001Good morning and welcome to the Greenfield Public Schools Executive Subcommittee meeting of October 8th um 2025. It's 8:05 a.m. Um Elizabeth Teneive, are you here? >> Yes. >> Stacy Ston, are you here? >> Yes. >> And I, Glenn Johnson, am here. So we have a quorum. Um, and uh I'm assuming nobody is recording other than the Zoom recording. Okay, great. First item of business is approving our meeting minutes. Um, >> July 2nd, 2025. >> Is there a motion to approve the minutes? >> Stacy made one. >> Silent. >> Oh, okay. Motion from second from Denive. Any discussion. Uh all in favor say I. I. >> I. >> All right. The minutes pass unanimously. Then our one other agenda discuss school committee and city council relations. Um on tonight's agenda, um we have um basically two
002items related to this. Um where is it? Are we sending someone to the October city council meeting and what are we asking them to do? And then report from executive committee on medium and long range strategy. request for feedback from full committee. I thought we could actually maybe um use this meeting to come think of a proposal for both items um for tonight. So, or at least a a proposal for the October city council meeting and then um and then to start the discussion about medium and long range goals. So, uh what do people want? Do we what do we want to send anybody to the October city council meeting? >> Have they asked or said anything? >> I think we have a standing invitation. >> We're will be on their agenda. I guess I
003have uh I I guess I was thinking about um it seems like people on the committee in general like um the opportunity to have a venue for some visibility for the schools. >> My concerns are mainly about protecting staff time and protecting staff uh from Mishigos. I guess Mishika seems to have declined a little bit recently, but to me it does not seem like a great use of our superintendent's time to send him to this meeting to make some anodine updates about the schools and then have them ask him questions that they that he they have not asked in advance and he hasn't had a chance to prepare for. And also, I I guess I've made this clear before, like I don't like the feeling that it's some kind of reachound oversight role that they
004think they have. We're we're responsible for supervising the superintendent and we get chances to ask the superintendent all kinds of hard questions the second Wednesday of every month. That's what we were elected to do. So, um I'd really like to um I could imagine the the superintendent preparing either a written report or a video address that could be played, but I don't really want to make the superintendent attend an in-person meeting for that purpose. And I I feel like not only is it not great for our current interim superintendent, but we're also broadcasting to in a very difficult hiring environment that a superintendent who comes to the Greenfield public schools has not one tough public evening oversight meeting a month, but two basically one big one and one small one with the city council. And
005I don't really broadcasting that. So for that reason, I would like to I think I would if it was just me tonight, I would probably propose that we send a school committee member and that we ask the superintendent to either write a written report to the city uh you know report to the city council or prepare a video uh recorded video or something >> or not send or not send anything from the superintendent at all. Member Deniv, >> I feel like this is a really tough one because we need to create a good relationship with the city council and we want to do work with them in the future that will benefit, you know, us and them and the constituents. But um I feel like there needs to be some communication with them about how
006they want to do this and what they need because I agree that just going there and and being subject to all kinds of questions and taking time um is not a great use of our time. I mean, we're not paid, so you know, like also I don't want us to have to go and do this, but also at the same time, I understand that we're all part of this interconnected organism that is the city. So, I feel like we need to set some parameters about what what needs to happen. like if they need to have a report from us, they need to request one maybe. Or my initial idea was just sending them our minutes or whatever or sending them a you know a link to the meeting and being like this is what happened.
