001SBSD Helpdesk: Yeah, okay, are we live? Okay? Great. SBSD Helpdesk: So I would like to call the July 30, th 2025 South Burlington School Board special meeting to order. The 1st thing on the agenda is an executive session. I would entertain a SBSD Helpdesk: motion to find that premature public knowledge of our discussions in this case of employment of a public officer, and to receive confidential attorney client communication would put the school district at a significant disadvantage. SBSD Helpdesk: I I move? Do I have a second second any discussion? SBSD Helpdesk: All those in favor say, aye, aye, aye. SBSD Helpdesk: all right. I would entertain a motion to enter into executive session for the purposes of discussing employment of a public officer and employee, and to receive confidential attorney client communication for the purpose
002of providing legal services to the Board. SBSD Helpdesk: Do I have a second second? Oh, any discussion? SBSD Helpdesk: All those in favor say, aye, aye. SBSD Helpdesk: okay. So we'll adjourn here. Do I need to take a a motion to adjourn in this case. SBSD Helpdesk: Hello! I would like to call the July 30, th 2025 SBSD Helpdesk: special meeting of the South Burlington School Board to order. SBSD Helpdesk: That's neat. Okay? SBSD Helpdesk: The 1st the 1st SBSD Helpdesk: thing on the agenda is announcements and amendments to the agenda. Does anyone have any announcements or amendments to the agenda. SBSD Helpdesk: Can't tell if it's on. Is it green? Is there a green ring around that little dial turning off? This one's been on. SBSD Helpdesk: Yeah, it's not saying, Yeah, press 39.
003SBSD Helpdesk: Wouldn't it be a board meeting without technical difficulties? Apologies? SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you, Keith. It's okay. Turn it back on again. SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you very much for your measurement. SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you, everybody. I'm Daisy Brighton, Human Resources director for the district, and I do have an addition that I would like to request be added to the agenda. I would propose that we add this. Normally. It is for a new hire of an assistant principal. We are hiring Justin Bouvier, a 1.0 Fte assistant principal at Orchard School. Justin is being hired to fill an open position due to the resignation of Michelle Basil. SBSD Helpdesk: Normally. That would be a consent. Agenda whether we put it as consent agenda, or an action item. SBSD Helpdesk: what whatnot. But I would like Turkish.
004Have you added to the jump? SBSD Helpdesk: Oh. SBSD Helpdesk: yeah, thank you so much. I want to thank all those who participated in the hiring practice process for Justin, and he comes to us with a wealth of experience and expertise. Both hiring teams ranked all of the candidates in the same order. So it was one of those really wonderful opportunities where everyone was in alignment. SBSD Helpdesk: and we got to bring forward the team's top candidates. So, looking forward to welcoming Justin, and would add this as proposed, adding this as the new item, 6. Consent agenda and moving adjournment. Item 7. SBSD Helpdesk: And in order to do that, do we need the 2 thirds vote to amend the agenda. SBSD Helpdesk: Typically if there's dissension. Yes, okay, sure. So I should entertain a
005motion to add that to the agenda SBSD Helpdesk: so with Robert's rules, small boards. If we're not hearing concern, then no need to. Okay. Great. So that will be added as agenda. Item 6. SBSD Helpdesk: And the chargement will become debt. Item 7. SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you. Any other announcements or agenda or amendments. SBSD Helpdesk: So I do have an an announcement. We received some concerns in public comment around open meeting law SBSD Helpdesk: and so we asked District Council to look into them, and presented them with the evidence that we had, and District Council found that on the July 7th meeting there were no violations of open meeting law. And if there are any further concerns about that SBSD Helpdesk: we would request that people provide more information about what they're concerned about one
006of the issues. As we asked our lawyers to investigate, that was that we weren't quite sure what people were talking about. So please do provide any evidence that you have and obviously, you know, you're free to file an open meeting law complaint SBSD Helpdesk: as you're on. SBSD Helpdesk: Okay, the next section is comments from the public, and the board asked me to be strict about the 3 min rule today, and so we will be restricting public comment to 3 min per person. SBSD Helpdesk: So if you have public comment, please do come to the table. SBSD Helpdesk: I hope the green sorta not saying good. SBSD Helpdesk: We're gonna use this here. Let me use this. SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you. SBSD Helpdesk: I'm Christineck. I'm the executive director of Educational support systems. I have 2 comments
007I wanted to make. So one was as our 5 week extended. School year program comes to a close tomorrow. I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge and commend our dedicated staff. Their hard work and commitment have made significant impacts on our students, ensuring they continue to make progress toward their goals. While enjoying the learning process. SBSD Helpdesk: This summer our students have experienced a wide variety of engaging activities from making ice cream smoothies and pizza, applying for jobs. SBSD Helpdesk: practicing, working in a restaurant, and ordering from an ice cream truck to preparing and hosting a barbecue for family and friends which will happen tomorrow SBSD Helpdesk: alongside these hands-on experiences. They've worked on improving literacy skills, writing stories and strengthening their reading and math. I'm truly proud of the difference. All our esy
008staff have made, and I'm grateful for their ongoing dedication to our student success. I also want to say a heartfelt Thank you to our director teachers, interventionists, bus and van drivers who all play a vital role in making this program successful and whose efforts don't go unnoticed. So a big thank you to all of them. SBSD Helpdesk: On another note I submitted a complaint. On July 23rd I was told that it would receive a response from the School Board by the end of the business day on July 30.th Today I have not received a response. That's why I'm again respectfully requesting that the district launch a formal investigation into the use and distribution of the so-called Black Book. During school affiliated social gatherings, the alleged statements regarding removal of district staff and possible orchestration of
009leadership changes the role of an Sbea co-president and SBSD Helpdesk: high school administrator, and any other individuals participating in this plan, and any retaliatory actions taken or planned against me for my known professional support of Isla. SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you. SBSD Helpdesk: Same thing. SBSD Helpdesk: Good evening. SBSD Helpdesk: I'm Tim Jarvis, a resident of South Burlington, a parent of twin daughters entering 10th grade next month. SBSD Helpdesk: and the former senior Director of Finance and operations for the district. SBSD Helpdesk: I'm looking forward to the Board's discussion tonight regarding both the Superintendent and School Board vacancies. SBSD Helpdesk: I'm especially curious to see what happens next Monday, when we no longer have a permanent superintendent in place SBSD Helpdesk: for the sake of our school staff, students, and community. I truly hope you're able
010to secure a qualified and committed interim superintendent as soon as possible. Perhaps you already have SBSD Helpdesk: given all the negative press about our school district and forthcoming changes in the statewide education model. I cannot imagine. Violet's vacancy is very appealing to any long term career minded professional Educator. Given that it has a relatively short expected lifespan with the proposed redistricting under 73. But in the meantime the daily responsibilities of the superintendent. SBSD Helpdesk: and if our school districts, such as ours, still goes on SBSD Helpdesk: while working for the district, I had considerable insight into the superintendent's work day Lila was regularly working at least 50 to 60 HA week, if not more, covering an extensive range of administrative and management tasks, and her CEO role. SBSD Helpdesk: Most of all she was required to
011be the senior escalation point and decision maker across all facets of the district's operations. SBSD Helpdesk: with many of those decisions being both complicated and time sensitive. SBSD Helpdesk: So who was going to be handling all these tasks on Monday? Let's not forget that we also have a brand new executive director of learning who started this month. SBSD Helpdesk: An Hr. Team has been in place for less than 6 months, and a new person in my former senior finance role. SBSD Helpdesk: I was thinking of just a partial list of all the tasks that needed to be attended to right off the bat SBSD Helpdesk: number one start a new school year is in 3 weeks. Who's hosting the big Convocation, kickoff and inspiring staff for the New Year? SBSD Helpdesk: Sure, the superintendent has
012extensive signing authority and responsibilities ranging from review and sign off on all of our payments to a flood of staff and position. Requisitions, grants and 3rd party contract approvals endless public records requests SBSD Helpdesk: even the many security camera requests that come through on a regular basis. SBSD Helpdesk: 3. The enormous administrative burden placed on superintendents by the State. SBSD Helpdesk: an agency of education for regular and ad hoc, reporting, which will no doubt be more pressing than usual, as the State rushes to implement 9, 73, SBSD Helpdesk: 4, superintendent has also been very involved with advocating, on behalf of our district, with the Champlain Valley and Vermont superintendents, associations. SBSD Helpdesk: our city administrators on school safety issues. SBSD Helpdesk: and our legislators on the radical changes precipitated by Act 73. Who is our
013new leader in that public space? SBSD Helpdesk: Then, of course, all the other stuff that needs to be done as a central point person for the district, counseling the new board members on how to correctly structure and run a public meeting and dealing with serious students, staff, and family issues which often involve complex legal and confidentiality, concerns SBSD Helpdesk: what South Burlington leader will be in front of the news cameras and the other paper in the weeks to come. SBSD Helpdesk: Finally, who is going to essentially manage the Fy 27 budget process SBSD Helpdesk: our colleagues at Tass and are working with us in developing a more effective budget model would improve school and community engagement. But they are not making the underlying difficult decisions that will need to be executed to present a budget
014that will be accepted by the voters SBSD Helpdesk: based on preliminary estimates and calculations for the Fy. 27 budget process next year's budget will, if anything, be even more challenging and require more dramatic staff cuts in last year's cycle. SBSD Helpdesk: Someone needs to centrally oversee this process and make tough decisions against strong vested opposition. The Board should also keep this in mind when negotiating the new Union contracts, which will be a significant driver of overall new expenditures. SBSD Helpdesk: Last, but not least, I wanted to publicly thank Violet for all the support you have provided to me personally, through good times and bad. I'm grateful for the many positive impacts you've had on the district, and wish you all the best in whatever you decide to do next. Be strong. The truth will win
