Jacqueline Bennett, Committee Chair, directed the attention of the Board to the Executive Director General Updates. Sonya Pratt, Executive Director, shared that her General Updates would come through her discussion of her goals presentation.

Pratt reminded the Committee that they had previously discussed her four goals for School Year 2023-2024 as:

• Negotiating a successor agreement with the Boston Teachers Union (BTU), which represents the two bargaining units at City on a Hill;
• Engaging in professional development programs for charter school leaders;
• Determining a long-term staffing strategy for administrative roles; and
• Finalizing a financial plan that ensures stability beyond Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds which end next calendar year.

Pratt noted that she kept the same style of presentation as this Committee has used for past evaluations, and began projecting her presentation, which outlined each goal and her current progress to completion.

Beginning with the goal related to the successor Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), Pratt noted that the agreement currently in place expires on June 30, 2024. She noted that, like the last negotiation in Spring 2020, she and Jordan Pina, Chief Operating Officer, would represent the interests of the School and periodically update the Board on progress via Executive Session. She noted that while most of the discussion will take place in Executive Session, citing discussion of strategy with union personnel, the School may want to pursue a longer contract and minor updates to current contract language. She noted that she had already begun prepping with the School's legal counsel for these negotiations, which she anticipates to start at the end of January 2024, and will be meeting with the Leadership Team to discuss proposed changes in December 2023. She believes this preparation will adequately prepare the negotiation team to engage. Committee members inquired as to how Pratt would define a "successful" agreement. She shared that she believed a successful agreement to include financially viable salary increases, preserves the School's flexibility to support students in the way that is needed, and is something that both the bargaining members and School Leadership believe to be a fair deal. The Committee agreed that definition aligned with the Board's understanding of a successful contract.

Next, Pratt moved to her second goal relating to professional development. She noted that, as she had every year since her appointment to Executive Director, she again has been participating in both the Boston Charter Alliance (BCA) and a Charter Leaders of Color Cohort. Both groups meet to discuss common issues within the charter space and to disseminate ideas for support for other leaders, as well as 1:1 meetings with leadership coach from the BCA. Additionally, she noted that she would be meeting with a leadership transition coach to ensure stability at the School following her departure. She noted that she has reviewed a few coaches, and would soon be making the decision, but that she had been actively participating in both of her cohorts for several years. 

Then, Pratt noted that there have been several District-level administrative roles with long-term vacancies that were being covered by current staff for which the School has recently made key hires, including Director of School Operations, Human Resources Manager and Executive Coordinator. She noted that remaining roles include a Data Manager and an Operations Leader to replace Jordan Pina, Chief Operating Officer. Pratt shared that her goal is that any remaining District roles are posted with refreshed role descriptions before Winter Break to be able to begin hiring in January 2024.

Finally, Pratt reminded the Committee that following the COVID-19 Pandemic, the School was awarded ESSER funds to address the additional needs imposed on schools during this time. While this multi-year grant has been used to supplement the School's programming which is funded by state tuition, it will soon be ending and the School will return to budgeting and spending solely based on the public dollar. Pratt shared that she viewed this year as an investment year, noting spending in both additional staff, facilities and equipment, such as new ChromeBooks for all students, new SmartBoard for class rooms, new MacBooks for all staff and the Circuit Street construction project. The Committee raised concerns about ensuring continuity in the finances given the upcoming transition. Pratt shared that she understood their concerns, but noted that this financial planning work has been taking place for the last two years in conjunction with the School's business office vendor, Central Source, and reminded the Committee of the 5-year enrollment projection shared with the Board last school year. She shared that the remainder of the work is turning that projection into a budget while keeping up with current enrollment trends, which have the school on target for its budgeted tuition. 

The Committee thanks Pratt for her presentation, and asked her for a more general self-evaluation of how she felt about her progress to goal. Pratt shared that she felt she had taken all actions available at this point of the year, and that she has also satisfactorily laid the groundwork for the goals that could not yet be directly addressed, such as negotiations. Bennett asked the Committee if anyone had any additional questions or concerns before calling for a motion to recommend a satisfactory performance evaluation and 100% of the mid-year performance bonus potential. All members shared they did not, and thanked Pratt for her work.

This section was not covered in this meeting.