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Keene Board of Education Policy Committee Special Emergency Meeting for January 26, 2021

Added Feb 11, 2021 •

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Keene Board of Education Policy CommitteenSpecial Emergency Meeting Date, Time: Tuesday, January 26, 2021 – 7:30PM Meeting Location: The Keene Board of Education members attended the meeting remotely. Transcription available upon request.

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record now and what all do we ain't got just the sort of help us out a little bit is I'll share my screen I think it's easier for people when they watch the video if they were talking about instead of just seeing us Cheshire TV is ready I think we're turning on the go ahead and call to order the key Board of Education 3 seconds second 5 Seconds I would like to call to order the January 26th 2021 meeting of the key Board of Education policy committee on it this time we are holding emergency meeting that there is a lot of Coke 19th or not able to take public input is begin the meeting but if you have any input you would like to share with the border with the committee please send that to the office of the superintendent Cara Shana pelkey it was email is s healthy at SAU 29. org and could I get a motion to approve the minutes of our November 24th meeting I moved they got a second and they won't have any changes or concerns with the minutes that looks good to me is Hansen yes Mister Houston so we're going to go into our policies for first read the first two were looking at is IFA instructional needs of each individual student and this actually came to us through the education committee there's been discussion over there about essentially that the topic came up of high school credit for middle schoolers who kept out or take High School level courses if they become available in the 8th grade level did we happen Robin education committee there was some legal language from New Hampshire law that they mentioned having to acknowledge of a student completed High School level courses do we have that cuz I think that's hide in and I don't see it in this policy I don't see any link legal language included in there I think it sent what this is just ripped from the School Board Association and it might be might be worth before we move it to the full board at a at a for a first read just to have some level I'll ask Adam to take a look at that you know to see if there's additional legal language that needs to be included in that and you know I'll include the education committee minutes that spoke about this policy pacifically do kittens after your you're done can I way in from the education committee that's the chair there clarify it looks like this version of IFA we already this is an existing policy so then no I just look it up now we don't have an IFA on record and that's actually why it's here because it's listed as required by the law by the NHS VA and we're not sure what exactly it is that the laws requiring because it was brought to education 30 in in terms of the the 8th grade advanced math class and whether 8th graders should be able to get a high school credit for algebra if they should be able to be credit before algebra if you see the difference there you know allowed to put algebra on their transcript but not actually have it be a high school credit so they would still have to take 3 high school math classes but they do still be marked as teaching taking algebra I know you'll recognize that from years ago when we were at the school that's how they did it then and I think that's how Cindy was saying dr. Gallagher was Pearl High School in Newport used to do it that way as well but it was brought to education Committee in those terms and the discussion in committee circled around whether that is actually what this policy is even about so we wanted guidance as to what actually is required by law what is it that the law is asking us to do because certainly we don't want to put a policy in to create something that our own board once that's not actually what it is that the law was trying to create and you know it doesn't help us at all to put in the policy that's still not consistent with state law let me sensor I make a complete hash with that I was looking at was approved by the keyboard in 2017 what I was surprised by in the yeah it doesn't actually address the legal concern we had that came up in education which is acknowledging High School horses and or granting credit which is where our discussion was so I think it is worth looking into that to say is our current IFA in keeping with what's required by law and if so then are we addressing the acknowledgement of of high school level work somewhere else in our policies and if not do we need a new one and that might have made a lot of sense to that is exactly what we're looking for and I think after this and there's a related policy I think I hbh the next one that we have on our list is actually related to this one at all ties into these same areas so I think the first thing to do is understand the end end of the law Behind These policies and get these cleaned up incorrect which they might be already since they have been already approved by the board and then after that education committee can tackle you know what direction do we kind of want to move to create more opportunities for the the advanced students at the schools in that that should really be guided by the schools themselves you know the board can certainly stay in a tent you know this is a direction would like to see things move but the other ones that actually understand the students they understand curriculum the other ones who can figure out exactly how and what should be happening but so I think it sounds like on this