. They discussed the need to have a baseline for the Board to work from so that everyone is on the the same page about what DEI means in education, in Board membership and governance, and in the work of the school specifically. Additionally, the committee discussed improving the representation of diverse perspectives on the Board, including possibly setting goals and finding ways for parents of current or former students to participate in meetings in meaningful ways, even if they are not on a committee or the Board. 

They also discussed their responsibility to keep Bill accountable as the ED and to monitor accountability for the school. They suggested that it is important to continue to use data and metrics, especially when disaggregated for various demographic and educational differences, to ensure that DEI efforts are integrated into the work of all committees.

The group also discussed how aspects of DEI work would best be implemented, e.g., through a retreat or simply incorporating into existing meeting structures. They discussed the pros and cons of these approaches and that depending on the participation and format, the work may benefit white Allies more than or differently from BIPOC Board members. 
 

The next Governance Committee meeting will be held on Monday, 5/17/21 at 12:30 PM.