Fact: Meetings begin at 7 pm usually last less than two hours. Workshop meetings, when administrators report building highlights or when there may be a special presentation, can run as late as 9, rarely later. Business meetings are usually even shorter, and may last less than an hour.
Myth #2: Board meetings are Boooooring.
Fact: Not so—ask Andrew Platt and Seth Warren, two sixth grade students who originally came to one meeting for a Boy Scout community service badge requirement. The two boys now regularly attend meetings because they are interested to see what happens at the meetings and what it means for the school.
Myth #3: I won’t understand what the Board is talking about.
Fact: Some of what the Board discusses may relate to laws, policies or procedures that are unfamiliar. Dr. Villanti tries to make a point of explaining new and difficult concepts to the audience, and this blog contains a history of many projects and prior considerations of the Board. You may use the search feature on the Home page to look for earlier posts on many subjects, and feel free to email your questions to the PTA BOE Committee.
Myth #4: Nothing important gets discussed…it's all housekeeping.
Fact: The format of the agendas, revised a couple of years ago, addresses “housekeeping” issues such as appointments, retirements and other ordinary business within just a few minutes. The rest of the meeting is about topics of interest to the district.
This year the conversations have been hard, but the school board and Superintendent Villanti are facing the challenges head on. Budget cuts affect some staff positions, and may also affect how we plan to meet our educational goals for our students. The Board periodically examines programs and departments in our school, and on 3/15/11 the Technology Committee presented its findings about what has been done and what the plans are for the future of technology in our district. Recently, High School Principal Brian Alm presented a clip of a TED talk and spoke about changing the traditional education model. Past presentations and discussions have been about Science, Music, Virtual High School, and the Highland Valley Development proposed in Fishkill.
Myth #5: Nothing gets decided. They just talk in circles.
Fact: Every year the board puts forth a spending plan for the next school year, which it hopes the voters will approve. The budget process is lengthy and involved, but every May, there is a budget vote. If that was all that the Board managed to accomplish it would be admirable, but the budget is only the most visible project that occupies the Board’s time. This year the Board also presented a referendum for an Energy Performance Contract, they are looking at how to update or repair our athletic fields, and they are renegotiating labor contracts with the HFA and CSEA employees. For evidence of more of their work, see the agendas on the Haldane School website under the Board of Education heading.
Myth #6: There is no time for public comments, and I don’t have time to write a letter to the Board of Education ahead of time.
Fact: Board agendas contain scheduled opportunities for the public to address the Board. There are usually at least two occasions during a meeting when the Board allows public comment: once in the middle of the meeting and once at the end, before adjournment. Sometimes after a special presentation the Board will offer, at its own discretion, an additional opportunity for public comment or questions. Also, the Board now accepts letters by email: send letters to the entire school board at: boe@haldaneschool.org, and please remember to sign your name.
Any more questions? Blog here!