one we want to get more input to see if this is a valid policy for it needs to be updated cuz I think first we were under the impression that we didn't have this and we needed it and we we do have it now the question is is out of date at this point due to any new legislation received so we should probably bring that back next month I'll start with a NHS ball reach out to them just to see what is actually required by law you know as you put this under that priority category you know what is it exactly that is required by law and get a better understanding of that and see if they have updated language PS4 IFA and look at the next to each other and see if we're out of date I thought that's wood look into that and then and then also will will tackle the separate issue of the legislation that we looked at in education committee it doesn't relate I don't think that ever ended up in any of Drive folders I think it was just presented to us it education committee Brian might have it Rob if you want to hit him up for it otherwise Julia brought it is a little harder to get hold of him little harder and John before you move on did you have any input or questions on this one nothing on this one that hasn't finished so we'll plan on bringing this back and we'll move on to the next one which asteroid stated sort of releases IH BH Extended Learning opportunities and part of why we're bringing this one up on this actually I believe was reviewed by the word pretty recently that is part of that approval we brought in a new Elo Elo coordinator position at the high school so idea was once they were in place then have them come back and instead of review all this with us to make sure it is adequate and and reflects what we're doing and wanting to do with that yellow program and thought maybe it was what reason it was in 2010 but I know we discussed it over the last few years in terms of operating in a coordinator with it because we were expecting to have a new ELO coordinator and fairly significant changes to the ELO program over at the high school so it made sense and now it makes even more sense with so much change at the at the top of the high school leadership probably doctor gal I want to weigh in as well yeah she's just she's just message me she's trying to get home to join the meeting and she's at least 30 minutes away just the way that travel is right now with the snow and so I'm hoping she's pulled over what she's doing this and I'm sure she has what that I have an Android blocked me know cuz I I feeling like she cuz I I have a sense of never won a big part of this is establishing that the procedures and reviewing those as well as the policy and discuss briefly that in terms of having the Elo Elo coordinator come in and go over this with us and talk to us that actually probably belongs in front of the education committee more than the policy committee and then they will bring us recommendation so that we can update the policy right talkin that might make more sense to have that review at the education committee level prior to it come into the policy committee I don't have any objections to doing that first and and getting their input no connection to the education committee and hopefully that then and so if you want to let dr. Gallagher know that she does not need to instead Candia that committee meeting I will all right what is that now we have a whole bunch of policies for second read that they go before the board got word right at the end of the meeting because we are now moving toward the one student one device and that is actually well underway having perfectly at the high school and then it will expand that the high school middle school and I think our Tech multi director would like to actually review these three j i c l policies in light of that as opposed to having us move forward with them in their current form is that correct or oh that is you know I started the conversation I think our last meal was like a long long time ago back in November and in John brought up a really valid point about commercial use that was reflective in the I believe middle school policy but not by school policy and so when I asked them that they said yeah you know what we really need to pulleys back we worked on them prior to our efforts of going under one and want to go back and get it right so that not pulling it back again in a couple more months. we're deploying all the devices to our middle you know 6 to 12 I should all right I'll bring that to the policy committee a second read but I mean I'd rather get it right then push it through and then bring it back and do it again because it's not an urgent matter that makes sense to me and in bed we should just this year things that change so rapidly it is worth really getting this right cuz I think we're on a path to buy what we're going to see in the future and turns of do use some of the students at school we won't hold it a jic all at the difference back and until we get further guidance which brings us to more computer security so we have eh eh eh I see house real quick rob you should probably see if he can get that done fairly quickly just so that we don't have this dragging to long into you know where we're potentially changing out two-thirds of our board in a month so we probably don't want a lot of projects hanging out and say so if he can get back to us freely quickly that might be helpful will do but I do seem to recall these ones here for maybe since Whitney in before November this is about robbery and I think they know you're absolutely right John we had it on our agenda it was with facilities for a. Of time and then you know got pushed forward to us right been on there a while so we want to get this wrapped up we have been we've actually made significant changes to what originally was brought