015out. SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you. SBSD Helpdesk: Have my time. SBSD Helpdesk: Okay. SBSD Helpdesk: Hi, my name is Holly Glenda, button i'm a resident of Burlington. But I'm a graduate of South Burlington public schools, and have been a teacher here since 2017. Another perspective I bring tonight is that I've been a school commissioner in the city of Burlington since 2020. SBSD Helpdesk: There are a couple of things that I would like to say. I'm sure I have more to say, but I'm just going to limit it to these 2 tonight. I've been trying to think about the order in which to say these. SBSD Helpdesk: I'm going to start with a thank you to the South Burlington Educators Association for listening to staff from Pre-k up through Grade 12 across our district who expressed concerns
016about toxic environment that was happening in our school district. I think it's very important to say that this SBSD Helpdesk: the things that have been in the press lately about questions and concerns about the superintendent SBSD Helpdesk: were not driven by the Educators Association, but by the members of the Educators Association, and then a pattern was seen, and it was very appropriately taken into consideration with a Vermont nea listening tour, and then a follow up with a survey. So I think it's very important for people to know that this was coming from the staff and from their bad experiences, and not the other way. SBSD Helpdesk: I also want to say an enormous thank you to the board. SBSD Helpdesk: You are facing an incredibly challenging time. In my time. In Burlington we have seen
017turnover of administrators. We have seen some pretty challenging situations. SBSD Helpdesk: and this is not going to be easy, so thank you for all the work that you are doing, I would hope, and I'm saying this not to give you any kind of advice, but that this could be the beginning of a healing period of time for our district. There's been a tremendous amount of tumult and turmoil for several years. I was thinking back to 2017, SBSD Helpdesk: when there was a change from one mascot to another, and how that divided the community, and some ways that has remained that feeling of polarization. So I would like to say, can we please find a way for the sake of our community, our students and our staff SBSD Helpdesk: to heal, to not add fuel to
018the fire about who said what but to with dignity guide the district, and that's going to be a really challenging thing. And I thank you all very much for your service. And your attempt to do that SBSD Helpdesk: and SBSD Helpdesk: Jerry silverstein resident critic, South Burlington. SBSD Helpdesk: So I have to disagree with the previous speaker. SBSD Helpdesk: I'm a professional educator. I received thousands of evaluations from students. SBSD Helpdesk: Some of them were flavorful, savory. SBSD Helpdesk: and for spears. In my part, never all my years SBSD Helpdesk: have I seen a group of individuals, savage, vile, of Nichols, with a degree of hate and vindictive vitriol that members of the Sbea spit at her. And that's what happened. SBSD Helpdesk: Some of those accusations were blatantly false showed a cavalier misunderstanding of
019the role of the superintendent, and the worst thing. The very worst thing is, they tried to blame a lot of the problems in this district which have been ongoing for many, many years on the superintendent, and she had nothing to do with it. As I've said to this board before education either either works or fails in the classroom when the educator is face to face with the learner. SBSD Helpdesk: Viola Nicholas has nothing to do with that. But if you read those hate filled comments, you would think that she must have interfered with learning taking place in the classroom, and not one of those comments, and I've read them 3 times now showed me they had any evidence that she was interfering with her with the ability for students to learn. SBSD Helpdesk: So I
020will make a recommendation which I know will be repulsed by everybody who is an interested party in this affair. It will be repulsed by the Sbea. It'll be repulsed by the board, and I suspect it will be repulsed by Violet Nichols, but I think the Board should offer her an extension on her contract, so that we can get past the trauma that now exists, and it is trauma in the South Burlington School district. It's a dysfunctional school district. You have students coming back. SBSD Helpdesk: You have a lot of hate SBSD Helpdesk: based upon my reading of those evaluations based upon my learning of lots of things which are happening which are not always in the public display in public domain. There's a lot of toxicity which remains, and it's not gonna go away. You
021need the voice of experience. She has experience. She may. SBSD Helpdesk: I have no idea whether Rile would accept this, but that was my recommendation, because if you listen closely to Tim Jarvis. SBSD Helpdesk: you heard the voice of experience, you cannot replace the voice of experience. In a short period of time you need continuity. You need experience. You need someone who's knowledgeable about how the district works, and as far as I know, there's only one person right now who fits that bill. Again I apologize about if it's not something you wanted to hear, but that would be my recommendation for how to get this district through the crisis that it's in. And let's make sure this is a crisis that the district is in. SBSD Helpdesk: Is there anybody online who wanted to talk
022it wouldn't. SBSD Helpdesk: We'll get to it any other. But SBSD Helpdesk: my name is Kate Jarvis. I'm the mom of twins entering 10th grade this year. SBSD Helpdesk: I just have 3 things that I wanted to address to the Board SBSD Helpdesk: one, and I don't necessarily have the answers to these. I'm not asking questions, to expecting an answer of any kind, just SBSD Helpdesk: saying, this is something that could be reflected upon. SBSD Helpdesk: What is the goal or mission of flu board. SBSD Helpdesk: I think hopefully, we would all say that it's, you know, whatever is in the best interest of the kids, our students. SBSD Helpdesk: we're trying to educate the next generation of workers and leaders. What else is part of the School Board's mission SBSD Helpdesk: that should be
023the focus of the Board? SBSD Helpdesk: Then the next thing is to take time to reflect. SBSD Helpdesk: What are your individual roles on the board? SBSD Helpdesk: Do you have different responsibilities from each other? SBSD Helpdesk: How did we get to this point. SBSD Helpdesk: and where we are right right here today, I think it takes individual reflection to, you know. Come to the answers on that. SBSD Helpdesk: And finally, I just want to leave you with the image of an iceberg. SBSD Helpdesk: You only see the chicken. SBSD Helpdesk: The massive bulk lies unseen beneath the surface. SBSD Helpdesk: This is a metaphor for Violet's role as superintendent. We've seen the external public work, but not the massive amount of work behind the scenes. SBSD Helpdesk: And additionally, I'd like to use this
024metaphor to request that we treat people with kindness. SBSD Helpdesk: This is what we're supposed to model for our children, for all our students. SBSD Helpdesk: And if someone has a problem. What we see on the surface is the tip of that problem. SBSD Helpdesk: The bulk of the problem and the myriad issues that go along with it lie beneath the surface. SBSD Helpdesk: and I wish you all good luck. SBSD Helpdesk: Hi! There's Samantha Ayers. I am a South Burlington resident. I have 2 kiddos who go to school in this district, and I also work as a support staff at Chamberlain School. SBSD Helpdesk: I just wanted to say that there's been a lot of things published by many different people highlighting the negative in our district. I want to reiterate that as a
025parent and as a staff member the past few years have been hard. SBSD Helpdesk: communications were half truths, checks and balances were not happening, people were not being heard, health and cooperation were being requested, but not given. SBSD Helpdesk: However, what I truly want to highlight. What I really want to highlight tonight is the positive. I see many groups of people who truly want the best for this district, for the students, for the staff, for the community. I see fresh faces here who may be new to these positions, but who are experienced and who are capable. SBSD Helpdesk: I have a renewed hope for the future. SBSD Helpdesk: I see so many passionate people who are open to listening and working together to support our district. And I am looking forward to what comes next.
026So thank you for your time. SBSD Helpdesk: There's somebody online. Yeah, go ahead and recognize something. SBSD Helpdesk: Okay. Mark G Ivy Bound: Thank you. Mark G Ivy Bound: Hi, so I am Mark Greenstein. I'm coming to you from Connecticut. Hello! It's been a while I was in Burling, South Burlington last in October. So I've only visited 2 of your schools, Tuttle and and the High School saw there some very engaged kids, generally happy kids, solid, ambitious, and it's a lot like where I'm from West Hartford, Connecticut. Mark G Ivy Bound: It's a place that I'd like to join, and I am a potential successor to Ms. Nichols, although hearing what Gary's sentiments and what I've read, a collaborator for a few months with Ms. Nichols, might be very good. Mark G Ivy Bound: My
027proposal, even irrespective of a candidacy to you Mark G Ivy Bound: is that the equation that is getting very difficult under traditional terms. Financing growth, paying teachers well Mark G Ivy Bound: can be almost turned on its head by raising revenue. Mark G Ivy Bound: and I come from a private business. It's called Ivy bound. We're a tutoring firm where I know the power of what schools can do your asset. The good teachers that you have who can be used Mark G Ivy Bound: with many more students, students outside of the district, who need good teachers because they're not staffed well in Southern Vermont and many parts of Central Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom. And yet they're all wired Mark G Ivy Bound: and Trans District Cross district. Alliances are working very well. You don't
028hear about them too much in New England. Mark G Ivy Bound: ladies, gentlemen, they're working great in some of the less wealthy communities in South Texas and Louisiana. Mark G Ivy Bound: and I think that South Burlington could be a beacon. Mark G Ivy Bound: Good teachers, school districts that will pay some money to us for taking on their kids for large chunks of the day. Those kids would be from home. Mark G Ivy Bound: But at the middle and high school levels I think that's a no brainer elementary school I get. You need socialization you need in person. I wouldn't be applying this to to Chamberlain and Orchard, but I do think it works for Tuttle. I think it works very well for Mark G Ivy Bound: my high school. I'll give one little
029proposal Mark G Ivy Bound: to see if you might want to adopt it, and that was the original reason. I even called Mark G Ivy Bound: a 2 week trial where it could happen a month from now. Mark G Ivy Bound: if it's really hot, like we've had this week, and I believe you're not fully air conditioning yet in all 3 elementary schools. Mark G Ivy Bound: So let them meet a tunnel. Mark G Ivy Bound: and I'll meet half the kids from Tuttle. Let them meet from home hybrid. Mark G Ivy Bound: Same teachers their classmates are still, some of them still with you at Tuttle, and the ones whose parents feel they're mature enough, and it's safe to stay home for them for 7 h of the day they learn online. Mark G Ivy
030Bound: And what you have is then Mark G Ivy Bound: a recipe in case there's another Covid. Mark G Ivy Bound: good for kids who are in the future scared to come to school, good for teachers who might be scared to come to school. Good for the district if we're one of the only ones that are really operating. Well, and there's another crisis. I think you have a chance to do this over a 2 week period I got more ideas on the raising money side. Feel free to hit me up later. Seamus has my information. Mark G Ivy Bound: Thank you. SBSD Helpdesk: Any other public comment. SBSD Helpdesk: Alright, so I I would actually ask, can we take a very brief couple of minute recess? Would that be okay. We're 30 min ahead of time
