Here is why the Chatham School Board changed their meeting location

Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 14:33:29 -0400
From: Mia Munn
Subject: RE: Chatham Chatlist #3436 BOE changes long time meeting policy

Meg,

Detail view of an empty classroom

The BOE had a lot of discussion about changing the meeting location. Here are the reasons:
1. They are using more technology (projectors and wireless laptops) at the meetings. At some schools there have been difficulties getting it set up, as well as the staff having to drag equipment back and forth.
2. The board really doesn’t interact with the school community at board meetings – I have been to most of the meetings over the past year and a half, and I can tell you that there are rarely any parents or staff members from the school (unless the principal instructs all staff members to attend, which happened at least once.) I think the meeting a year ago at North Chatham was the only one where a parent from that school actually made a public comment. The district has recognized student accomplishments, but only coincidentally has this been at the student’s own school. Pretty much the only attendees at any meetings in the past year and a half have been people directly concerned with an issue at that meeting, or a small group of folks who regularly come to most meetings (Pete Rubinas, Steve Cooper, Dave Jaeger, the reporter from the newspaper, John Zaremba, and myself – my apologies if I forgot someone). A number of school system employees attend most/all board meetings – most of them are required to attend as part of their jobs.

3. The facilities at the schools vary – sometimes it is a the library, and other times in the multi-purpose room. In the large rooms, logistics (making sure everyone can hear and see) are sometimes difficult.

4. The principals have to stay to open doors and arrange (and rearrange) the meeting room. SAGE is a high school, so the kids can help, and the library is big enough that there won’t be much rearrangement needed. (Not sure what will happen in state funding cuts result in the closing of SAGE.)

5. There will be a minimal savings of time and travel since the meetings won’t be in the far reaches of the county.

6. There should be less confusion about where the meeting is – first (or only) in a month at the central office, second at SAGE.

Mia Munn

Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2009 07:33:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: Meg Miller
Subject: BOE changes long time meeting policy

Does anyone know why the Board of Education has decided to stop having regular meetings at the individual schools? Next year all regular meetings will be held at SAGE. Really sorry to see this happen. One more buffer between the system and it’s users. The BOE’s annual meetings at the schools were a great way to show accomplishments and air concerns. Folks would come who may have never thought to attend a BOE meeting. I do not understand the motivation behind this change, unless it is financial.