Next step in supt search process
The personnel subcommittee will discuss makeup of a citizens screening committee for the superintendent search on Monday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m., in conference rooms on the second floor of school headquarters on 155 Merrimack Street. The meeting is open to the public. At last night’s school committee meeting, the first of the new term, several citizens spoke about the need for more parent, minority, and nonprofit representation on the citizen’s screening committee, as well as a principal representative. The speakers were referring to two similar motions regarding makeup of the screening committee: For the actual text of those motions, see Jan. 8 post “New board to discuss search process.” Both motions were referred to the personnel subcommittee for further discussion before a decision is made at the formal school committee meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 16, in Council Chambers. In hindsight, I think it would have been better to have some discussion last night and I wish I had pushed it, but the approach to refer the motions to subcommittee is a standard practice, and I do not see it as an attempt to keep things from the public (as implied on LiL and Dick Howe’s blog). As the mayor stated, members heard citizens’ concerns last night and welcome continued input from as many stakeholders as possible as we go forward with this very important decision. Given the immediacy of Monday’s meeting, televising it will probably not be an option. Going forward, however, my sense is there will be a real attempt to schedule future meetings and interviews so that television coverage is available. Regardless of camera presence, these government meetings, as they have functioned for decades, will all be open to the public, and full citizen participation is not only welcome, it’s vital.