007Do you want to receive more information on this? you have like 48 hours or whatever to gather your questions and send them to us and then if you need us present we'll come to answer specific questions that you have asked um and then only those questions because I know that they'll feel really frustrated if they're kept out of the loop and I understand that but also they could watch the meetings and submit questions so I feel like like I don't want to do their work for them sort of like ahead of time, but at the same time, I understand that they are expecting to hear from department heads whenever they need to. But having a standing thing every month, if we're going to do that, we need a process that we abide by and they
008abide by, I think, so that people don't feel taken advantage of or waste their time. Um, and after the presentation is given, should we choose to have a presentation for them or, you know, report, I certainly would like them to be kind about people's time and allow them to leave the meeting because in the past they've said things like after the report they just left. It's like, well, why would we stay for a 4-hour meeting that doesn't, you know, involve our department? So, I think that there's still some conversation to be had about how this goes down regularly. I >> Yeah, I agree. I think a lot of those questions do need to be resolved and that's probably a medium and long-term range discussion. And I guess it does seem like there's this kind of
009implication that if we don't attend, if we don't show up at all that they're offended, you know, on some level and we're trying to maintain that relationship. Um, so maybe we can sort this out with them. I mean, I I don't really like the implication that we're somehow like just another department. Like we're a school district, you know? It's different from being like the the the recreation committee or the board of health or or the the you know public works department. Those are all supervised by the in a different way like this has been elected representatives have been you know we've been elected to supervise the school district. um they have not been they've been they do have a role with financial oversight and giving us a number for our budget but um so I
010guess in the short term what because we'll basically we'll have the meeting tonight and then I think it's by is it by Friday Roland that we need to give them agenda item we need to tell what our plans are um >> so Um, yeah, Stacy. >> Um, I might recommend in the short term, as in what are we going to do for next week, that we appoint someone to go. And I do think that our members were also excited about potentially um giving everyone an opportunity to see what it's like in the hot seat. Um, but I think that it could make sense to have someone go and talk about the superintendent search process because we will be coming to many decisions tonight that we could report on and that is something that does involve
011and affect the whole community. Um, and so that that just might be like one thing that we could talk about that I think is relevant um, in terms of like this broader question of what does our relationship look like and how do we set up processes that make sense for all involved and that meet all of our needs without unduly burdening any of us. Um, I really think that it like I I feel like they need to also come to the table to express to us like what would because I still don't have an understanding of where this sort of edict originally came from and what its purpose was. Clearly, it's no longer working for I think all of us involved to to accomplish whatever its mission was. Um, but if there's something else, some
012other way that we can that we can maintain relationship without there seeming like there's this um like an opportunity essentially for interrogation. Um, I'd like to avoid that if possible, but I think that it >> like we can we can talk, you know, as much as we would like over here, but I would like for the other the other party to be present at the table to help devise solutions. >> Okay. So, I guess here's here's where my mind is going. What if we as the executive subcommittee put forward a proposal tonight for the October meeting, we designate someone and I don't think we have to go into the meeting knowing who that person is to report on the uh superintendent search that we that we're we're specifically proposing that the superintendent not attend next
013week's meeting. Um, and that maybe we I mean I really think that um we're going to have a new chair in January. Um, what if we and I I guess it would maybe we would just suggest that the the chair that that in January the chair and the city council president begin discussions about how about what um about getting the relationship back on track and figuring out a plan to do that. Um, my sorry, are we doing strict Robert's rules? >> No. >> Okay. My worry is that that will make this year's budget season like that that puts off the relationship building too much and makes this vulnerable to >> similar forces that occurred last year. >> Okay. remember Denise. >> Um I have to agree with Stacy on this and about the about forces,
014but um you know I think it's a really good move and says a lot of positive things about us if we invite the city council president and anybody else maybe that she would like to come and have a meeting with us in the next month or so. um with the goal of bringing ideas to the table about how she would like the relationship to be going forward. What in terms of meetings, um we had a lot of drama having a trying to even have a meeting with them uh on September 15th. Like a lot of drama as you know. Um, and I think that that really says a lot about um, loopholes in the system, lack of communication, um, just generally not all being on the same page. And yet, one thing that I learned
015at that meeting was that the city council regularly has meetings with everybody else and actually has a procedure for how to do this, but have never initiated a meeting with us. So, >> they call in all of their departments and have specific procedures for how to post those meetings and um and how to get together. Uh they have meetings with the human rights commission or the public safety commission. They all do this together, but they've never approached us. So, I think it's kind of a really uh strong move to send the invite out and to let them come on in and show us what they would like as a way to have them step up to the table because I don't think that they'll do that unless we invite them. >> Do you want them
