Note: These proposed minutes should be considered preliminary until they are approved by the
board at a future meeting.
WINDHAM SOUTHEAST SCHOOL DISTRICT (WSESD) BOARD
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2023
REGULAR BOARD MEETING – 6PM
HYBRID MEETING: WRCC CUSICK CONFERENCE ROOM, BRATTLEBORO,
AND REMOTELY VIA ZOOM
DRAFT MINUTES
SUMMARY:
● Students expressed the need to increase attendance at Working Toward Justice Day.
● A new representative from Brattleboro, Matt Schibley, was appointed to the board by unanimous vote.
● The Superintendent gave a summary of the day’s professional development activities, which focused on executive function and student engagement.
● District Literacy Coaches gave a presentation on the science of reading and how that informs district practices.
● The Board adopted an updated policy on Personnel Recruitment, Selection, Appointment and Background Checks.
● The board heard updates from the Academy School and BAMS Leadership Councils.
WSESD Board Members Present: Chair Kelly Young (KY), Anne Beekman (AB), Jayden Gonzalez (JG) Non-Voting Student Representative, Alora Lawyer (AL) Non-Voting Student Representative, Tim Maciel (TM), Robin Morgan (RMO), Shaun Murphy (SM), Kimberly Price (KP), Matt Schibley (MS) [appointed to the Board where indicated], Deborah Stanford (DS), Ruby McAdoo (RMC), Eva Nolan (EN)
WSESD Board Members Absent: None
WSESU/SD Staff and Administrators Present: Mark Speno, Frank Rucker, Paul Smith, Hannah Parker, Nancy Wiese, Debra Gass, Brian Bittner, Stacy Sawyer, John Gagnon, Deb Schiller, Brin Tucker, Jon Sessions, Mary Kaufmann, Flo Levin, Katie Keir
Media Present: BCTV, Virginia Ray (The Commons), Chris Mays (Brattleboro Reformer)
Others Present: Liz Adams of Putney, Mindy Haskins Rogers BUHS alumna, Jody Normandeau of Dummerston, Rikki Risatti of Brattleboro, Liz Strong of Brattleboro, Rich Leavy of Brattleboro, Brian Hughes of Brattleboro, Kerry Amidon, Sherri Keefe
Please note: attendance may be incomplete.
I. CALL TO ORDER
KY called the meeting to order at 6:03pm.
KY read the hybrid meeting statement.
● Review of Agenda
KY announced some amendments to the agenda:
● After the Clerk’s Report, there will be a motion from the Finance Committee.
● The item for appointing a new Board member is being moved to the beginning of the meeting so the new Board member can participate in the meeting.
KY noted this agenda has times listed with each agenda item. She asked Board members to adhere to the time limits.
KY acknowledged current international challenges, which mirror challenges in our own community. She asked everyone to be mindful of each other’s humanity.
II. STUDENT MATTERS
AL lamented the high rate of absences during BUHS’s recent Diversity Day, and she noted that these students’ parents had to give them permission to skip school that day. She asked if the school could reach out to these parents to reinforce the importance of the day.
Rikki Risatti of Brattleboro, who is a candidate for appointment to the WSESD Board, asked how students feel about receiving no information prior to the meeting on the candidates seeking appointment to the Board, and about there being no time for the public to ask the candidates questions. JG responded: He said he did not mind as long as candidates care enough to put in the work to serve on
the board and have good intentions. A discussion ensued on the difference in the process of appointing a Board member versus electing one.
A discussion ensued on the protocol and structure of Diversity Day, why some students may not have attended, and what can be learned from this experience. SM asked if attendance is optional for Diversity Day. Hannah Parker clarified that this event is now called “Working Toward Justice Day.” In the past each advisory could choose whether to participate or to adhere to their usual class schedule.
This year it was structured to include full participation by all advisories/all students. Administration sent out a reminder that students would not be able to participate in after school activities like sports and theater if they did not attend school on this day. JG said that because they day’s activities do not impact grades, a lot of students just won’t attend. AL added that it is a really fun day but some students decide to skip because of the lack of accountability.
III. BOARD VACANCY
RMO said she attended the recent Brattleboro Selectboard meeting where they discussed the appointment of a Brattleboro representative to the WSESD School Board. The Selectboard said the decisions was that of the School Board, and they declined to comment.
KY announced each candidate will have five minutes to speak, and then the Board will go into Executive Session to deliberate. The order will correspond to the order in which the applications were received.