031right now. So SBSD Helpdesk: yeah, okay. So we'll just take a maybe a 5 min recess. You don't have. I don't think you have a pause. It SBSD Helpdesk: yeah. So we'll we'll be back in 5 min. SBSD Helpdesk: It's 33 SBSD Helpdesk: for interim job initially, in 2,022. SBSD Helpdesk: Recognize that name, and I thought he was SBSD Helpdesk: no SBSD Helpdesk: good. SBSD Helpdesk: Yeah, I did a little work. SBSD Helpdesk: Cool. SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you. The 1st discussion item tonight is superintendent vacancy. SBSD Helpdesk: And I have a thought to to start off that discussion. SBSD Helpdesk: I think that we should approach this as a short term medium term and long term problem. In the short term, we need somebody to pick up the phone. If there's a fire at the school or
032something like that SBSD Helpdesk: in the medium term we need an interim who will give us time to do a full search. SBSD Helpdesk: and then, in the long term we should conduct a thorough national search for a successor. SBSD Helpdesk: So with that in mind. Today the executive session. And we SBSD Helpdesk: we talked a bit about employment of the public officer, and so I would entertain a motion to authorize Laura Williams and me to name an acting interim, or I'm sorry an acting superintendent according to the succession plan? In the next couple of days. SBSD Helpdesk: Do I have a second any discussion? SBSD Helpdesk: Has there been discussion with the successors? SBSD Helpdesk: No, that's what needs to happen. SBSD Helpdesk: I say this out of strictly care for our our school
033community. Is that SBSD Helpdesk: Given the tight timeframe on that Saturday morning SBSD Helpdesk: when a superintendent is needed and given the very public treatment of me. SBSD Helpdesk: I am not under the understanding that those named in the succession plan are willing to SBSD Helpdesk: assume those responsibilities in the role. SBSD Helpdesk: So maybe what that means is that the motion should fail and a broader motion. SBSD Helpdesk: Authorizing Laura and me to name a acting superintendent. SBSD Helpdesk: Using the succession plan, if possible. SBSD Helpdesk: Is a is a better option, so SBSD Helpdesk: should we let that 1st motion die, or should we let, should we try to move forward with succession plans SBSD Helpdesk: and suggest to move forward SBSD Helpdesk: and and at least have the discussion is what I
034would suggest. The only issue, though, is that if we move out of this and then we don't. We don't have authorization. We'd have to have another SBSD Helpdesk: meeting to authorize and acting, and then we wouldn't have something in place. That's my concerns time. So then we move forward. SBSD Helpdesk: But we get a list of the other people in the district who are qualified. SBSD Helpdesk: And then if the succession plan doesn't work, if we move on trying to. Okay, ask SBSD Helpdesk: anybody else in the district who is qualified. SBSD Helpdesk: Okay? So why don't we let that motion die? And then SBSD Helpdesk: you don't have to do anything to work the motion? No, the motion never happened. But if you were to do this again, make the motion, and then have
035the discussion during the discussion portion. And then you vote it down. It's just cleaner. Let's vote this one down SBSD Helpdesk: I entertain a motion. Think who is who? SBSD Helpdesk: It doesn't matter. One of somebody somebody seconded, or somebody motion that somebody seconded that we discussed SBSD Helpdesk: is in the recording. SBSD Helpdesk: So I think we should just vote this one down. Thank you for that advice. SBSD Helpdesk: So all those in favor. Say, aye. SBSD Helpdesk: okay. So the motion fails. Excellent. SBSD Helpdesk: I can advise. I'll just provide the information that there are 2 people that I have knowledge of with Superintendent Licensure, and that is Nicole Carter and Suzanne Red. SBSD Helpdesk: Okay, so I would entertain a motion to authorize Laura Williams and me to name an acting superintendent
036ideally following the succession plan. SBSD Helpdesk: by, you know, in short order. SBSD Helpdesk: Wait a second. Second. Any discussion. SBSD Helpdesk: It's going to be based on the succession plan, and SBSD Helpdesk: anybody in the district who is qualified to fill a position. Is that correct? That's what I would SBSD Helpdesk: just wanted to clarify right? And so have you already spoken to people because we haven't met just why you haven't spoken to anybody yet, so I don't know if you already spoken to people SBSD Helpdesk: I would. I'm not comfortable, you know, discussing private conversations at a public board meeting. I would. I would just reiterate my SBSD Helpdesk: encouragement for the Board to really focus on having someone in place Saturday morning, because the superintendency is 3, 65, 24, 7, and I
037I don't think that it would be wise to rely strictly on succession planning. And SBSD Helpdesk: that's it. Okay, yeah, I think that's still compatible with the concept that we would ideally use the succession plan, and and failing that, you know. So I think it's the motion stated SBSD Helpdesk: it might be to, you know. I would also encourage the Board to SBSD Helpdesk: open up, put out some kind of requisition for an interrupt them SBSD Helpdesk: to the interim superintendent. I was asked once to be in that role, and that's awkward. I'm reminding myself of the office episodes. But if you want to find you mentioned a 3 pronged process, you know. Maybe it's just acting. Here's what I would suggest now that I'm flushing so I can't believe I'm advising on this. But
038here we are. I would suggest, for the benefit of our school community. An acting superintendent is appointed SBSD Helpdesk: 5 Pm. Friday afternoon. Right? The second I leave you have someone available to the crisis in the middle of the night. Acting superintendent immediately. Get that requisition out immediately. Get out a requisition for interim superintendent, and work with Nasdaq or the Sba on a national search is my, that's how I okay. So all those in favor of any more discussion on this to so again, to restate the motion, it's to authorize SBSD Helpdesk: me and Laura Williams to name an acting superintendent SBSD Helpdesk: ideally based on the succession plan. But SBSD Helpdesk: you know, ideally using succession. So all those in favor. SBSD Helpdesk: I mean. So the motion passes. SBSD Helpdesk: So tonight we
039actually have 2 superintendent search firms SBSD Helpdesk: presenting, and also Daisy is presenting. So this would be the 1st time that the Board has discussed SBSD Helpdesk: superintendent search. SBSD Helpdesk: And so perhaps while Daisy is presenting I'm gonna make sure that those superintendent search firms join the zoom so that they can make their presentations. SBSD Helpdesk: If you want to allow me to share my screen, that's okay. SBSD Helpdesk: I'll help. SBSD Helpdesk: I'm a die, hard fear person that technology is gonna fail. So I have printed copies of the presentation. SBSD Helpdesk: I'm also a very proud person of bifocal. So their full page prints this, their artistic. So. SBSD Helpdesk: okay, looks great. Keep my fingers crossed it says this way, yes, thank you, Daisy Brayton. I'm the director of Hr. For
040the school district. I was asked to present a very short presentation on what the potential SBSD Helpdesk: could a potential search could look like one if we used a a search firm and one, if the the Human Resources Department was asked to conduct it internally. SBSD Helpdesk: or, I should say not an internal search, but the human resources around the search. I will start with the hiring guidelines that we currently have that describe for district leadership specifically as superintendent. Our search and our interview team needs to include the following individuals, a board member and administrator, teacher, support, staff community members, a student and human resources. SBSD Helpdesk: The hiring recommendation is going to be provided to the board and then also approved by the board. So those are very high level. What the search team
041and interview team needs to look like SBSD Helpdesk: just a very quick and very brief options. Of what does it look like when you hire a search firm versus? What does it look like when you have human resources, run the search a national search. When you, when you hire a search firm. SBSD Helpdesk: These are the common things that you will see in their proposals. It is not an all inclusive list. Each of the individual vendors could present something a little different. But this is kind of a good overview of what they will provide you. The cost is going to be fairly expensive. It could be anywhere, on average, from 25 to $50,000. It could be more than that. SBSD Helpdesk: they will work on developing and executing a strategy for not only the recruitment,
042but also a marketing strategy on how they will get this information out to the most, and spread the widest net to get the best candidates for you. They have the staff that will do proactive and direct searches for candidates, meaning they are going out SBSD Helpdesk: into the not just Vermont, but going out nationally and finding individuals who are are interested in coming to this position, have the qualifications, and then and hopefully present to you, or present to this the district, the top. Usually it's 3 to 5 candidates. If we have a fabulous right now. Recruiting is a little tough. SBSD Helpdesk: So where we used to see pools of 1015, yeah, we will be lucky to get those numbers, but whatever you request from them, usually it would be that they present to you
0433 to 5 candidates to interview the interview process is very similar, regardless whether you use a search firm or whether you use Hr. To run the search. SBSD Helpdesk: The one main difference is that the search firm will do the initial screening interviews, meaning they will not forward anyone that they have not already met with. SBSD Helpdesk: They will vet those individuals, and again will only refer or present to you the top, the top candidates that they believe could be someone that is an excellent candidate for their position. They will also do in-depth background checks and references. They will also usually guarantee the hire for at least one year. SBSD Helpdesk: meaning, if that individual should not perform, or is terminated for cause, or some that type of reason, they will do another search at
044no cost. SBSD Helpdesk: They will not do another search at no cost. If it's for a budgetary reason, or something other than performance based on that individual. SBSD Helpdesk: So those are the primary, the primary things that you'll see in a search. Firm search SBSD Helpdesk: some of the difference. If you were to see the human resource oops sorry the human resources department do. The search. Is that is basically saving money. You would just be utilizing the human resources staff. We would be paying for our own advertisement. We would be paying for the events for travel costs. SBSD Helpdesk: You're going to see that anywhere between 8 and $15,000 again, you are not having an individual go out and directly search for candidates. SBSD Helpdesk: We just don't have that staff. Hr. Can do some
045directed searching, but it is not at all the capability of what a search firm can do. Again, we would do a strategy on recruitment and marketing. How do we reach the most, the brightest, the widest net SBSD Helpdesk: Hr. Would do screening interviews to the minimum qualifications required, meaning that if we would not forward anyone to the search team or the interview team unless they meet the minimum required qualifications. SBSD Helpdesk: and then it would be up to the search team or the interview team to determine the top candidates who to bring in for an in person interview. Usually the 1st interviews are held. Virtually you'll want to do that because saving costs for travel. SBSD Helpdesk: and inviting finalists to in-person interviews. And then and those would be a multiple stage type of interview.