to us with the help of the it first unless I do want to point out his part of it is that they were outdated there were there were a lot of questions and lot of updates that need to be made so we went through a few different committees before it came back and some parents to into this at some point actually the middle school went first on the 121 and they're pretty much there at this point in the high school is just starting this week to go to 1 to 1 tomorrow and I only know this because I have one of each do the next two policies that again to the legislative changes are we needed to implement data security policies at the procedures already in place in terms of protecting that the data in the system's what we needed to update our policies and so look at 8 or worse and that is computer security email do an internet communications and it shows this was a revised last year this also did go first three to the full board and I have not gotten any feedback or or concerns language in it did anyone on the committee have any questions or concerns removed at the King School board approved geha a and do my rolling back the cops like number it's called AJ computer security email and internet communications are with the recommendation from the policy committee second any other questions I forget where we were I think second jumper can you do roll call mr. Downing Miss Hansen yes mr. Houston great that passes through the 0 moving on to the second part of this ehab data governance and security and this also went before the full board we sent that to the last month or if I can November and did not have any any feedback or concerns from the board members anyone have any questions on this one and then I moved at the Board of Education approved policy ehab data governance and security with a recommendation from the policy committee direct me to call Mister Downing Miss Hansen yes Mister Houston f30 now living on 2GB EAD and this is one we've been challenged with could we kept putting the wrong language in but we now have that the correct one and this is something that again was a legislative update we had to to update this policy which is mandatory code of conduct reporting and this was actually related to I think j i c h i c l but it was related to child abuse and neglect in this was tied in to the big thing we want to make sure we have crackers there was a place I in terms of whether we are going to require recording in writing or whether that was just recommended and we did the past meeting decide that we we prefer to have the requirement in writing one cuz that meant people were going to act on it and secondly it protects the employees who are required by law to report that they have evidence that they did make make their report and this is another one that when I first read I have not gotten any feedback from any of the board members do any of the committee members have any questions concerns doesn't that we haven't discussed already getting just like the cleanup of it etc etc removing the option things that will eventually be removed and put them yeah so we do have it will be especially in this one that wrote that right or if the subject of the misconduct violation is the superintendent then the report would be made to it will end up being is it Chief Financial Officer is Tim's paper now that is CFO Elsa Lopez UFO cuz we want to be the next the next person in line underneath the superintendent so that should be added in and we can take out the the yellow cuz we got this all cleaned up so when it goes before the Bordeaux be great if we have one it'll look like in a file and so I moved that I'll know if I'm saying is Right Board of Education approved policy gbab Mentor code of conduct reporting all employees with a recommendation from the policy committee second yeah you're going to let that wording is fine and Jennifer can you do roll call mr. Downing yes Miss Hansen yes Mister Houston yes and that passes 320 and now we're coming up on bed telecommuting for board members Quorum and this was a whole thing it's something we've discussed in the past is it okay for board members who are out of town for business or we can't be in a meeting to take part remotely and in the past we've discouraged it I think this year has changed a lot in her a feeling of being able to do that also Peter Starkey we have a situation where we were losing some of our board members and we wanted to keep them onto the end of their term so we pulled this policy backup and I think there's more openness now to approve it and generally we took out one thing cuz we just wanted to make clear one this isn't an option of joining remotely there has to be a reason for I wonder if being out of town or just being physically unable to be in the room and also there does need to be a full form of the word in person still regardless of this it just means the person is out of town can invoice in and join remotely and this went before the full board last month and I did not get any feedback or concerns about it did any of us physically in person or I mean remote in Keene when you say like number five when we're talking about is there any intention of this the people are in teen or the Dare not zooming or that they're outside of game 10 Mi nursing a number 5 or gray area in an emergency by state law but once this and we will have to have a quorum physically present what this would do is say if we've got it for him as I was out of town they can still come in and take part but if only four people can make it never else is out of town we would not be able to go forward with making any decisions in the meeting what's unclear it does not look number 5 doesn't look unclear to me but that's because I'm familiar with the reference law is is that clear or was that just John was your is your