001Erin Vanaco >> here. >> Jane Reio >> here. >> Um Carrie Gordet >> here. >> Tara Lockan >> here. >> Myself. Dan Keefe. Is that the total we have right now? >> Tara. >> Oh, Tara. Sorry, Tara. You're the 88 the 508 number that I'm >> here. >> Okay. So, we're missing like you someone just said and then we're missing Chuck and Matt. Okay. MASC >> and MASC. Okay. I was just trying to get a my bearings on this. All right. So, >> we're supposed to have two of them, but I hope they didn't try to join the Zoom from the other day. >> Okay. Um >> Jenny joined us. Hi, Jenny. >> Oh, J. Okay. Um Okay. Um All right. So, that we call the meeting to order. So, I would imagine Jane that
002you would have an update in your communications. Okay. >> I do. Okay. So I have um spoken with Tracy Novik um and Glenn Cooer and Aaron and um Tara S were with me as well uh to get the lay of the actually I spoke with them multiple times but we met on Monday morning to get the lay of the land and she gave us multiple suggestions uh which we need to vote on today. The first and foremost is that we need to vote in open meeting, which is this, to officially open the search for a new superintendent and that we plan to do an expedited search using the school committee. >> So move. >> So I will make a motion to do that. Second. Uh >> oh. >> Sorry. Sorry. Motion made by Jane, seconded
003by Erin. Um to do an expedited search um only using the school committee. >> Yeah. >> Is there any other discussion on this? >> All right. I I'll add is I don't know about you folks, but I did receive during the process over the several months um a two or three people that address concerned why the public wasn't involved or teachers and things like that. But um we will soon find out what those opinions are moving forward, I guess. Yes. >> Um okay. So we have >> in the process um this is just to use the search comm to use the school committee as the search committee to identify the candidates. When we decide on finalists we can involve whoever we want to involve. We can do get feedback from those people, survey those people.
004So we can do and she recommended that we do um traditional like meetings like bring somebody in they meet with the different principles they meet there's a public meeting there's school committee interview meeting like we can set that up to do that which is why we need to move quickly before people leave for the end of the school year. I >> she she did also mention um and Jane correct me if I'm wrong if I misinterpreted this because it's the school committee all the interviews will be in public so everyone will be able to um they they can be physically present for the interview process. Um am I correct Jane that the >> you're correct and that that's kind of part two. So part one which we also need to vote on um after this
005is the starting process. She recommended what she calls a paper screening so that MASC and one to two school committee members um review the initial people that come in and move those forward to the whole committee because once you move to the whole committee then it's an then it's becomes open meet like the committee will review those have a meeting to decide who we want to move forward then it becomes open. So if somebody wants to be private, they aren't private once it goes to the school committee. So she recommended a paper screening for the first part and then who would move forward? Okay. Any further discussion on the motion um to uh start the process um of using the school committee the search committee school committee as the search committee. All right. Hearing none.
