The impasse with the teachers’ union that Montgomery Public Schools found itself in before the start of summer break is a closed chapter thanks to a simple re-do of a roll call vote. At the Tuesday, July 19 school board meeting MTEA President Deb O’Reilly noted action from the June 28 meeting, where board members re-voted on the change of MTSD’s prescription plan from MaxorPlus to a new vendor.
“Since this is what the likely outcome would have been if we had filed in court, the MTEA will not pursue any legal action with regard to the violation of Sunshine Laws. In addition the board voted on hiring the company Effective School Solutions, or ESS, and the MTEA has researched the company and reached out to other districts that are using them. We were very happy with the feedback we got as it was all positive, and we think it’s going to be a really good thing for the students and staff of Montgomery,” she announced as the July meeting began.
In June the MTEA filed a complaint stating that its collective bargaining agreement was violated by the board on May 24, as without 30 days’ notice the school board violated Sunshine Laws due to “its lack of proper notification of the vote to switch prescription plans.”
O’Reilly mentioned the Thursday, August 18 new staff luncheon and MTEA budget meeting to follow. Board President Christine Witt announced that on Tuesday August 16 the school board was holding its annual retreat to set MTSD goals for 2016-17.
At July’s meeting school board member Amy Miller spoke on behalf of the board’s external affairs and communications committee, which met a day before the July 19 MTSD meeting. “We are working with district leadership to provide information about the state of 2016 referendum projects so people are kept abreast of what is going on,” she said.
A master chart exists showing each project status with timelines and existing conditions ahead of design and bid processes, starting with July 2016 and expectations through September 2017. The chart is described as “detailed and busy.” Gartenberg say anticipated end dates aren’t final as blueprints are still being designed and have not gone to the state for approvals yet. She said MTSD isn’t withholding anything unnecessarily. “We are being cognizant that you can’t take back promises that you make, but we are trying to be judicious with what info is released,” she explained.
At the July 19 meeting Miller also reported that strategic planning and how that takes shape in MTSD is a focus for external affairs. She asked fellow school board members to consider “stakeholders who would be really valuable to attend our open community forums.” Miller mentions Montgomery Police, Rotary International’s local chapter, the Chinese and Hindi language schools run at district buildings plus local politicians and business leaders that can provide input to MTSD “on our visions and plans for where we want to go in the next three to five years.”
Miller says efforts are underway to get as many people in Montgomery and Rocky Hill as possible to come in and participate in discussions. To help the process, she was setting up a Google document for board members to review and use to invite people whom they are familiar with.
Miller began a discussion on the effectiveness of MTSD meetings as constituted with the district’s workshop and business meetings held Tuesdays, two to three weeks apart. She said the July 19 meeting itself was a good example of “robust discussions.” Monthly meeting schedules for MTSD may change to back-to-back weeks.