046They meet with stakeholders, they meet with the interview team they meet with the board they meet with. You would have either community engagement sessions or stakeholders. Message where you would then invite other individuals to come in to to SBSD Helpdesk: to meet with those candidates. Hr. Would be doing reference checks and background checks, and then ultimately, in in either one. The board is obviously going to decide who they hire in negotiations. SBSD Helpdesk: That's a very brief and fast overview, happy to answer any questions that you might have. SBSD Helpdesk: Great. Yes, thanks. So much for allowing me the opportunity to share that. SBSD Helpdesk: That's right, I said. Thank you. Oh, you're very welcome. SBSD Helpdesk: and I'm just saying I took this picture this morning one question. So the in when we do
047the human resources like. SBSD Helpdesk: If it was more of a human resources run process. SBSD Helpdesk: we would have an interview team. Is that interview team the that's the board member, administrative Teacher support. They would be the same interview team, regardless of which process you took right, and that would need to be consist of all at least one of each of those representation those types of. So with the search firm who prevent, who present, who prevent the excuse me, present 3 to 5 candidates. SBSD Helpdesk: The interview team would be talking to 3, to 5 people, and then, in the human resource, more human resources, driven version, the interview would be talking to anybody who's qualified so that could be 0 or 10 or 15 would forward anyone that meets minimum SBSD Helpdesk: doing
048great. SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you. SBSD Helpdesk: Okay, great. Okay. So I think. SBSD Helpdesk: we need to. Now get panelists access? SBSD Helpdesk: So I'm gonna come back to you and give you an email address to. Or can you just SBSD Helpdesk: see if they're on a call. Sandra Sandra. Yeah, Sandra Cameron, the Mask for Association. SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you, Daisy. SBSD Helpdesk: Yes, okay, great Sandra, thank you very much for coming. SBSD Helpdesk: When we spoke last week. SBSD Helpdesk: I asked you to do a presentation about the Vsba's Superintendent search Service, and so here is your form to do so. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: Thank you so much for having me. Elaine Pinckney is also in the call, and she is the search consultant. I'd love to have her join
049us, if that's possible. SBSD Helpdesk: See Elaine? Is she on the call. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: Yes. SBSD Helpdesk: You know what she is identified as SBSD Helpdesk: Elaine? Would you indicate by raising your hand? If you are the 9, 1 4 caller, not fun. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: He is 802-88-1936, one. SBSD Helpdesk: I don't see her. Well, why don't we move forward? Go ahead, and can you start the presentation, Sandra? And then, if she's able to send me an email or anything. Then I can. SBSD Helpdesk: I know you are. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: Perfect. Thank you for having me. I am Sandra Cameron. I'm associate executive director with the Vermont School Boards Association, and hopefully, Elaine is going to be able to join
050us. She is one of our highly skilled and experienced consultants that we use for superintendent searches. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: Public education is the sole focus of the Vsba, and we've been providing comprehensive facilitation and guidance of the superintendent search process. For over 30 years our many superintendent searches utilize in-house staff that's me. And outside consultants, the majority of whom are retired Vermont superintendents. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: with a unique position of being on the inside of Vermont's education landscape. We know the complexities of Vermont's systems, changing as we speak, and we adapt to the needs of each School Board. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: the Vsba along with the board or the search committee, if you so have one, will work to develop a timeline, a
051job description district priorities, a screening committee charge again, if you use one. The parameters for selecting the screening committee members and the language for the job posting campaign. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: The Vsba Search Consultant will assist the Board and the screening committee by facilitating the meetings, organizing the national search process, and throughout that process the Board sets the criteria and retains control of all key decisions with the Vsba, assuring that a healthy process is established and facilitated, and that key details are completed in an effective and timely way. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: Elaine has successfully completed many superintendent searches, both interim and permanent with us at the Vsba. She does a lot of private consulting as well around the State. She and I work closely to support the
052board throughout the search process, and we have a team of search consultants who share resources and expertise to bring the very best to your board. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: I'm hopeful that she's able to join you, so you can hear from her tonight. Having just seen the slide that was shared by Daisy. I wanted to let you know I shared with Seamus last week. The cost the Vsba cost to boards for this service is $12,000, the only additional expense beyond that would be your advertising expenses and then mileage. If Elaine is able to do this, she lives in Chinden County, so that would be quite minimal in this case. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: Any questions on what I've said so far. Anything else you want to know about. SBSD
053Helpdesk: So the in Daisy's presentation. SBSD Helpdesk: She listed off, you know, quite a few bullet points of SBSD Helpdesk: proactive search, you know, going out. SBSD Helpdesk: creating a national marketing strategy. Is that something that you would be doing as part of that service. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: We will work with a central office point person through all of those steps. Yes. SBSD Helpdesk: Great. Okay? And have we figured out I would love to have Elaine say anything. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: I I just suggested that she raise her hand so you can see where she's at. I'm hoping that that's gonna work Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: while she's while we're looking for her. I wanted to just share with you, too, that it's not
054unusual for boards to need to do both an interim and a permanent search. We have done those in consecutive order. We've also run them simultaneously, so we have quite a bit of flexibility in terms of supporting the board in whichever direction you'd like to go Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: to meet your needs. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: Still, not. SBSD Helpdesk: Others is by any chance could it be? Iphone 5. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: Let me ask her. SBSD Helpdesk: Or Elaine. Yeah, maybe you can text her. We'll just give you a minute to coordinate. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: Oh no! SBSD Helpdesk: And Daisy, if you have any questions for either of the firms, please do. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association:
055She says. Yes, it could be. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: She can hear you. SBSD Helpdesk: And this is Daisy. I just wanted to ask, will you be guaranteeing the do you offer guarantee for the the hired individual. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: We don't call it a guarantee for a hired individual. But what I can say is that when change happens we work with the board to adapt. So you know we're not presenting something in black and white, and then never talking about the gray, because every search has a surprise. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: We have learned, so we can pivot very quickly, and we would work with the board to just be sure that any hours that the consultant needs to pick up the pieces we
056can cover, you know. We want to be sure that they can get paid for their time, but that might not mean starting the entire process over. So at that point. And we've definitely had that happen, we would just work with the board to talk about like what percentage of the entire search Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: needs to be repeated and then negotiate something that's not at the full search rate. SBSD Helpdesk: So would you also, in the cost of your $12,000? Does that include travel expenses for the candidates. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: Travel. Any travel, expenses and advertising expenses would be in addition to the 12,000. But Elaine, as I mentioned, is right in Chittenden County, so it'll be very minimal. SBSD Helpdesk: School districts don't typically in Vermont
057pay for out of State candidates to interview. Okay? My sorry. That was my question exactly. Violet very much understood. What I was asking is, if school district pays for out of State individuals, do we cover those costs? And we do not. Okay, thank you. SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you. That was my question. Thanks so much. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: Absolutely. SBSD Helpdesk: So can we temporarily elevate iphone 5 to be a panelist and iphone 5 is that is that you, Elaine? SBSD Helpdesk: Try speaking or try unmuting. iPhone (5): I think you might have me. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: Yay! iPhone (5): I. SBSD Helpdesk: Hi Elaine! SBSD Helpdesk: Oh, now we lost you just muted again. Oh, you're muted again! iPhone (5): Okay. Now, do you have me? SBSD
058Helpdesk: Yes. iPhone (5): And now is my video on yes. SBSD Helpdesk: Yes. iPhone (5): I apologize. I've never used my phone to do this. iPhone (5): and I don't have my laptop. I am out of country, but I'm very happy to be there, and I'm sorry about the confusion. I have been iPhone (5): on the meeting on the meeting calls since your 6 o'clock start, so I just want you to know. I've heard the whole iPhone (5): thing and didn't realize until the last 10 min that I wasn't actually there. So iPhone (5): I guess what I would like to say is that when we do a search there is a lot, it seems to me there's a lot more working in collaboration with, especially the School Board, and then ultimately with the committee, than
059what I was hearing when Daisy was explaining what an outside consultant would do. I have no idea like how other people do it. iPhone (5): But for me, I think about like a search in phases, and the very 1st phase is meeting with the Board to determine. What's the committee going to look like? iPhone (5): Who? How many? How big is the committee? Usually 10 to 12, is the right number for a committee, including board members, including administrators, including community members, including teachers, usually iPhone (5): right and in a search, that is, for a permanent superintendent. There would be several meetings with the board at the front end of this to make sure that we're all on the same page, and that when we're outlining what a schedule is going to look like iPhone (5):
060we're in solid agreement. This is what it's going to look like, even though we would have a firm understanding that there's a lot of flexibility. Things happen, things change. But we'd have a pretty good idea. It's the Board's responsibility to put the committee together as a consultant. I would help the Board in terms of how do you invite people? How do you select people? iPhone (5): How do you make sure that people who have volunteered to serve on a committee feel like they were considered like everyone else, and likely you will have more people raising their hands to serve on a committee. Then you'll actually be able to select for the committee. So all of those steps are really important, important to be really transparent about that in a normal search, then iPhone (5): there
061would be a survey sent out to the community, including faculty and staff administrators and parents in particular, but community members to gauge their sense of what are they looking for? What are they looking for? In terms of skills of a superintendent? We need a superintendent who really understands finances. We need a superintendent who really understands. iPhone (5): Act 454. You know all of those kind of things to be really clear about what skills you're looking for for a superintendent. And then also, what attributes. iPhone (5): what kind of super? What kind of person are you looking for? Somebody who's really collaborative, somebody who's really a listener, somebody who's a decision maker, somebody who's didactic iPhone (5): all of those things. And I will say that you probably want all of the skill set like the
06220 something skills that are going to be listed, and the 20 something attributes that are going to be listed. Everybody wants all of them. iPhone (5): But I think it is important to like narrow that down. So that's what a survey does. And it also says to people, we care about what you have to say. We're listening to you. A survey would also have an opportunity for people to say, what else do you want to hear? And that's what people can really like earlier in this meeting. You heard people. They want to tell you what they're feeling about what's going on. The survey is an opportunity for doing that iPhone (5): that leads to the posting in a permanent search. All of that happens before you post the position so that when you're posting the
063position it's not just generic. Here's beautiful South Burlington. We're one of the, you know, premier education systems in the State. Here's where we're located. Champlain Valley, Lake, Champlain. It's all wonderful. And come, you know, interview for our position iPhone (5): we want. We, in a regular search, want to make sure that in addition to that, we're saying, and here are the things that we really care about in South Burlington we want. And what are those top 3 iPhone (5): traits that came up that you want to emphasize? And what are the top 3 skills that you want to emphasize? So that then, as you go through the process in the subsequent phases, you're going back to that, and saying, Well, this is all great. This person looks wonderful. But while that person really is demonstrating
064Xyz, our community, our faculty and staff, and we the board ourselves, said that we wanted ABC, iPhone (5): so you can see how that works. Now, I'm just going to take a little bit of a bird walk because you're in a different situation, and you probably need somebody a lot sooner than the whole. If if you're looking for an interim and you're doing this search right now for the interim position. Likely you're going to post before you've done all that. So in the way I'm looking at it, I think that phase. One would be putting the committee together. iPhone (5): having some conversations about what the posting is going to look like developing that posting and then going on to phase 2, which is kind of the norming of the committee. Because this committee is
065really really important. It's important that they collaborate that. You know, the individuals on the Committee collaborate are really clear about what the roles and responsibilities are, and who it is in the end, who's going to choose the superintendent. iPhone (5): but also like what the norms of engagement are, you know, like that we're going to. We're collaboratively, respectfully. iPhone (5): all of that. That work would come while we post, because once you post, really, you've got about 3 weeks of kind of internal work with the committee iPhone (5): number one establishing norms of operation and all of that number 2. Then getting into the conversation about okay, when we get to looking at candidates, how are we going to determine that? What's the scale that we're going to use to rate candidates. iPhone (5): What?