006All those in favor of that motion signify by saying I >> I >> All right. And any oppose? Okay. So I will be in opposition to that. >> Okay. 51. Uh 51. Okay. Next motion. >> Okay. So the um so next is to um authorize MASC to direct the search for us um at at no charge unless they incur charges but not to exceed $1,000. So basically Glenn said that they would do this for us for free since it's so quick. But but if there's something that they like and I can't they couldn't imagine what that would be, you know, other than handing them a bag of cash at the end or whatever. >> Well, years ago it used to be like printing copies of things and it doesn't sound like we're going to Yeah,
007our brochure is going to >> Are you looking for a motion to hire MASC? >> Yes. >> I make the motion. >> Second. >> Okay. U Okay. So, there's a motion by Tara Scobby and a second by T. Was that Terara Lockin? >> Yep. >> Yes. >> Okay. To uh authorize um MASC to be to conduct the superintendent search. Yes. >> Okay. >> Uh any uh further discussion on that. Hearing none, I will call for a vote. All those in favor? >> I I >> I >> Okay. And any oppose? Okay. And I'll be in a position to that. So that's five to one. Okay. Any other motions? >> Yes. Um so the initial part so we I have shared with everyone and I can I share on this? >> You should be able to
008screen share. >> I should have screen share right? Do I have screen share? Maybe this one. Oh good god. Um, >> so I think that >> this one advertisement share. All right, you guys seeing that? >> Oh, boy. >> Oh, yes. >> Well, you're probably not. Damn, but you have it. >> Sorry. Okay. Yeah, >> but hopefully I just really wanted to do it for um uh >> Oh, yes. Do I How do I move it? Do I have to be on it? You think? Maybe. Yeah. Okay. All right. So, um we w we have an an position announcement um and we have to approve the position announcement which was shared to the committee. Um and it has an application deadline of May 29th. It would be posted tonight or tomorrow morning. Um, and um,
009it lists the position, it lists the salary, it doesn't move. Okay, there we go. Um, here, right? Right. Yeah, right here. Uh so they would submit it to we would um submit it to MASC to Tracy um and she would get those and then we have to uh agree whether or not we want her uh and one and other people from her staff and one or two of us to review the initial submissions. >> Jane, can you just scroll up again? I believe it the information uh it says comprised of five schools. >> Yeah. >> Is that accurate? >> Yeah, it's accurate. We just say that we we basically say we have one but there's nothing in it. >> Okay. >> Like one is the preschool and business office and one is like nothing in
010it. It's still managed by the city. >> Yeah, correct. For right now, till the town of Blackstone meets. >> Yeah, I I missed that it said AFM there. So, >> yeah. Yeah. If anybody does have um any changes, please um let me know. Does anyone want a volunteer to work with Tracy or should we is that we're looking for like a volunteer or a vote? Do we need motions or >> So, so we can we um I guess the first vote is whether or not we want to have a paper screening as the first step. >> So, are we going to So, do you Jane, do you want to vote on the application the posting I suppose itself or >> Sure, let's do that first. And then can I just ask you on the posting
011or can we >> um so I suppose it'll be the posting and then there'll be a couple of um school committee members that will work uh with the MASC is that to review the the applications. >> Yeah. So it's called a it's called a paper screening and what it does I mean >> at this stage of the game >> she could get one >> she could get a hundred right they you know there's no sense of what people will literally have two weeks not not even quite two weeks >> right >> um so it's it's really people who want this district or want this kind of a job and are already ready ready to go um but then so she they'll will receive all the applications on May 29th. This small committee, which could just
012be MASC or could be MASC and one or two of us. If it's more than two of us, like if more people want to see everything that comes in, then we're in an open meeting, >> right? Got >> it's not private to anybody who applies. And that's okay if that's we all want to review everything. That's perfectly fine. But if we decide to do the paper screening then what will happen is the first week of June um that committee literally the committee will that group will work through the weekend to review or as things come in they'll review them as they come in um and then bring forth the committee the first week of June any potential candidates that the committee wants to consider and at that point it's a public >> okay >> public