Candidate MS said he had nothing to add; he was there to answer the Board’s questions. RMO asked KY to have each candidate introduce themselves and why they want to serve.
MS introduced himself: he lives in Brattleboro with his wife, and his two children attend the Green Street School. He is seeking appointment because he cares about the town, the school, and its children, and he wants to help.
Candidate Laure Olivia-Sweetnam was absent.
Mx. Risatti said that in lieu of an introduction, they will yield their time to answering questions. They noted that in the most recent Board elections, they received over 200 votes, and they campaigned on a platform of democracy, transparency and accessibility of information, and expanding decolonization. There were no Board questions of Mx. Risatti.
Mx. Risatti said they would yield the remainder of their time to answering questions from the public. KY reminded Mx. Risatti that the public is not part of this process, and there were public forums during elections. KY said the Board will move on.
KY announced candidate Colleen Savage was ill and was not in attendance, but had submitted materials to the Board for consideration.
Candidate Liz Strong of Brattleboro introduced herself: she lives in Brattleboro and has two young children. She said she has been impressed by Early Education Services (EES) and other District staff. She is involved in the Community Asylum Seekers Project. She is eager to help.
Candidate Rich Leavy of Brattleboro introduced himself: he has two children in Brattleboro schools, and he is interested in being a part of their school lives. He is a construction-business owner, and he could help with operations/facilities projects. Prior to construction, Mr. Leavy was a farmer, and he has worked with schools on bringing fresh produce to school kitchens.
Candidate Brian Hughes of Brattleboro introduced himself: he has two children in Brattleboro schools, and he pays attention to Board decisions, especially those during the pandemic. Mr. Hughes is a pharmacist at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, and he would bring his healthcare knowledge to the Board.
RMO asked all candidates how they anticipate participating in the sex-abuse investigation, and how they would bring justice and healing to the community.
Ms. Strong, MS, Mx. Risatti, and Mr. Hughes all responded.
Ms. Strong responded that as an oral historian she has had the privilege of learning from many different communities and can listen and translate their words into action. She doesn’t know where the project stands but would be happy to bring skills to this community pain.
MS referenced his background as a licensed clinical mental health counselor. He can bring a focus on the community impact, ensuring that there is a place for all those needs to be met and voices to be heard.
Mx. Risatti encouraged putting a link to the lawsuit online and limiting the amount of paid leave for people accused of misconduct. They asked if they could read a letter of recommendation from Odanak leader Jacques T. Watso. KY replied that the letter is attached to the candidate information that is shared on the Brattleboro Selectboard’s website as supporting documentation for the 10/3 selectboard
meeting.
Mr. Hughes said he would approach the situation with openness and transparency, with acknowledgement that this is the most scary situation possible for parents, who are putting their trust in the board to keep things like this from happening.
SM noted the appointee’s term is for five months; then, in March, that person can seek election and the entire District’s voters will decide. All candidates in attendance can run, whether or not they are appointed. Being an incumbent, though, will put the candidate at a possible advantage.
MOTION BY DS TO FIND THAT PREMATURE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE WOULD
CLEARLY PLACE THE PUBLIC BODY OR PERSON INVOLVED IN SUBSTANTIAL
DISADVANTAGE UNDER 1 V.S.A. §313(3) THE APPOINTMENT OR EMPLOYMENT OR
EVALUATION OF A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE, PROVIDED THAT THE PUBLIC
BODY SHALL MAKE A FINAL DECISION TO HIRE OR APPOINT A PUBLIC OFFICER
OR EMPLOYEE IN AN OPEN MEETING AND SHALL EXPLAIN THE REASONS FOR ITS
FINAL DECISION DURING THE OPEN MEETING. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION BY KP TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER 1 V.S.A. §313(3) THE
APPOINTMENT OR EMPLOYMENT OR EVALUATION OF A PUBLIC OFFICER OR
EMPLOYEE, PROVIDED THAT THE PUBLIC BODY SHALL MAKE A FINAL DECISION
TO HIRE OR APPOINT A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE IN AN OPEN MEETING
AND SHALL EXPLAIN THE REASONS FOR ITS FINAL DECISION DURING THE OPEN
MEETING. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The Board entered into Executive Session at 6:39pm.
The Board rose from Executive Session at 6:53pm.
KY reported the Board’s decision on which candidate to appoint was a difficult one, and she thanked all
who applied. She said the candidate the Board will appoint has the best qualifications, and she
encouraged all candidates to seek election in March.