question from a place of what we're doing well currently and also for the entire for like if this continues on if this except except acceptance of remote. Is this than boot or is it that no we actually want you to do remote either drop that mean like they fit standard being person pause and when that happened there you can't be there for whatever reason you let people know tell them why and then there has to be a quorum in person if I'm understanding that correctly then I get to go 100% right and that in it ties into as well in a in a non-emergency situation if we're we have to make that physical location available to the public as well and in right now that's been waived so there's a number of her policies that are kind of been suspended by the governor for the duration of the covid-19 has and you might see us growing up to the top again bro I'm just so I can make sure I get the name of this truck so I moved it the key word of Education of proof policy bedc meeting for board members / Coram with a recommendation from the policy committee any further questions or concerns with this current temperature Duro call mr. Downing Miss Hansen yes mr. Houston All right so that is all of our stuff free policies and then we are pulling up for review the bbde board vacancy in that really is based on the fact so just want to be certain Peters the fourth member the committee because we do have two other board members who came on I thought it was it not Rebecca know Peter is the fourth for this for this going to be okay just making sure just making sure so the rich I want to review the board vacancy is frankly just because we had another word vacancy in and we like to go back and say how did that process worked if we have problems do we have concerns one thing we talked about I think briefly we should we be making an effort to streamline the process or did it work pretty well one thing that. Go ahead open terms of feedback from someone who has submitted their name is it there is still confusion about not getting after this aboard can ask questions and I don't know what that song I don't think that's unclear in the policy but maybe something about how we're communicating it that we need to be more careful of that there were sending you questions that we want you in your presentation to answer but no one's going to directly ask questions but I think that created some confusion which it seems to every time I don't see the way we could I think Rob did send the actual policy to the candidates this time but you know from experience that reading policies of is a skill that takes a little while to to get used to if I could suggest you actually do have you know it said if actively attending is public tonight because he's not on this particular committee but Ron's in attendance if he doesn't mind he could speak to having just through this process you know before 5 weeks ago from the from the candidates in Point if he's interested in doing so you going to Sterling no since we didn't prep it for that but that's your calling if you'd like to I'm happy to wish I could have got here right on time but I thought it was pretty straightforward I thought the questions were good to to help and articulate show me was very poor Kauai Brothers play I want to express my opinion on what's going on with the questions are well positioned for that is some of the feedback I think I heard from her mother's to you and it took me a little bit of information because you're not asked questions arguably the interview you would basically have to General Tso box and tell everyone why I hear you think you're the right fit so you almost have to repair those questions for yourself but I think it's a good process and I think it's for looking for somebody to to be part of this board you need to have the capabilities to to articulate clearly so there why butter I think other than that and I wouldn't I wouldn't change anything I think the timing was appropriate how much time was allotted to do everything and I got them at the house or not but scroll up to number six cuz that's where the question thing and see if maybe we could clarify that language or if we do confident with the wording in it so what you guys are looking at that let me I don't remember who was here the last for this policy I feel like do it these days but specifically I can speak to when I first joined the board which wasn't that long ago at this point five years ago roughly we did ask her the board did ask questions in that meeting and that became controversial because the board was not asking the same questions of every candidate in so concerns about Equity came up and potentially concerns about favoritism and so that's how we ended up with this iteration of the policy where we don't ask questions in that meeting I suppose the middle ground would be still do it as we have but either Rob or the chair could lead with the same five or six questions and did not ask you no follow-up there anything but let me give it back to a meeting the process was streamline no issues with the process I sought the nature of sitting on it as like a soliloquy and just like speaking kind of reading through or whatever and I do agree with number one this is a rare occurrence because if I'm not missing something and it did that I can get your Point Georgia you don't want in Syria everyone asking different things because there's a serious issue but I think they'd be the chairman or someone should have maybe a shortlist it's been bedded or whatever and then that is the question must have been applied to kind of do that put it in the thing that people are supposed to address but maybe something pops out because I agree with Ron said questions you're good they actually I said that yeah I think maybe you have the summer questions you're prepared