013information >> and and so and at any time I mean the committee could see if they were curious down the road uh what applications did come in. Uh but I I I appreciate that and I'm kind of getting ahead of oursel myself but like the paper screening could be like there could be 20 that from Indeed that really are just automatic, you know, type of Yeah. So Got it. >> So I don't know. Is is that accurate, Jane? Would we have access to the full applicant pool that Dan just said. Ross, >> well, I'm answering yes to Dan. Like, you could get a bunch from Indeed that you don't really want to read. Yeah. >> Can you go back and look at who applied? No, because it's a private search. >> Well, >> because we're
014hiring them, right? So, that's on them. Like, >> that might have to be a question we ask to be honest. >> I think so. I'm trying to remember when we ran our own search, the full hiring committee, screening committee. We had all of it and then then it was decided from that group who was put into an interview. >> I feel like we need to ask Tracy at any time. Can we see who was in that pool? >> I I again I was hoping she was going to be on. I'm wondering if she's trying to get on to the Zoom meeting and my phone's not working so I don't >> Let me check I'll check emails to see if she's >> Yeah. No, she's looking for the meeting link. >> Oh, no. >> And it
015says waiting to be admitted. Is there somebody waiting to be admitted, Tim? >> But where is that on Google on We're on Google Meet. >> Yeah, we're using the Google Meet. I wonder if she um >> she's not on the invite. >> Is she on the Zoom from the other day? >> That's what I'm wondering. >> Um let me ask her. >> Do you have her number? >> What? >> I do not. I'm tech I'm emailing >> uh 508. >> Oh, hold on. Do you want to give that on a public meeting? >> Yeah, it's on the It's on the announcement. Yes, >> it's on the announcement. >> Is it the 508 number on the announcement? >> Hold on. I do have it. I'll mute myself and I'll call her. >> And and and so
016Jane, for the purpose of the vote, this is just the posting. Uh the next one would be the screening committee. >> Correct. >> Is that correct? >> Hopefully she'll be on by then and she can answer that question. >> And worst case is we can push that. We need to get a posted the urgency. So, we could we could do the screening committee if if necessary. I mean, I'm fine with that, but um on the 21st >> um if we have to like if we have to make that vote as a school committee member. >> Yeah. As long as we get this posted. >> Yeah. >> So, I'm going to u and ask uh so as everyone has seen the posting that Jane Well, still on the screen. Um all those in favor of the
017uh job posting. Um >> sorry, Mr. I'm sorry. I just got on. I I just was let in. >> Hi, Tracy. Sorry. >> Hi. I'm I'm sorry. I I'm sorry that the link wasn't working earlier for me. >> Oh, it was Jackie who needed to. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Yes. Because I I had I had some re wanted to make uh Do you have a do you have you have something you've been discussing? >> Uh we do. Well, so what we've done so far, so um Tracy, the people on the call, um Dan Keefe is our chairperson of our school committee. Erin, you met on the call um on Monday. Tara Scooby is also um on the she's the 508 phone number if you're seeing that. She was on the call on Monday. And then
018there's three of us in the room, which you probably can't see, but that's Carrie, Cara, and myself. And who am I missing? Nobody. That's it. Okay. So, um we we voted to um approve a search for a superintendent using an expedited search. We approved using MASC um for the process and what we're doing now is approving the position announcement. Um, and then we were talking about the paper screening and how if we want the initial applicants to be private, then we can't have a school committee committee as the paper screeners. >> Excellent. >> And there was a question. >> Oops. I'm so sorry, Mr. Chair. >> Sorry. Go ahead, Aaron. All right, I got you. >> So, just there was a question pending about if if the committee if we do the initial screening committee,
019can the committee come back and say, can we see the full pool of applicants? >> Not if the applications come in confidentially because you're using an exception to the open meeting law in order to receive the applications and do a preliminary screening. >> That was my >> that was Dan's question. >> Yeah. >> Yep. Yeah. It's either it's sort of you've got to pick one or the other. Either you get to do a preliminary screening in which case the applications can come in confidentially which will give you a better pool or you say all applications will be public and go directly to the committee. Um which does mean everybody sees every application but it will give you a weaker pool. >> Yeah. particularly frankly in May because people volunt like raising their hand and saying
020I'm I'm thinking of leaving my job publicly right now is probably not something a lot of people are going to want to do. >> True. Um all right. So we're uh a motion to approve the um >> job posting. >> Second a motion. Okay. So is it Jane you making the motion? >> Sure. And that was Jane Tara Lockin. Did I heard say second? Okay. >> Tara S. >> And Tara S. All right. So, um, okay. So, there's a motion and a second to approve the job posting. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any oppose? It's unanimous. >> Oh, >> great. So, Jane, if that's your screen, if you can just send it to me because I did some reformatting so that we could make it we could fit it