066What do we imagine beyond that? How we will, how many candidates will bring forward? In my experience we? I've never, unless I know something about a candidate that would disqualify them. And I have to say sometimes I have known something about a candidate, or, you know, like the more common thing is a candidate that applies for every position has been interviewed 10 times, and my iPhone (5): look like a good candidate on paper. But. iPhone (5): I would share that with the Board or the Board members that are on the committee, but otherwise I'm not eliminating any candidates. All candidates would go to the committee. The committee, through a process would determine which candidates then they wanted to bring into phase 3, which is then the interview phase. iPhone (5): and as part of that
067phase 2, they would have developed questions. They would have, developed, discussed a process for what the interviews are going to look like. iPhone (5): and so all the candidates that they believe are viable iPhone (5): for this interim position in South Burlington would be seen by the committee, or as many as they wanted to see. That would be a committee decision. I would help facilitate that how to make that decision. But I don't make those decisions. I don't decide for you how many candidates you're going to see, or which candidates you're going to see. The process is what would determine that? iPhone (5): At the interview stage. Then we would interview all of those candidates. There would be a process for determining. iPhone (5): Because you've asked. You've you've iPhone (5): ask the 1012 questions
068that you're going to ask. You've also the committee has also, prior to the interviews, had a conversation about how will we then discuss amongst ourselves which candidates we want to move to round 2, iPhone (5): and iPhone (5): I usually say to boards, I always say to boards that if you move a candidate to round 2, and that candidate is out of state. I do think it's on the board to pay for that. iPhone (5): to bring the candidate forward. That's been my experience. iPhone (5): for every search that I've done. iPhone (5): We. I've never been in a situation where candidates have come from Hawaii or Alaska, though iPhone (5): board members have joked that they might like to do a site visit there? But otherwise, if you're bringing a candidate back for around
0692, then that the expectation is that you would pay for their travel iPhone (5): around 2 is then decided after round one. So basically, the question is after round one. iPhone (5): and you've got like 1, 2, or maybe 3 candidates that you're bringing forward. These are really serious candidates. These are the ones that you go like. Yes, viable. I can imagine this person in our district. I can see that we could move forward with this person. iPhone (5): Then the question to the committee is, What else do you need to know? And how will we find it out other than I do? The reference checks right? iPhone (5): that's pretty much, I think, unless you have any questions I will say this. iPhone (5): I did have in my notes iPhone (5): a pre
070phase, one right? And it really was about what Mr. Jarvis was talking about. You really do need a superintendent iPhone (5): acting superintendent, and that can be somebody with a license. And you know I'm glad to hear that later in the meeting that you made a a motion, and second, to get somebody on board, because iPhone (5): I personally think that, like in the situation that you're in, like probably one of the most important days that's gonna come up is going to be convocation. iPhone (5): And you need someone iPhone (5): to be there to say to everybody, we're moving forward. We've got things in hand, and we feel good about the direction we're going in, and we want to support you. iPhone (5): And I know maybe this is more advice you want to
071get from me. But I'm just thinking, like as a retired superintendent myself, how important that day is iPhone (5): to everybody to just say, Here we are. We're a great system. We're moving forward and it. Would you need somebody to stand up and do that? Whether that person is in for a month or in for 2 months. iPhone (5): My 2 cents. SBSD Helpdesk: It gives you our Hr director is gonna ask her. SBSD Helpdesk: Yes, thank you very much, Elaine. That was great. I'm so excited to see that an organization that has had such a wonderful experience within Vermont I do have a quick question about. Would you mind elaborating on an overview of How do you reach the broadest audience to find the most qualified and best fit for our superintendent? What what
072is your strategy? Big picture point. iPhone (5): So I know that Sandra puts it on the they have through the National School Boards Association. They have a website where they post positions. iPhone (5): I've gone through Ed Week, so you can post on Ed Week. iPhone (5): I have also posted Massachusetts has its own kind of internal system that they allow us to post positions. I've done that iPhone (5): And obviously School Spring, which is now Power school, and I will just admit that it's not quite what it used to be. iPhone (5): But I think that for the interim position in particular. iPhone (5): I think that's like making calls of people that you know yourself right iPhone (5): for the interim position. I think it's doing all those other things because you want
073to spread as big a net as you can, but but it's unlikely that somebody's moving to South Burlington or Chittenham County. iPhone (5): or Vermont, or an interim position. iPhone (5): There is an option that the Board has, and you can, you know. iPhone (5): Consider this iPhone (5): of posting a position that says interim or permanent. It's tricky. I will say it is tricky to do that. I did a search like that, and it ended up in a good place. SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you. SBSD Helpdesk: Sorry to interrupt. Do you have access, or does does your organization utilize recruiters? So, for example, I'm thinking, and having having a subscription to be a Linkedin recruiter, where you can go into those systems and and specifically pull out. Who has superintendent licenses, who has been a
074superintendent, do you have access to any of I I think that's a that's a great list of of areas to to post. SBSD Helpdesk: The position I I'm wondering about the SBSD Helpdesk: going out and actively searching individuals. iPhone (5): Right and other than making calls and saying, Who do you know? iPhone (5): I don't know, Sandra, do you have access to. Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: We don't have an account a Linkedin account the way that you're describing it, Daisy. We for the permanent part of the search we absolutely would cast a very wide net nationally through multiple Sandra Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: resources for a more immediate need of an interim. What I call shoulder tapping. Elaine and I have already been brainstorming. Some folks that we think Sandra
075Cameron, she/her, VT School Boards Association: may be interested and certainly are qualified. And so we won't talk about that tonight. The details tonight. But I think for your short term needs or your even your medium term needs that may be best met by who we know right within that Vermont education system. Who's here? Who's available, and who has the experience that you need. SBSD Helpdesk: Great. Thank you so much. iPhone (5): In New England, I mean, right? So we know. iPhone (5): Leave Vermont. But yeah, there. There is a New England capture, too. SBSD Helpdesk: Board members have any questions for Vmpa. SBSD Helpdesk: Okay? Well, thank you very much. Sandra and Elaine, for your presentation. The next presentation will be by Alma which is SBSD Helpdesk: the firm that conducted the search for the
076Essex Westford superintendent, and the names that we can SBSD Helpdesk: promote. 2 panelists are Deirdre Argrove SBSD Helpdesk: and Kriegoff and Christina Mason, I think, are the right people. SBSD Helpdesk: Oh, Christina Mason. SBSD Helpdesk: did I pick the right people. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: You absolutely did. Thank you. SBSD Helpdesk: Really thank you. Well, SBSD Helpdesk: please go ahead. You know I think we have not spoken. I just reached out to you and asked for a presentation, and so please take it away. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Great. Well, thank you very much. Just know that we were thinking that this was going to be an exploratory conversation, so we may not have every single slide that we typically have in our presentation. So please feel free to Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: ask us questions once we get done, but just
077excited to be here glad to have the opportunity to speak with you all. My name is Deirdre Hargrove Kriegoff, and my colleague and partner. Here is Dr. Christina Mason, who has. We both are senior associates with Alma. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: I've been here a little bit longer. Dr. Mason is is joining Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: the team, and so just happy to be here. I'll go through our slides very quickly, because I know we're we're pressed on time here, and then we'll we'll open it up for questions. So I'm just going to share my screen here quickly. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Can you all see that? Okay. SBSD Helpdesk: Yes. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Great. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Okay? So we are the Alma Advisory group. We were founded in 2016, and our mission is really to cultivate the conditions where people can
078do their best work on behalf of the students that they serve. Alma's name means to foster, and we believe that if we can create the conditions for you to collaborate and make your best decisions in your most challenging environments that we're doing Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: our our job. So Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: this is an example of the team that could be working with South Burlington, Monica, Santana Rosen is our CEO. She would be in charge of executive oversight. We have folks on this team that would lead recruiting and sourcing folks that would project, manage and do data analysis for the project. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Some key things that you can expect from the Alma Advisory Group. We are very focused on authentic community voice and transparency. You'll hear from your friends at Essex, Westford, and all of the
079districts that we've worked with across the country that community engagement, transparency, and people that have the most at stake in this Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: decision, having a voice in this process is incredibly important. We have experience with cultivating a talent mission to line candidate pool. We have team members that are specifically out there recruiting and sourcing for us. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: We focus primarily on a rigorous, competency-based screening process. And then we certainly work with the board in facilitating decision, making along the way. And we'll talk a little bit more about the competency-based screening in just a minute. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: This slide is just sharing a little bit of how it is that we work with the board and the board and the firm's relationship. So our role really in working with you is to engage your
080community and make sure that we can clarify the top requirements and the competencies that are most important for the superintendent role. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: We will recruit those candidates. We will design an equitable, transparent, and rigorous hiring process. We will engage those identified candidates throughout the search, understanding their expectations right from the start, will facilitate decision making with and for you all, and if needed, help with the transition planning. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: The Board's role really in working with us is ensuring that we have a well represented Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: group of stakeholders to engage with. Again, community engagement is incredibly important for us, making sure that we're having an opportunity to talk to as many stakeholders as possible who are interested in being a part of this process, engaging with the media and really actively participating in
081all of the design, interview Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: and selection activities in finding your final candidate. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: So I talked about community engagement and transparency being very, very important for us. So it's the most important part of the process. We want to ensure that every person that wants to have input and insight into this search has an opportunity to do that. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: The community engagement part of this work really will inform the candidate profile and those specific competencies that each superintendent candidate would be Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: would be measured against, and the opportunities for us to engage with the community can happen in a variety of different ways. So there's surveys, listening sessions, focus groups, interviews. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: all types of opportunities for us to engage in the community. And we like to make sure that
082in doing that that we can identify the accommodations, the modifications, any translation that would be needed in order to make sure that we can connect with all of all of your stakeholders across your community. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: So in thinking about candidate, identification and recruitment, and we, we heard a little bit about questions about recruiting and national recruiting, our candidate. Identification and recruitment again goes back to stakeholder and community engagement. What your community is is telling Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: you and us. That's most important for them when it comes to the superintendent. What are the skills and experiences that are important? What are their hopes in terms of their next superintendent. All of that will really drive Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: the interview process, and how that is designed. And again, it will be competency based. There is an
083opportunity, certainly, for internal and external candidates. So we want to make sure that we have utilized our applicant tracking system in identifying candidates and being sure that our internal and external candidates have the same experience. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: And then I talked a little bit about our team. We have a team that will do targeted research and recruitment. Again, we will take a look at those competencies that the community has said is most important to them through engagement and surveys, and we will align those specific candidates to those competencies. We have opportunities Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: all throughout our process to identify candidates, and we are really proud about the diversity of our candidate pools throughout every search process that we've conducted. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: So this is a sample of a typical search with Alma. Every search takes