016to come to a full school committee or do you want them to come to an executive subcommittee? I think we should have an executive subcommittee and work it out and make a plan for how we think it should go and then the president could take that to um the full council and we could take it to uh the full committee maybe in December. If we meet in November, we could bring it in December and then we could sort of enshrine it as what our procedure is going forward. And then that and then we'll be set in January for the new chair for like this is what we're doing. And that way if it's in writing, if they get weird and violated or we get weird and violated, like there's something in place that says, you
017know, we didn't do the relationship. We're creating a special relationship sort of. >> Yeah. Um, great. So, I guess would we want to invite I mean I guess I could reach out to Laura and see whom she would like to invite to the executive subcommittee in addition to herself whether that's just the vice president or and I think the other only other structure they have are the the chairs meetings which are quite large um because it's the chair of all the different city council um committees. Um but I could um approach her and and find out whether she's open to that and if so who she would like to have join her. >> Okay, >> that sounds great. Thanks, Glenn. >> So then the the proposal that we're maybe going to endorse tonight is that
018we send a school committee member um to report on the superintendent search process and not the superintendent to the October city council meeting and that we are wanting to initiate discussions with the president by inviting her and um her guests to an executive subcommittee meeting to talk about um our goals for our relationship. I have kind of a weird question. Other than the mayor, is there anybody else that comes and gives monthly reports to the city council? >> I don't think anyone else is on there as a standing person. Oh, Roland. >> Um, yeah, I can add a little insight saying I've gone to a few. Not I I don't believe a regular standing like we would do or the school committee has and superintendent have done. They do rotate. I believe they're different department
019heads through. So, um, don't quote me on the frequency, but let's say once a year the recreation department person shows up, then the DPW shows up the next month, and then, you know, the police chief, then the fire chief. So, I think it's a rotation basis for updates like that. That's what I've noticed so far in the few months. >> Okay. They're not coming just to talk about particular issues where they have something that needs city council attention. They're on an actual schedule of >> it. It appears that they've had different well each one that I've gone to now, which has been three or four, have been a different department head each time, barring obviously something special that would show up where somebody would have to show up to deal with a particular issue. >>
020Yeah. >> Okay. Roland, have you seen this practice in other places that you've been where are you going to you were in Mson, right? >> Uh just like Yes. >> So, did you have to go to the city council meetings there? >> No, not regularly. We did a a tri board there, which was the select board, finance committee, and school committee that met two times a year there to really talk about budget issues. and other places and other superintendents that I know of and places that I've been to do not and have not I'm not aware of any that have regularly gone to select board or city council meetings. They have gone u occasionally, you know, once or twice a year, budget, special projects, if you're doing building construction, things like that, obviously where you
021would need to do it, but not standing. Um, I'm gonna take a minute and just write up this as a motion so we can say this is what the executive committee has um has endor formally endorsed if that's okay. So, just give me a second to do some feel free to talk amongst yourselves. I'm really curious who set this precedent in the past. Somebody must have been just fine doing this and it just sort of happened and never got changed. I wonder who that was and what the purpose was. >> I just wanted to note for folks that I will be on Zoom tonight for the meeting. I don't know if you can tell, but I am I am not feeling well. And I don't know if I'm I'm pretty sure I'm not contagious, but
022I'd rather not not take that chance. >> Feel better. >> Thanks. All right. Um, so Okay. Uh, I got two motions for you. All right. So, I'd like to hear a motion that the executive committee recommend that the full school committee assign a member to present an update on the superintendent search process to the city council at their October meeting and to respond to any related questions on behalf of the committee. >> So moved. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> I see unanimous. Okay. Now like to hear a motion that the executive committee recommend that the full commit school committee endorse inviting the city council president along with any guests they wish to bring to attend an upcoming executive subcommittee meeting to discuss strengthening the relationship between
023the school committee and city council and to explore shared expectations for collaboration and communication at city council meetings. So moved. >> Second. Okay. Any discussion? >> All in favor? >> Motion passes unanimously. Thank you both so much. That was great. Um and thank you Roland. Um great. Uh well with that then I think that concludes our agenda for today unless anyone else has anything else about on this topic they want to discuss. Oh I I'm sorry I from our last meeting I wrote up the um the what is the chair due for um the handbook. I've just been very busy since forever. So I'm going to bring that in in November but I haven't forgotten. Oh, okay. Great. Thank you. All right. Um, and I noticed in the minutes that we'd agreed to put goals
024on the agenda for tonight, but I don't think we did. I don't think any of us remembered. The minutes came in a little late this time. Um, so we'll see if that comes up, but um, we may have to push that. Seems like we have plenty of goals we're working on currently. So, all right. I'd hear a motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Okay. Any discussion? All in favor? I. >> I. >> Motion carries. We are adjourned at 8:30 a.m.