right how about your prepare is it is up to you a little bit you won't you go through those and then there's a queen air if I go and answering the same question but then there's is there anything else you want to add you as an individual and try to add something that you feel is appropriate for being selected to the board and that I think it's not debatable everyone gets the same shot same as water naproxen questions that may help be the Middle Ground Georgia looking for frog so awesome discussion and just to give you a kind of an idea as we go through hiring processes we establish what questions are going to be asked ahead of time we don't release it to the candidates ahead of time because we want to see how well they'll be able to delete that when they are asked the question as opposed to giving them time to reflect prepare and and have ample amount of time to to respond to it you know I'm not could be because there are different fun things for someone who's in the middle of something as opposed to someone who has a little more time to consider think so but that list of questions is consistent for every candidate that we interview and they are there no rewarding unless they say it must be explicitly asked I don't understand the question there is no rewording of the question and it is the same and we always ended is there anything that you would like to add that we didn't ask that you feel is important they know when we do typically ended with all of our interviews on that same note I agree with that I do think looking at number five and six and four five I think it is pretty confusing because we talk about the questions you have been provided to the candidates and then we follow that within the public is invited to submit questions and then somehow in that same paragraph talk about the number of days between the following. It did at the meeting so I feel like there is some cleaning up we can do here and I'm also open to asking the question but somewhere we should clarify that everyone gets the same questions in that they're consistently George two thoughts one isn't something one of you just said sparked this I think Rob the other reason we weren't just asking Arrhenius questions was out of fear of crossing the HR line so you know where in a week and ask the same inappropriate questions that you know what traditional HR department can ask as well you know how how are you play schedule time around the fact you have kids for example you know which doesn't apply so much to the school where is it doesn't full job but there's this whole range of questions that most board members are not familiar with because we're not HR directors there was worried that we would stray into those that we were coming up with questions on the spot really I did I didn't hear anybody suggesting that what up was wondering is if we can and I think this is what anger was getting at as well are we able to combine for 5 and 6 into something simpler that that perhaps does work in the way that that more in the way that Ron and John R talking about where you know you have this list prepared the candidates may be no one or two of them but not all of them but then we ask them and then leave them through their 7 minutes the other thing that came to mind was almost dropped second time the public is invited to submit questions is that by law that's not by law all right now this is the law for is one line and literally says that the chair of the board can appoint somebody so you know we invented this entire policy in order to prevent board chairs from stacking the board in their own favor which which I do objective I think that's a good thing but the way that we actually work our process there really isn't a chance for the public to submit questions they can submit comments in the form of input as they can own anything that we do but it feels like we could pull that whole sentence right out of there I thought to it and it has come up at the pub is the men in question some of the questions have been submitted there's been concerned about whether we can ask them or whether they're appropriate and so I think it makes more sense to have a set of questions that the war in the superintendent have agreed on that everyone is going to get the same ones and if the public wants to make comments like you said there they're always welcome to do that during public input or through email or Gera superintendent so you can get reorganize and look at it like I like number three of the date set for the meeting Charlotte adequate time for public comment following the closing. And then poops are a bunch of slow me down here in three business days between the last day of filing in the day of the meeting I feel like that should go with number now that I reread this may be my statement was wrong this policy was for out of election cycle vacancies is that not the case yapper actual election vacancies set the alarm to your own publicity The Sentinel contact you that kind of stuff in the other voters decide the board does not have to get into this it is this unfortunately is more common I don't I think we've had to do this at least once a year since I've been on the board I'm at the off a little bit but pretty darn close to that Chris Coates left in the middle of the term Admiral left in the middle of the term Chris partial left in the middle free people left this year in the middle of terms it's it's more common than you might think so maybe there should just be a single paragraph that discusses timeline and spreading it across yeah that was feel like number three says almost the same thing as four and five can you know the British hold about questions and then you'll maybe go to the meeting will be at least 3 days before you know the filing. In at least 3 days and then we say whatever