Bob Leonard's Candidacy for the Board
The committee reviewed Bob Leonard's resume and discussed his candidacy for the board.
Bob's background in legal, human resources, and employee law was highlighted as beneficial.
The committee agreed to invite Bob to the next meeting and potentially vote on his nomination.
Rachel expressed excitement about Bob's potential to hold high standards and not make excuses for underperformance.

Potential Trustee: Andres Gomez
Xiomara introduced Andres Gomez, a charter school graduate and current executive director of hospitality for MGM Springfield. Andres is Senator Gomez's cousin and his potential addition to the board was discussed. Rachel mentioned that Andres' connection to Senator Gomez could be beneficial given the senator's support for charter schools despite sponsoring the THRIVE Act, which includes provisions that could negatively impact charter schools.

THRIVE Act and Its Impact on Charter Schools
Rachel discussed the THRIVE Act, sponsored by Senator Gomez, which includes provisions that could reduce charter school seats by 9-18%.
The committee expressed concern about the potential closure of the high school if the bill passes.
Rachel highlighted the importance of engaging with legislators to garner their support against harmful legislation.

Comparison of MCAS Results
Aaron inquired about the comparison of eighth-grade and tenth-grade MCAST results between Springfield Charter Schools and Springfield Public Schools.
Rachel confirmed that comparative data is available for previous years but not yet for the current year, as results are expected to be made public in the fall.
The committee discussed the impact of the pandemic on learning and the collaborative approach taken to address performance issues.

Strategic Priorities and Goals
The committee reviewed strategic priorities and goals, including organizational viability, academic success, and college and career readiness.
Rachel proposed taking on the oversight of college and career readiness programming as one of her goals.
The committee discussed the importance of teacher quality and the need to reduce FTEs to increase teacher compensation.
Rachel mentioned the plan to bring in high-quality teachers and reduce under-qualified ones, emphasizing the importance of having a highly qualified teacher in every classroom.

Teacher Compensation and Quality
Rachel discussed the challenges of implementing performance-based pay for teachers, noting that teachers previously expressed concerns about collegiality.
The committee considered various approaches to teacher compensation, including potential performance bonuses and the creation of a committee to inform the approach.
Rachel proposed renaming 'teacher development' to 'teacher quality' to reflect the goal of ensuring high-quality teachers in every classroom.

Meeting Format and Frequency
Rachel shared Michael Freeman's feedback on the preference for in-person meetings over virtual ones, despite the convenience of virtual meetings for some members.
The committee discussed the plan to have a mix of virtual and in-person meetings, with the next meeting scheduled for July 24th being virtual.