MCCPS Board of Trustees
Minutes
Governance Committee Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday March 6, 2018 at 7:00 PM
Location
MCCPS
Committee Members Present
Christopher Riegle, David Moore, Jeanne Smith, Kay O'Dwyer, Nichole Thompson, Pam Ferris
Committee Members Absent
Cynthia Canavan, Paul Baker
Committee Members who arrived after the meeting opened
David Moore
Guests Present
Nina Cullen-Hamzeh
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance and Guests
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
Nichole Thompson called a meeting of the Governance Committee of MCCPS Board of Trustees to order on Tuesday Mar 6, 2018 at 7:05 PM.
C.
Approve Minutes
Nichole Thompson made a motion to approve minutes subject to amending Section IIB, 3rd bullet point to "The Officers of the Marblehead Charter Education Fund held their annual meeting.".
Kay O'Dwyer seconded the motion.
The committee VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
II. Governance
A.
Board Update
David Moore arrived.
B.
Upcoming Initiatives
Action Item: All Governance Committee members to send out invitations to the strategic planning meeting.
Nichole Thompson invited Committee members to sign up for a 3/22 Board on Track workshop.
The Committee discussed GC initiatives and how to break out responsibilities among members.
1. Communicating with potential candidates for Board - David Moore volunteered to communicate with potential candidate Dr. Robert Whitman and Pam Ferris agreed to contact Fumni Korede for more information about potential candidate Friday Ekpa.
Action Item: Nichole Thompson to draft a template of steps to communicate with potential members - from initial meeting to on board, including links or references to necessary documents.
Action Item: Nichole Thompson to include the potential Board member candidate update as formal part of the GC monthly agenda.
Action Item: Nichole Thompson, David Moore and Pam Ferris to contact their respective potential Board member candidates.
2. Training and Orientation for new Board members - Pam Ferris suggested and the Committee discussed initiating a mentor program for new Board members, possibly with the most recent Board member passing on training materials to the newest member.
3. Board members - Administration functions with DESE
Action Item: Pam Ferris to complete OML training.
Action Item: Nichole Thompson to train David Moore to use the DESE Board member management system. Once trained, David Moore will add Nichole Thompson to the system as a Board member and make other necessary updates (remember to press Save!).
Action Item: Nichole Thompson to include the DESE management system Board member status a formal part of the GC monthly agenda.
4. Building Annual Training for Retreat - Pam Ferris volunteered to gather, edit, prepare and present Board training materials for the upcoming Board retreat in June. Jeanne Smith and Kay O'Dwyer offered assistance.
Action Item: Nichole Thompson to send last year's Board retreat training materials to Pam Ferris.
5. By-law and Charter review - Chris Riegle volunteered to oversee this effort with the possibility of moving the timeline to April through July.
6. Governance Meeting Clerk Duties
Action Item: Jeanne Smith to look at Board on Track Board member report.
Nichole Thompson invited Committee members to sign up for a 3/22 Board on Track workshop.
The Committee discussed GC initiatives and how to break out responsibilities among members.
1. Communicating with potential candidates for Board - David Moore volunteered to communicate with potential candidate Dr. Robert Whitman and Pam Ferris agreed to contact Fumni Korede for more information about potential candidate Friday Ekpa.
Action Item: Nichole Thompson to draft a template of steps to communicate with potential members - from initial meeting to on board, including links or references to necessary documents.
Action Item: Nichole Thompson to include the potential Board member candidate update as formal part of the GC monthly agenda.
Action Item: Nichole Thompson, David Moore and Pam Ferris to contact their respective potential Board member candidates.
2. Training and Orientation for new Board members - Pam Ferris suggested and the Committee discussed initiating a mentor program for new Board members, possibly with the most recent Board member passing on training materials to the newest member.
3. Board members - Administration functions with DESE
Action Item: Pam Ferris to complete OML training.
Action Item: Nichole Thompson to train David Moore to use the DESE Board member management system. Once trained, David Moore will add Nichole Thompson to the system as a Board member and make other necessary updates (remember to press Save!).
Action Item: Nichole Thompson to include the DESE management system Board member status a formal part of the GC monthly agenda.
4. Building Annual Training for Retreat - Pam Ferris volunteered to gather, edit, prepare and present Board training materials for the upcoming Board retreat in June. Jeanne Smith and Kay O'Dwyer offered assistance.
Action Item: Nichole Thompson to send last year's Board retreat training materials to Pam Ferris.
5. By-law and Charter review - Chris Riegle volunteered to oversee this effort with the possibility of moving the timeline to April through July.
6. Governance Meeting Clerk Duties
Action Item: Jeanne Smith to look at Board on Track Board member report.
III. Other Business
A.
Review of By-laws
Nichole Thompson recommended adding a column on the MCCPS By-law Google doc to distinguish between substantive and non-substantive edits.
Action Item: Nina Cullen-Hamzeh to create a Google doc of the MCCPS Charter and email to the Committee.
Action item: Committee members to read MCCPS Charter and By-laws and provide feedback before the next meeting.
Action Item: Nina Cullen-Hamzeh to create a Google doc of the MCCPS Charter and email to the Committee.
Action item: Committee members to read MCCPS Charter and By-laws and provide feedback before the next meeting.
IV. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 8:55 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jeanne Smith
- Pam Ferris was approved as a Governance Committee member.
- Nichole Thompson was approved as a Board member (pending approval by the State).
- HOS report was shared*.
- Katie Sullivan to present HOS Evaluation Policy and Procedures to the Board at the next Board meeting.
*The HOS explained to the Committee how the MCCPS lottery applicant pool has changed because the Lynn and Salem school districts have moved out of the bottom 10% of MA schools, which caps their Charter school funding at 9% (reduced from 18%). Since Lynn and Salem have already reached 9%, MCCPS cannot accept applicants from those towns at this time (except siblings). According to the HOS, 30% of the current applicants (47 students) are from Lynn and Salem. Although they will not be accepted, they go on the waiting list.