084typically about 4 to 6 months to move through. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: There are very distinct phases that happen throughout this search I talked a little bit about stakeholder engagement community engagement stakeholder input that happens at the beginning of our process. So it is important for us to be able to hear from the community at the onset or the kickoff of the search process to understand what is important? What are their hopes? What are the skills and responsibil Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: abilities that they think are important for the next superintendent to be successful in this role. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: All of that information Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: informs the recruitment and the screening activities that will be designed with the board as we move through the process. Additionally, the information that comes out of that impacts recruitment. So a candidate profile
085will be generated, based on that information that that job profile Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: is posted and advertised across the country, so there will certainly be local opportunities to post, but then also national opportunities to post. And then our team again is actively recruiting across the country for candidates that have an interest and are aligned to the the competencies for the role. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: In probably the mid range of this process candidates would then be identified. Recruitment and screening will continue. But candidates are identified. Alma always does the the 1st screening, and again, questions and activities are designed with the board. They are aligned to those competencies. Any questions that are asked are behavior based performance based demonstration based Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: questions from there? The Board will have determined at some point how many candidates they're looking
086to have advance, and that's going to be based on how many phases in this process that you will have. So there's opportunities to have 3 to 4 phases depending on the level of involvement that you're Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: community would have. But typically in any of our searches we have community panels which gives your community an opportunity to have some insight and some input and interview candidates that are moving to that final round. There's a finalist round and then an opportunity for certainly finalizing that that accepted offer for that identified candidate. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Here's just a quick snapshot of some of the superintendent searches that we've done across the country. So we do have Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: pretty extensive experience working with large medium and smaller districts in in superintendent searches along with other executive c-level searches,
087as you can see, chief academic officers, chief financial officers, deputy superintendents, you get the idea. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: So oftentimes people are curious and wondering and asking us like, what is, what's the difference? What you know sets Alma apart. And I would say, the facilitated decision making that we work with the board. This is the Board's process. It's your decision making. You are the ones that are in charge. We will facilitate that decision making with and for you at every stage of the process. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: We will work with you and customize your interview tools developing those with your input. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: I talked about competencies. So competency focused training. So anybody that interviews will go through a training that is, that is focused on the the competency way of of interviewing. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: And then
088the I can't, you know, really underscore the authentic community engagement, transparency, community engagement. And and your community having a very distinct voice in this process, is something that is incredibly important to us, and we value very much. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: So that is all we have for today. So I will pause there, stop sharing and see if there are questions that you have Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: for us. SBSD Helpdesk: Daisy, our Hr. Director question. SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you very much. I'm very. I was very excited to hear you say behavior based performance based competency based SBSD Helpdesk: to me. Those are our key ingredients and and create and key components to. I can tell that you know what you're doing. SBSD Helpdesk: I would like to ask the same question about sourcing, and what your sourcing would
089look like. To actively recruit and and go out instead of relying on individuals to come. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Yeah. So we have a team that that's what their job is. They are recruiters. They go out across the country. Typically, when we're working with a district right before we even come on site to do any community engagement. As soon as we know we are out Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: publicizing through our conversations. We have, you know, networks of individuals that we know that are looking for superintendent positions, etc. So we have opportunities to do what we call Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: sort of the light touch passive engagement with superintendent candidates. Once we're we're on site, we've conducted community engagement, we have a clear understanding of what those specific competencies are that are laid out in that job profile that will
090be created after community engagement. That's really our opportunity to then dig in and Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: find our candidates from, you know, from across the country. And again, we're going to align that to what it is that you're specifically looking for. So we don't necessarily have a rolodex. We do definitely have a deep bench of folks that we know across the country, but we wouldn't really take that deep dive into. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: You know what we call cold calling and opportunities to connect with folks until we really understand what South Burlington is looking for. SBSD Helpdesk: I love that approach, and I love hearing to me when I hear competency based, not only considering what you're looking for, but also training individuals on how to do competency based and behavioral based interviewing is really that sounds
091excellent to me. I also am envisioning when you do identify the competencies that you can use those key terms and key core competencies to SBSD Helpdesk: to use in the algorithms and use into the search so that you can identify those people. So thank you so very much. I appreciate you answering my questions. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Yeah, you're welcome. SBSD Helpdesk: Any questions from the board? Yes. SBSD Helpdesk: just 2 questions. One, how do you gather input from our local community? Typically, and second, what is your approximate cost? Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Yes, sing. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Yeah. So I'll I'll answer the the 1st 1st question, first, st Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: cause the second. Nobody. Nobody likes to hear but the 1st part of the question. So when we when we work Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: with a firm, we want
092to, or when we work with a district. We want to understand from the board all the way down to your students, what is it that is important to them in their next superintendent? So Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: when we start with the board we have one on one interviews with every board member to get to know. You all better understand what it is that you're looking for when we have opportunities to talk with you about the organizations that are that you're partnering with in the district that are important part of the community. So we come on site and we typically Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: could come on site for 2 to 3 days. And we do all things community engagement. So we engage in one-on-one interviews. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: we have focus group interviews. We'll do community gatherings at the
093end of an evening, which is what we really call an all call for anyone that wants to come out and learn about the search and what's happening, and then also provide their input and insight into what it is that is important for them. They'll have an opportunity to share that with the Alma team. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: So I shared this that slide a little bit around community input and community engagement. And so Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: opportunities for surveys. So we typically put out a survey. And that's for the full community. So for folks that may not have access or opportunity to connect Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: in a focus group or in a community gathering, there would be a survey that's posted that everybody can fill out. So we're trying to make as many connections and and provide the
094community as many opportunities to engage and share with us what is important, and all of that information is really what then drives the process. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: And then our cost is typically, it's 32% of what that base salary is. So whatever it is that that superintendent base salary is, we charge 32% of that. SBSD Helpdesk: Thank you. SBSD Helpdesk: Any other questions from the board? SBSD Helpdesk: Yeah, I have some questions. SBSD Helpdesk: Can you hear me? Okay, I don't know if my microphones on you have to recommend if they hold it right now. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Yeah, I can hear you pretty well. SBSD Helpdesk: You can hear me. Okay, I guess the 1st question I have is, would you help to facilitate updates following these interview processes? And and just where we are throughout
095the the process, and distill and present those updates to the board. Would you help SBSD Helpdesk: facilitate that? So that then the board can communicate to the public, or I guess, where are those touch points. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Yeah. SBSD Helpdesk: Providing update to the community as to where we are in that in that process. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Yeah, it's a great question. So I touched on transparency being really critically important and knowing that this is a very important decision for you all and for your community. And so we would work Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: with your communications team and ensure that the website has a superintendent search page. That would be where we would want to drive folks to get their updates on a very regular basis. So whatever cadence it is that the Board would want to
096Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: think through. And typically when we're when we're doing that, we try to align it at the very least to those key milestones that are happening throughout that process. So prior to community engagement, there's, you know, communication after community engagement. There's communication and a specific presentation that we provide to the board. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Once we start interviewing, providing an update on that. So I think it will be partly the Board's decision in terms of how frequently you would like to communicate, and in what ways, at the very least, the superintendent search web page is really Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: helpful for the community, and Alma coming to board meetings, whether it's virtual or in person. To provide those updates along with you is certainly an option as well. SBSD Helpdesk: Another question would you be able
097to provide? I would imagine so. Some kind of rubric or scoring like how we would actually end up coming to that decision, you know, like, who would be our our ultimate SBSD Helpdesk: shortlist or selection of candidate? SBSD Helpdesk: Would you. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Yes, so so typically, at every, at every stage of the interview process, there's an opportunity for those that are involved. And again, this is this would be designed with with the board, and the board has an opportunity to make decisions about Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: how many phases, knowing that Alma does the 1st phase there might be 3 phases, there might be 4. And throughout those phases there's an opportunity to for those that are conducting those interviews or participating in those interviews to provide a a feedback survey which is based on a
098a rubric, a likert scale that gives an opportunity to to score candidates. SBSD Helpdesk: Alright! 2 more questions. Could would you be available to help guide us on contract negotiations, benchmarking, or relocation? If that became applicable. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: So contract negotiations. Yes, relocation. We have talked, and we can certainly provide some guidance on that, and tell me what the middle one was. SBSD Helpdesk: And just benchmarking, I mean, I guess when that comes back to the whole contract negotiation. Just the benchmarking, you know, for what appropriate salary would be, would think. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Yes, yep. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: yeah. And so we definitely can help with all 3 of those things. And it becomes a sort of natural part of the conversation as we get closer to those more looking at our project, timeline and those
099those types of things come through depending on how you will design, whether you're gonna have a Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: a committee or a smaller representation of the board that is working through some things, and then bringing it back to the full board to make those Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: decisions. As a group, we can certainly be thought partners and provide insight when it comes to those specific decisions. SBSD Helpdesk: Okay. Last question in your experience, what are some of the biggest mistakes a board makes during a search. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Oh. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: so I would say, and that, and that it really does speak to how passionate we are about community engagement, I would say. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: being not being authentic about your community engagement process. So there, there has to be a level of authenticity. And so
100when we go out and we we want to hear from the community. Then, being able to find the balance. And really, you know. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: letting people know you are the decision makers. Where are there opportunities that they have to provide input and insight. And how do you? How will you use that information Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: to move this process along? And how will you communicate Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: how you're using that information as you move the process along. SBSD Helpdesk: Have one question. So for context. SBSD Helpdesk: one of the things that we're losing with Violet is she's been an excellent financial custodian and operator. SBSD Helpdesk: and that is very important to certainly the 80% of our community that does not have school age children, you know, taxpayers who, SBSD Helpdesk: you know, support schools,
101but do not currently have school age children in it. And so how do you ensure that you get engagement from people who are not just in the school community. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: So engagement. So say a little bit more about. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Are you talking about folks that are engaging the community that we're engaging within the community? SBSD Helpdesk: So like on your surveys, on your focus groups. How do you make sure that the demographics represented? There you get retirees, you get young professionals. You get people who don't have kids involved. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Yeah, so you all are, gonna you all are gonna help us with that. If we were selected. So really, being able to identify all of the key stakeholders that you think are critically important for us to talk to, and we will
