My Meeting with the Superintendent

So I had my meeting with Mr. Ingano on Thursday morning (Jul 12) and I think it went very well.  I basically had three main topics to discuss: Communication,  Marketing, and Politics.  Mr. Ingano was very receptive all of the thoughts and ideas presented. 

Communication

In my personal experience with the school system , I feel that communication is lacking in a lot of areas.  I talked about this in depth.  I tried to convey that parents want updated information about everything and in many different ways.  I touched on the school district’s website, newsletters, social media (Facebook), and Olde Home Days. 

Mr. Ingano expressed that he will be doing a monthly newsletter in the Item, and also possibly starting a Facebook page as two new ways to update everyone.

Marketing

I talked about the marketing aspect of the school.  I think that  the school should be showcasing all of the positive things and letting everyone know all the great things that are going on in the schools.  There are always going to be things that people don’t like, but let’s focus on the positive things.  I want to hear about the volunteer program, and about the recent graduates going to great schools.  I want to hear about what’s going on at the Middle School.  Be prideful of the schools.

I talked about the less than friendly experiences that I’ve had (and also witnessed) with some of the administration staff.  Although these were few and far between, I know that it’s happened to other people as well.  That kind of behavior creates a feeling of “us versus them”  and that’s going to help no one.  It also contributes to the sense that parents don’t matter or that we shouldn’t “bother” the school.  This just can’t happen.

Politics

Politics was the last thing I discussed.  This is not my strong suit, so please keep that in mind.  My main points about politics had to do with the School Committee.  My first question was,  why does it seem that the School Committee doesn’t know the procedure of the Town Meeting – and how can that change?  I honestly don’t mean this disrespectfully, but I know I’m not the only one who has asked this question. 

This question came about because I was really confused about the “sandbagging” incident that took place when a member of the finance committee made a motion to reconsider the town budget, which in turn shut down all further discussion to re-allocate funds, specifically $300,000 from the stabilization fund. It was this money that the schools were going to ask for, but couldn’t because the budget was reconsidered (please correct me if I’m wrong about this, but this is the way I understood it).  Ultimately I can’t figure out why the School Committee did not anticipate this move by the finance committee.

My other question was why does it seem that the School Committee, teachers, and superintendent all have the same goal, but don’t seem to work together?

I had this question because at Town Meeting, I saw Mr. Ingano speak about the school in response to  a question/comment. I also saw a teacher trying his best to gain more money for the schools, and I saw a couple of members of the school committee speak on behalf of the schools.  None of them seemed to work together, which is a shame. I would think that if forces united, goals might be met more efficiently.  It would also give the schools a better appearance in the eyes of the town because the situation wouldn’t seem so disorganized and unplanned.

Mr. Ingano didn’t have good explanations for these questions, other than recognizing it is a problem.  I realize that I need to speak to someone on the School Committee directly about this, but one step at a time.

Wrap Up

So all in all I feel that this meeting was worthwhile.   There is still work to do, but I think it’s a good start. My goal is getting information to the parents and empowering all of you to voice your opinions and express your thoughts.  If enough of us come together, we can accomplish something.