021onto a PDF that we can download. So that way I I'll just edit whatever if there's anything that changed. Um I mean I will come to me but that's fine. >> The only uh and you might need to I'll send it to you as a a word doc so you can check because I wasn't sure the address. I just took it off. >> Absolutely. No that and that kind of stuff we handle anyway. So I'll just I'll take whatever you've got and plunk it into the thing to the >> perfect the thing that we can post. Absolutely. Excellent. >> Okay. >> Good job. Yeah. Okay. Post it tomorrow. >> And you're going to post it hopefully tomorrow. >> That right. So I have a That's I I have a subcommittee I have to run out
022the door to in about 20 minutes. Um I'm planning on doing any retweaking I need to do tonight and our hope is to have it up tomorrow. Yes. >> Perfect. Yep. Okay. So then the next motion would be whether or not we want to do the paper screening comm. And we can have one or two people on that or we can't have any. Um, so you could have I would say that you could have up to three. You have to have less than a quorum. >> Okay. So whether or not we want to do a um paper screening committee and if we do, who would want I I would be happy to do that. I don't know if anybody else would be. >> Uh Jane, I um I I I have no problem like putting
023out a motion for the paper screening committee. >> Yeah. Um and and and then can we uh make the choices at our next school committee meeting so that we can get our heads around this? >> Oh yeah, because we won't we don't have to know who they are tonight, Tracy. Or do we? >> Um when is your next school committee meeting? >> Next. >> That's fine. Yep. No, you're right. Um you can do that as long as it's uh three or fewer. Um and the other thing I will say is that if it's if it's if you only do one, then you won't have really anything. thing and I don't even know that you'll need to post. Um so just so everybody knows hears from me what this would be is the electronic the applications
024are closing on the 29th. um we compile them into an online folder. Um each application is a separate PDF and what I would do is I would share that with you electronically and then we would set up a time to meet could be online um that following week which is the week of June 1st um to go through them and then have you decide who you then would want to put forward as finalist. So that that is what the work would be. Um and I have some flexibility that following week so you know we could even get into the middle of the week if you needed to. The one thing we would want to do is try to give as much lead time as possible because you're working to turn around to have the interviews
025the following week. Um, and we want to make sure we give people some lead time in terms of their own scheduling. >> And wh and when the screening group decides who they prefer or who they want to move forward, you will then contact those people to see if they want to move forward in public. >> Excellent point. Thank you for for for underlining that. Um, so when the th when that group meets, they say, "Here's what who we'd like to do." And the way the phone call goes from my end is the Blackstone Millville Screening Committee would like to put you forward as a finalist, which they know means going public. Um, would you be willing to move forward? Um, and while usually the answer is yes, every so often I get a no. So
026that's a good thing to know. Um, and just the other thing I would say is that um I always ask the screening committee to give me at least three um because we have to have um more than one u move forward. Um otherwise you're selecting a superintendent in executive session and you can't do that. So um I I would be asking for that. I also usually recommend the school committee not limit the screening committee to how many people they want. I know that you probably aren't going to do that anyway. um better for them to put forward, you know, more if they feel strongly about it than fewer. >> Okay. And so, Tracy, and so you you so the the um the the the committee that we're uh the paper Jane, what is this committee
027that we're talking about right now? >> Well, we're calling it a paper screen only because what we're going to use is is the applications to decide, right? >> Yep. >> So, um so our quorum would be five for a school committee meeting. So, and you you don't want it to be more than three, >> you suggest. >> So, just because you're a committee of eight, I don't want anybody having an argument with me about four being half. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. And three is an odd number. So, you get a uh >> That's not a bad idea either. I mean, I also know you're trying to balance the two towns, so if you want to, that's fine, too. I I'm happy to work with whatever works. >> Okay. Um the only other thing