102talk to them Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: again. The when we talk about the community gatherings, those all calls that happen in the evening like we would typically come in and do community engagement over 2 to 3, 3 to 4 days depending, and at every evening during that community engagement Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: we have what we call community gatherings, and those are all calls that is open to the entire community to come and participate and share their perspectives. So that's 1 way to to, you know. Get those folks in in the room and hear from them. But if there are very specific groups within your community that you think, hey, you need to go and talk to. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: You know this group of retirees, or whatever you will. You'll want to be sure to tell us that, and
103we will, you know. We'll want to be sure to schedule time whether it's a focus group conversation, a 1 on one meeting with one person or an opportunity to to invite them to that community gathering. But your your role in Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: facilitating and helping us know who's most important to talk to is is important. SBSD Helpdesk: Do we have any other questions from the board? SBSD Helpdesk: And alright, well, thank you very much for for your presentation. SBSD Helpdesk: And yeah. So thank you to both the Sba and and also Alma. SBSD Helpdesk: So I think. Thank you. Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff: Thank you, take care! SBSD Helpdesk: Yeah. And and you can make the panelists off the cool. SBSD Helpdesk: So to continue our discussion of this, I've returned to the concept of short term
104medium term long term. SBSD Helpdesk: I think we have already SBSD Helpdesk: decided what we're going to do in terms of short term. Laura and I are authorized to name an acting superintendent ideally from the succession plan. But not necessarily, as the superintendent pointed out. I think it might be appropriate at this point. SBSD Helpdesk: based on what I've heard to. For example, ask SBSD Helpdesk: Ask the Sba to help us. SBSD Helpdesk: At least in in interim. Search. SBSD Helpdesk: Again. I really thought that it was an interesting piece of feedback that in the interim SBSD Helpdesk: you're talking to people, you know, you're talking to people from our community. So that's kind of where I would SBSD Helpdesk: start the discussion of of what we just heard. SBSD Helpdesk: They seem to be
105plugged in with people in the- in the in the community. And they, she said, she already has some- some names. It sounds like. SBSD Helpdesk: yeah, and maybe the discussion of the the long term. SBSD Helpdesk: It is not something that we have to move on with as much urgency as the interim service. As much as I appreciate all the national capabilities that we just saw one step at a time, and I will say that they did do a nice job. SBSD Helpdesk: So yeah, well, can you ask both SBSD Helpdesk: Vsp and Alma to their slide presentation. SBSD Helpdesk: Yeah, what I might propose right now would be to authorize again SBSD Helpdesk: me and Laura to talk to the Vsba about SBSD Helpdesk: an interim search process. I think that SBSD Helpdesk: probably
106in terms of starting locally for that in our search. I think that that might be a good move for us to do. SBSD Helpdesk: Does anybody have any concerns about the concept of SBSD Helpdesk: talking to Bsba negotiating? Is that an insurance number change? SBSD Helpdesk: Well, I would entertain a motion to authorize Laura and me to SBSD Helpdesk: Talk to the Vsba to put together a proposal to work on the interim plan. And SBSD Helpdesk: do I hear about how many such countries? SBSD Helpdesk: Any discussion? SBSD Helpdesk: All right, all those in favor say, aye, it's a motion carries SBSD Helpdesk: does anybody want to talk about anything else for superintendent vacancy tonight. SBSD Helpdesk: Yeah. SBSD Helpdesk: And I again, I wanna thank Violet for years. Limited service. Thank you. SBSD Helpdesk:
107Alright. So the next item on the agenda is School Board vacancies. SBSD Helpdesk: And my my thought here is just to again make the community aware that there are 2 superintendent vacancies for service through March of next year, or School Board School directors SBSD Helpdesk: 2 School Board vacancies would serve from September until March of next year. SBSD Helpdesk: and if you are interested in this. There is a form on the School Board website. SBSD Helpdesk: Does anybody have any thoughts about the importance of serving on school board? SBSD Helpdesk: It's very important, and I hope that people that are interested in education, that they step up think it's very important to have SBSD Helpdesk: lots of different voices available, and I think it's a critical thing for our community for people to be engaged,
108especially right now. And I also just want to add that you did a great job on that form. I like how you created that because it wasn't a form. I don't think the week before Seamus and you turned it into a form, so that, I guess, are all the applicants going to you that you can SBSD Helpdesk: can kind of see where they are. Is that right? It's it. I am authenticated in with my Sb. Schools login, and so I think I can add other Sb. Schools people. I haven't added anybody, but it'll allow the reason I picked that form is because SBSD Helpdesk: it lets you add your resume and answer the questions at the same time. So I think it's great. We did a good job on that, and then it was posted
109on. How? How has that been communicated? So SBSD Helpdesk: The superintendent facilitated it, being posted on social media and front porch Forum. So social media is Facebook or Instagram, or currently only Facebook, I believe Instagram, not Facebook. Oh, really SBSD Helpdesk: cool. That's great that it's on Instagram, and if we have, if you have Instagram, I don't have Instagram. But you guys have Instagram, Dan SBSD Helpdesk: front page, Forum SBSD Helpdesk: and then we also put it on the School Board website, and we sent it to the other another. This the other paper gave us a quote, for SBSD Helpdesk: producing an ad that would be around. It's like around $350. SBSD Helpdesk: That's an option. Liberty dar at the SBSD Helpdesk: at the other paper also mentioned that she was going to take our
110press release, and in her role as a community journalist would also put that as a little box. So are we interested in putting an ad in the other paper? SBSD Helpdesk: No, I mean, I think people are. Gonna see it. SBSD Helpdesk: It's my opinion. SBSD Helpdesk: Yeah. Historically, we've done this. This was a cost that I cut when we were for the fiscal year 25, SBSD Helpdesk: and maybe even 25 budget as well as Fy. 26, because we were just looking for, you know, any kind of reductions. But historically, this has been something. The Board's done, I think. Given the community's interaction with the other paper. I think I would recommend that the exposure is good at the minimal cost. And it's also 2 positions. SBSD Helpdesk: I while I'm I'm laughing because my
111dad is a long time history teacher, and he jokes that he's the history app. So now I'm filling that SBSD Helpdesk: I when the Charter Committee recommendation came from the School Board. One of the pieces was one of the main reasons the committee wanted to expand the School Board was to have representation. SBSD Helpdesk: so I would just put enough love for, you know, wanting leadership that reflects the student body and the community that we serve. Yeah, it's a quarter page, I think, yeah, that's good. And do we need to SBSD Helpdesk: do anything other than authorize like, do we need to do a motion to authorize spending $350 on an ad, or just ask. SBSD Helpdesk: yeah. And then, just to remind people. So it's due applications are due. On Monday, the 18th of
112August of August at noon. SBSD Helpdesk: and then that process is those applications will come in. They'll be distributed to school board members, and there will be an interview process. Is that right executive session? There'll be an open session, and everybody's asked the same questions again, the exact same amount of times, opening questions and then closing SBSD Helpdesk: any question about that. If there's 3 applicants will be asked a question, and then all 3 will answer the same question one after the other. Usually we've we've just done so. Well, we can. I guess you can, really. I was just curious. However, you want. We've just asked all 3, and so everybody answers the same, and then move on to another. It's not like one person's on a stand. They go away. Another person comes up,
113and then. SBSD Helpdesk: but then everybody has a chance to do a closing like 2 min of the ad like, if you forgot to say something. SBSD Helpdesk: you people can. If we striped it like that it might people who are nervous at 1st SBSD Helpdesk: it might help improve their second answer, you know, because they're sitting up there with everybody. I mean, if there's 3 people you could have all 3 sitting at the table and just do it that way. Question one just like we did when we were to be on the board. Yeah, let's see how many people there are just feel a little less intimidated front porch or so that only had 3 different SBSD Helpdesk: front perform in Sb, or shall we post in our own front performs? If we live in
114different neighborhoods? SBSD Helpdesk: You're you're definitely encouraged to post that I posted on my Facebook, yeah, and on Facebook. And I think the one of the most important things SBSD Helpdesk: that I think is interesting is that it runs from September to march. So it's not a that long term you're not stepping into, you know. Tim just started a 3 year term, so some people might think, well, am I taking over this entire 3 years? But that's not the case. So it's a really good way to get your feedback board and then decide you have your time so especially a critical part now, because we're doing superintendent. Search SBSD Helpdesk: the interim interim superintendent, search medium. SBSD Helpdesk: So I think it's really important. SBSD Helpdesk: Have the voices. So SBSD Helpdesk: so what the
115superintendent said around representation? I think the demographic that's reached by the other paper is definitely a demographic resource. We want parents that's pretty cool. SBSD Helpdesk: Any any other comments on School board vacancies? SBSD Helpdesk: Alright. So the next SBSD Helpdesk: item for discussion is members of the contract negotiation team previously Tim was our chief negotiator, and so now it's down to just me and Dan, emily and Laura are conflicted out, and so SBSD Helpdesk: I'm not sure. Now that we're down to 5, does that affect how many people we can have on our okay? And so would it be appropriate to say that. Jen is an alternate in case we are not SBSD Helpdesk: yeah. And then she can be looped in on updates and executive sessions. Okay? And do we need to make
116a motion to add her to the negotiating team. Not technically okay. Alright, thank you. SBSD Helpdesk: Any any thoughts, any concerns with putting Jen. Is there an alternate on the negotiating team? SBSD Helpdesk: Alright. Great. SBSD Helpdesk: Next item on the agenda is public participation policy. So this has. We've got a SBSD Helpdesk: Pdf of the proposed policy in the June 16th and the July 7th board meeting folders. SBSD Helpdesk: So if people in the community want to read a draft of this. It's been available since about June 16.th SBSD Helpdesk: I haven't thought about it. SBSD Helpdesk: I I just, you know, before we move into adopting it, which won't happen tonight. It's not work for action. I just have this nagging feeling that on action items. SBSD Helpdesk: even in a normal business
117meeting, as long as we're strict about time. And I kind of feel like we should take comment on action items or even discussion items SBSD Helpdesk: according to Zoom. SBSD Helpdesk: All right. Yeah. Public comment on agenda items. This is from the Dspa. SBSD Helpdesk: Alright, there's a speakers list SBSD Helpdesk: and time set aside, and I think there is for for action items, not discussion items. SBSD Helpdesk: They work with it. You can do auto preview. SBSD Helpdesk: I think I think the point is that that you know, if it's if we've aligned 15 min. It shouldn't go on for 45 min. SBSD Helpdesk: we just just see some of the chair, you know, but I think it's for action purposes so concretely. What I'm bringing up is the concept that in our current policy that
118we modified from the Sba policy a 21, we said. SBSD Helpdesk: there will be a 15 min public comment period at the beginning of every meeting. SBSD Helpdesk: And we will also have these community forums where we basically take public comment the entire time. And what I'm completely suggesting is that maybe we should consider in a regular meeting SBSD Helpdesk: discussion a public comment on action items before before we go before we vote. Yeah, yeah, that's the way we stood in the past. SBSD Helpdesk: We had right public comment in the beginning, and the public was allowed to comment during action items. SBSD Helpdesk: How do you feel about that? SBSD Helpdesk: I agree with you? I mean, I I think if you, if you, if SBSD Helpdesk: you can keep the time going. I think
119I think it. SBSD Helpdesk: Yeah, I think it could work. Most boards don't do that. But SBSD Helpdesk: yeah. So it's usually for action items and and not not discussion. SBSD Helpdesk: I would also like to SBSD Helpdesk: add in there. I think, when people are making comments, but you know, regardless of the state where they're from. SBSD Helpdesk: I am concerned that some people aren't the SBSD Helpdesk: South Burlington community members making comments. And so that is technically not the Board's prerogative being both. SBSD Helpdesk: We want to hear like, if people are coming from other other towns, because technically, we're here to listen to people. But it's not from like someone like Essex shouldn't only be here. SBSD Helpdesk: But it's it's not, it's it's up. It's up to us. But I just
120wanna I just, I thought that we had specifically asked Joe SBSD Helpdesk: and I thought that he had said that we basically can't limit who speaks SBSD Helpdesk: true. But I think in the instructions like, if you go back and look at the Vsba policy. They are very clear about who can speak. And it's not just anybody. There's there's certain people that matter solicit. SBSD Helpdesk: Yeah, that's what we pulled in when we, you know, created. Yeah, they have any district, others at the discretion of the board, right? So so there's a little bit of a discrepancy between the Sba and what the lawyer said. SBSD Helpdesk: A lot of our staff, teachers and staff don't work in or don't necessarily live in the district. SBSD Helpdesk: yeah, we've never like, we don't know what
121their affiliation has to the school, and they're providing comment. And it's any question who are these people right and taking away time from people who who do live in the community. Yeah. But I'm just playing devil's advocate that if you're limiting one and not the other. SBSD Helpdesk: Okay, so I guess there's 2 things that we're talking about right now. And I think this, you know, calls for for revision or or not. First, st SBSD Helpdesk: do we want to allow public comment on action items, oops. SBSD Helpdesk: 2% more strict about the timing. SBSD Helpdesk: Yeah, I know. Okay, good SBSD Helpdesk: it. I just, I just think it. It breeds confusion. It. It's a business meeting, but things that we have to we have to do SBSD Helpdesk: so like the last meeting.