that is yeah there should be at a minimum three business days between the last day of the following. The date of the meeting and then parentheses which shall allow adequate time for public comment or something to that effect no adequate. For comment seems dated to me in the most commentary that we get these days comes via email so you know what time to comment is basically out of data code enough time to look at the names and stay oh I have an opinion about this person and sending it off to the board for better or worse that happens pretty quickly these days when did you say shot it at rewriting this based on what what you all have given for input yeah we could if we don't want to do it right here on the screen I mean I think we certainly could do that or I could do that if you want to I was just going to say now that we're trying to add that you're adequate is sort of a a subjective word and I'm not sure it has lost in here maybe we just a 3-day meant you no minimum of three days and then we go to the public can make comments through the superintendent report is that doesn't add anything so we're only at 6:15 if you want to take a take a run at it right here we could do that as well it's your call as soon as committee chair I don't know what else you and Rob have on tap for tonight and I really want to get out of here we all have to have to drive home in our driveway is so do you have the ability to make notes on here robber is it easier for us after the meeting take some notes and send them to you and Shayna I think that might be easier this is a PDF and I always have majored in that George if you want to do that and if you want to run it by me can I make any notes from what I recall that we discussed and then we'll bring it back with the two changes next month this is all right and if George doesn't object what I what I would propose to do is to have Shana create a Google doc and share it with George and I so that we can work on it you know simultaneously and bounce things off one another based on the conversation here tonight and bring that back for next month and if you want to look me and then I can see this we're going to do that old streamline at 2 just to pay that would be great if we just got to be careful we don't get it the committee working on that outside of the committee 2 is not so that's good. It was fun possibly I am looking at this four more confusing than it needs to be for what's a somewhat straightforward process I hate this policy I paid it all along still hate it now running something in and doing it well because we are essentially doing what we don't want to do which is bringing on board members without a public election so we want to be free with the reasoning I just wish we didn't have to do it so next thing is a policy for deletion we don't get these very often this is GCB a classification payment a speech pathologist in school psychologist and if someone who used to have a list but I wasn't a hard one to read you know but the reason that Pierre is each hunt the pathologist and psychologists are now a bargaining unit they were not in the past so they did not do contract negotiations on do we have his policy that's no law Abruzzo Nancy Joyce has asked us to delete this policy and instead we would refer to the CBA that was agreed upon the word in this group I don't have any questions on that so I removed at the can we just pull this is music of the full board Georgia. you have to pass the committee I moved at the key Board of Education delete policy gcba classification payment of speech pathologist and school psychologist second Kuduro call Downing Miss Hansen yes Mister Houston yes bypasses 320 which is crazy cuz that brings us to the end of our agenda we do have some policies out of other committees that we are still waiting on and mainly financing to work on those with RDA app and then personnel has been working on the employee manual I know quite a bit with Nancy and then someday once we get through this year we will review our pandemic policy based on what we've learned that we're we're still a little bit in the midst of are there right now and did any of the other George is finance actively working on petty cash I feel like that's been on the finance agenda for 45 years maybe we need clarification on what maybe Chris Roberts remembers what we're doing with that I'm not sure anybody else on the current board even knows why it's out there or what we're doing maybe Tim remembers I'll go cuz I was reaching out to different committee chair is just too you know update them on why some of these were with their committee and petty cash is a tough one cuz it was actually it wasn't brought from the administration it was a former chair of the finance committee that had some concerns and then before her term ended it looks like those concerns really never got presented so I'm not sure anyone understand so I'm going to reach out to Chris Roberts you just say and also Robin say is there a reason I'm still on here are their concerns within the District of the board and if not let's pull it off has been hanging out a long time good one and then the other one how to do all with the DEA have policies of those are things that we are required to make some updates and changes to and get through and did anyone have any other big wanted to bring up don't know all right and do we have any non-public run believe it or not then I think we are adjourn so thank you all so much thank you Angela thank you bro. Have a good night drive safe it'll be my son I think it's like oh my gosh wow I think my daughter is driving with my wife

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Keene Board of Education Policy Committee Special Emergency Meeting for January 26, 2021

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