028I would say actually if you do have a meeting next week because and this is then up to you. We had talked about um once the paper screen had met having you all um convene a meeting at some point during that first week of June to announce who the finalist talk. >> Yeah. >> But if you want to talk about interview questions during your meeting next week, you could do that instead. >> Yeah. when I have a document. Hold on. We'll we'll So, I have a document. Um that I will be sending to everybody that has 350 million questions. Um and we'll ask >> that you review. >> It is ours. Okay. >> Yeah, they're yours. I think they're yours. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Um that you review them and um clearly um Tara L
029will create some questions about buildings because I don't think those are on there. Um but uh just go through them and then on the 21st we can come up with questions. >> Great. >> Very good. I won't be part of that meeting. I'll share. >> Okay. I'll share. >> So, so Jane, um, so we wanna, you want to give us a motion for that, uh, paper screening committee? >> Oh, yes. >> To adopt it and then we can choose it. Uh, and probably if anybody's interested, just submit you an email. >> Um, Sure. >> Um, and then we can make that decision on the 21st. >> Okay. >> All right. So, um I move that we uh in doing the search process use an initial uh paper screening committee to reduce the applicants before going
030to the school committee. >> Motion made by Jane. >> Second. >> Uh was that Tara Kobe? >> That was Carrie. >> Oh, Carrie. Sorry. A motion and second. Um um any further discussion on this? All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any oppose? Okay, it's unanimous. >> And does that conclude our business for this evening? >> Uh hold on. Um well, no, we So, well, actually, since we are meeting on the 21st, um we would need Do we need a Does the whole group Tracy need a meeting? The question is whether or not you want to do a meeting to announce the finalists. You can, but you do not have to. You could we could all you could also just send out a memo and release it then more generally to
031the public from that. >> Okay. >> Um yeah, but so just on the 21st be prepared to come up with some meetings the week of potentially June I'm looking in January. January 1. June 1st. Um but definitely the week of the 8th and maybe early we the idea here is to get people here like the week of the 8th the very early the 15th before school is out because we really want to bring people and I will also have a document thanks to Aaron um a Google doc that like the tours they took and who they met with last time. Um I still have it Aaron. Um and so like met with each principal um met with like if I don't know that we have to have a public because we can make their interview
032with the school committee be the public meeting also. I you know and they can people can come and watch um but if there's other people and and it might be that we do you know one two three days but after the third one if we have lucky enough to have three or four or whatever we have um we'd have to have a school committee meeting in public right Tracy to >> yes >> make our decision. Yes, >> we do have a meeting on the 11th >> and I think the initial discussion was that they would be spending whatever time they spent in the district and then be interviewing that evening. So, correct. The more the more you can try to clear that week of the eth probably the better um to give some flexibility. >>
033Um it's not a bad idea to have them do I mean happy to help with scheduling and um and what what kinds of things people can do during the day too if you'd like. >> Okay. >> So, I love that people are keeping such good records. Yeah. Thank you. Aaron was very good at it. But um so yeah, so on the 21st just really be prepared to open your calendar. >> So >> is there anything else we needed to do, Tracy? >> Um I think that you have zipped through everything as far as I know, unless anybody has any questions for me about process or anything else. Uh I just have the on the 21st agenda I have superintendent search kind of like um discussion like this agenda has. So that way there we can
034we can I think these items would fall under that that we you know that so just to cover us on that. So >> so Jane you will you will have um opportunity for anything additional you need to add under that um agenda item. Okay, perfect. >> And I think three several of us have to go into different meetings like right now, right? We do. >> Okay. >> I'm about to go put on my coat and run out the door. So, thank you very much. But >> thank you. >> If any of you do have any questions, my Jane, a bunch of you have my email already. Um and also my telephone number, but please call me, send me an email. That's that's why I'm here. So, I don't want any of you like wondering what's
035happening or how we're doing. >> Yeah. And and that's true. It doesn't have to just be me that reaches out. So that if this phase anybody can. >> Okay. Thank you very much. And I'll take a motion to >> motion made by Jane, seconded by Tara Lockan, I think it was. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any oppose? Unanimous. Thank you everybody. Have a great night. Thanks.