Ann and Rachel discussed the purpose of an executive session. The participants deliberated on ensuring compliance with the Department of Education during an annual site visit. 

Ann updates the Board on Rachel's evaluation. 

Rachel and Ann provided details about planning for an upcoming board retreat scheduled for June 27th at 1:00 PM. The group discussed goal setting and evaluation preparation activities leading up to the retreat. Rachel outlined plans to distribute pre-retreat materials related to charter school criteria review among attendees before discussing them at length during the retreat itself. The group deliberated on refining the agenda by incorporating feedback from Aaron regarding limiting time spent discussing committee goals during board meetings. Rachel and Ann discussed setting new strategic priorities to guide the board's work for the next three to five years.

Matt on the 3-5 year part...

Denise yes- by year are we going to recover by year 3 

There was a conversation about whether to include Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the agenda of an upcoming meeting or address it as a midterm strategic priority due to its potential impact on education systems and future jobs. Rachel and Ann discuss scheduling an educational session on AI with Robbie outside regular hours to avoid overburdening schedules. 

Andrea and then they'll switch it. 

Rachel announces Shannon Langone's departure as Director of Talent and plans for restructuring roles based on new priorities. Rachel shares details about posting a communications and development manager job opening and a potential candidate that will be interviewed next week. 

Rachel provides updates regarding progress towards goals set for her this year, including developing a three-year plan that involves creating detailed purpose statements.

Rachel discussed rethinking the school's development strategy, moving away from traditional fundraising approaches and focusing on leveraging the community to advance the organization. The discussion revolved around stakeholder engagement as a key priority. 

Rachel talked about her overall advancement plan for the school and mentioned the pilot of a community event for incoming 5th graders and their families which was very successful. This event will be executed on a larger scale in the Fall and will be at the high school instead of the middle school. The event will take our traditional Harvest Fest (for Veritas students and families) and expand it to inviting community members as a way to engage more with external stakeholders as well as serve as a method of student recruitment through authentic relationship building. 

Rachel discussed the relaunch of an annual fund drive after several years, sending out fall and spring appeals which resulted in increased donations compared to previous efforts. Following the fundraising initiatives, there were discussions about follow-up communication strategies including email outreach aimed at potentially increasing donation amounts further. 

Rachel expressed some frustration at the slow progress of revamping communications and marketing efforts, particularly in terms of delivering tangible results. The team discussed concerns about implementing content for communication strategies using WordPress.

Rachel discussed her goal of retaining high-performing teachers through strategic discussions, retention bonuses using grants, and collecting information through surveys aimed at understanding teacher needs better. Rachel shared her initial intention of piloting a new performance-based compensation system but noted challenges in gaining traction from stakeholders on this idea over time due to shifting priorities amidst changing circumstances such as budget constraints. The conversation delved into long-term priorities related to teacher retention despite acknowledging that immediate changes might not be feasible given current circumstances such as budget constraints or evolving staff needs.

Rachel discussed the success of the Emerging Educators Pathway program which involved paying stipends to students interested in careers in education. There was discussion about establishing pipeline programs with colleges such as Westfield State and Worcester State aimed at guiding high school students into four-year education degrees related to teaching professions.

Denise provided a financial update, stating that the balance sheet liquidity is stable and somewhat improving

Investment Committee Working Session - the investment subcommittee recently met to discuss their Investment Policy as they agreed to do annually. Based on performance and current market projection, some changes were made. The updated Investment Policy will be brought to the Finance committee next month for review and then to the whole Board. 

Denise mentioned that income is projected to rise by roughly 10% due to an increase in student enrollment but noted that additional expenses for hiring teachers would offset this rise.

Save for the June retreat.