122I mean it. Just SBSD Helpdesk: yeah. I think if we if we can keep control of the meeting, I think that would be fine. SBSD Helpdesk: It's aligned with the Sba pass. Yeah, it is. SBSD Helpdesk: Yeah. And I, I just think it would help on the agenda, because we've talked about updating the agenda. So it's very clear where the public has the opportunity to provide there, but because, honestly, when you hear discussion, that's you think, oh, if that's the opportunity for people to discuss. But it's not, it's not everyone public. It's the board discussion. SBSD Helpdesk: And then, when before you take action, I mean, I think that that makes sense. And Jen and I like the way you mentioned it. I pictured it actually being in the margin like, yeah, this is where
123you can talk, not up here, right just to read these and understand how to attribute that to the things below. But maybe even just like next to the place where we can have well, and in the statement that I had proposed 2 years ago. It did say that it's right in, it's explained, but we couldn't. SBSD Helpdesk: It was a template, I mean, I sent you and I, I provided one like, here's an example of maybe this is a revised agenda that might help just with flow. Yeah. And it had the points where public comment, and then it tied back to specific. I mean, it was just. It was a little more clear. So we can add that perhaps into SBSD Helpdesk: a kind of agenda. SBSD Helpdesk: you know materials and have it. And
124that might be something that we can discuss when we get to the point of finalizing this plus, I think the other thing that we had also for the public comment was public comment, sign issue. And there was a We were gonna have an option on here. People wanted to opt into the website updates, because I remember that was something Veronica had put together is like you could opt in. And then you could put your email. So we could opt people into the updates from the website. Just so people are aware of what's going on. SBSD Helpdesk: Okay. SBSD Helpdesk: So it sounds like there's agreement SBSD Helpdesk: that we might add for action items, the opportunity for the public to comment. SBSD Helpdesk: So maybe I'll go just copy it straight out of the Vspa.
125SBSD Helpdesk: So the chair will ask for comments on agenda items on action items SBSD Helpdesk: or action items or actions taken right or just as long as it doesn't impact other items that are on the channel. SBSD Helpdesk: You know what I mean like. If you've got 15 min allotted and we go an hour on that. That's that's that's not really okay. And then I feel like, maybe we should clarify that this is on any topic. SBSD Helpdesk: Yes. SBSD Helpdesk: and do we? And we don't. We shouldn't tie ourselves to 15 min or 45 min, or whatever. Also. Okay, so this is the first.st And then, do we want to retake up this question of SBSD Helpdesk: trying to discourage? SBSD Helpdesk: You know we could put, for example, anyone may address the board, but engagement
126or stakeholders are particularly engaged. SBSD Helpdesk: So originally. What happened is that we took the Vspi policy and we expanded it so we can look at that SBSD Helpdesk: honestly, and policy is reasonable. SBSD Helpdesk: So owners of businesses in the district, we added, and non residents what she's saying SBSD Helpdesk: so and this was the point which Joe pied up and said, really, you guys can't restrict the call. Right? SBSD Helpdesk: Yeah. SBSD Helpdesk: People who are directly affected by magic, I mean so SBSD Helpdesk: well, we can do some more research on that my my understanding is that it's it's the Board's prerogative. If somebody shows up from. SBSD Helpdesk: I don't know SBSD Helpdesk: West birth and wants to talk about like, give an opinion about the superintendent. Search. I don't know
127that person isn't a stakeholder or not SBSD Helpdesk: community. SBSD Helpdesk: I'm not saying it personally. It just says, Okay, well, let's do this. I'll do my research, my understanding. I'm perfectly willing to make her mom SBSD Helpdesk: if you say it like that SBSD Helpdesk: in South Philly. Okay. And then why don't I send this to Joe again and see what he thinks about this? SBSD Helpdesk: That work, though SBSD Helpdesk: changes occur. SBSD Helpdesk: Is there any other thoughts on that's pretty inclusive. SBSD Helpdesk: Yep, any other thoughts on public participation. And again, for members of the public. A key innovation here SBSD Helpdesk: is SBSD Helpdesk: The Board may designate meetings as the public forums. And again, what we're proposing here is actually having warm agenda items SBSD Helpdesk: where we would
128actually interact with the public SBSD Helpdesk: in quorum. So I think a criticism that we heard of listening sessions in past years has been that they're not really taken seriously, because the board is not quorum. SBSD Helpdesk: Well, that's my interpretation, and this would say, the board is here. We're in Forum. We're all listening to you. You can affect, you know you can provide fair we're giving you a fair hearing in Forum. And so that's a big change. Here is we're we're proposing actually having public forums, and like, for example, in a public forum. The intention would be that we would not discuss extensive board business SBSD Helpdesk: any other thoughts about what we're just paying. SBSD Helpdesk: All right. So the next item on the agenda is consent agenda and I have to read
129out the consent. Agenda. Okay? So on the consent agenda the higher of Justin SBSD Helpdesk: Ubier, a 1 point. Oh, Fte, assistant principal at Orchard School. Justin is being hired to fill an open position due to the resignation of Michelle Basil. SBSD Helpdesk: Oh, so we discuss it or SBSD Helpdesk: motion. And then second discussion. Okay. So I would entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda moved to. SBSD Helpdesk: We have a session, any discussion? SBSD Helpdesk: No, all those in favor say, aye, bye. SBSD Helpdesk: all right, the motion passes. We're just SBSD Helpdesk: at this point we've reached the end of the agenda, and so do I. I would entertain a motion to adjourn the July 30, th 2025, special meeting in South Berlin School Board. SBSD Helpdesk: Yes, I just want
130to say before we do so. Our next meeting is scheduled right now. Next regular scheduled meeting is August 13, th correct, and then we have another meeting. August 29.th SBSD Helpdesk: I would not be surprised if we need another special meeting between now and August 13, th because we're in the middle of those, you know, and for those meetings, for the at least to the 3rd meeting on the 13.th When would we need to start SBSD Helpdesk: planning an agenda for that? We have an agenda that started, or we're thinking about that meeting. We do not currently have an agenda. Is there anything that we customarily do? On the 13th every minor report was on for that but the unavailable SBSD Helpdesk: that was pushed and not monitored. In the 2425 school year. So I
131think it would be advisable to monitor that maybe at the second meeting, if that's possible. Superintendent succession typically occurs, the 1st meeting of August realize that's SBSD Helpdesk: related to other topics to be discussing at this point. But that is a typical monitoring report that occurs the 1st week of the year. SBSD Helpdesk: You've got your student reps in place. Approval of hires is important on that meeting, because it's the final meeting before school starts. And you know your standard consent agenda items of SBSD Helpdesk: yeah. So I mean, I think we're gonna have plenty to discuss but also we can SBSD Helpdesk: hope to circle back on public participation policy. So yeah, okay, so we're currently. SBSD Helpdesk: the motion is to adjourn actually before we do. And I would like to also add
132to that agenda if time permits is, I'd like to resurrect that racy that we started working on and kind of go back and look at that, if possible. Just to start. I don't know if that would be a discussion, or what that would be, but just as a topic to consider, because we're building that agenda SBSD Helpdesk: any other discussion? SBSD Helpdesk: I wanna thank you. All. My final meetings been an absolute pleasure and an honor, and I'm happy to, you know I will always root the district and our community and Spot SBSD Helpdesk: say, thank you and express sincere gratitude. Thank you all. SBSD Helpdesk: Y'all have another emergency. SBSD Helpdesk: All those in favor of adjournment. SBSD Helpdesk: I don't know. SBSD Helpdesk: So now that your meetings turned, you're you're.