MOTION BY RMO TO APPOINT MATT SCHIBLEY TO THE BOARD. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
RMO added that it was wonderful to have so many really well qualified candidates. Any one of them would have been a great addition to the board and encouraged them to run for election in March. DS reminded candidates that, while elections are in March, the election process begins in January, when petitions for public office must be drawn at the Town Clerk’s office.
Mindy Haskins Rogers of Northampton, Massachusetts, referenced a lawsuit with an emeritus Landmark College employee. She noted MS is a counselor there. Ms. Haskins Rogers asked if this represented a conflict-of-interest. KY responded: she spoke about the staff and administration’s roles in keeping students safe, and pointed out that in a small community like this, if the Board had to disqualify a candidate because of this type of loose connection to someone, there would likely be no Board members.
TM led a round of applause for MS.
MS joined the Board at their table, and DS gave him his orientation materials.
IV. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
A. Overview of Supervisory Union In-service day held on 10/10
Superintendent Mark Speno gave highlights of the in-service day’s activities:
● All certified and classified staff participated in two sessions of exec functioning and student
engagement professional development (PD) with Allison Posey. In the other half of the day,
attendees had their choice of 20 workshops led by 2-person teams of WSESU staff in their areas
of expertise.
● The administration will explore continuing this model; it provided good leadership opportunities for the staff.
● One of the PD workshops was a screening of the film RIght to Read with a facilitated conversation afterwards. This would be a great activity to host at individual schools and invite families and community members to attend.
RMO asked if parents can offer suggestions on ideas for professional-development subjects, and if these suggestions can be collected by including a question on the survey. Mr. Speno responded with an enthusiastic “yes.” Ms. Parker added that parents are always welcome to reach out directly to administrators with suggestions for PD that are relevant for that particular school.
B. The Science of Reading: Supporting our Students in Evidence-Based Literacy Practices
District Literacy Coaches Brian Bittner and Stacy Sawyer presented on the science of reading. They shared a document, a slideshow: “The Science of Reading: WSESD Board Presentation 10/10/23.”
Highlights included:
● The tenets of the science of reading.
● What the science of reading is not: an ideology, a “pendulum swing,” a program of instruction.
● What the science of reading is: a vast body of evidence that tells us how people’s brains learn to read.
● Conceptual models of reading.
● Continued professional development in the science of reading.
● Assessments the coaches use to determine a student’s reading skills.
● How this aligns with district goals of inclusion for students on IEPs.
Jody Normandeau of Dummerston asked how she can compare District reading scores from 10+ years ago and now. Curriculum Coordinator Paul Smith responded that this data can be found on the Vermont Agency of Education website under Vermont Snapshot, and offered to look for that particular data and send it to her.
Liz Adams of Putney recommended Mr. Bittner and Ms. Sawyer work with pre-K providers on how they create a vocabulary-rich environment for children, as this will improve literacy.
A discussion ensued on professional development. Mr. Bittner mentioned the idea of collaborating with Kerri Beebe to create a similar PD that is targeted to pre-K teachers.
TM asked what the Board should add to the budget to support literacy. Mr. Bittman responded: funding for slightly longer school days for children who need extra reading support. Ms. Sawyer responded: funding for more books.
AL spoke about her challenges growing up without books in her home. She encouraged the whole community to participate in supporting childhood literacy.
Windham Regional Career Center (WRCC) Director Nancy Wiese spoke about a project she would like to develop where kindergarteners could be empowered to send a book to a baby born that year and then continue sending them a birthday book each year until they began kindergarten and the older child, now in 5th grade, could have a mentor-like relationship with them. DS expressed enthusiasm for this
project and she and Liz Adams offered to help get it off the ground.
SM expressed his appreciation for libraries — including Little Free Libraries — as excellent resources for literacy.
EES Director Debra Gass mentioned EES’s “Welcome Baby” program, which sends a care package to all families with newborns, and to families with children newly-arrived to the District. These packages contain lots of goodies and resources for families, including a Welcome letter from the Superintendent, and a book for the child.
TM led a round of applause for Mr. Bittner’s and Ms. Sawyer’s presentation.
KY asked Mr. Speno to confirm the next Board meeting, on October 24, will be held in another District school, as per the agreement to rotate meetings’ locations. Mr. Speno responded: the next meeting will be held at the Dummerston School.
KY called for a break at 7:39pm.
KY called the meeting back to order at 7:45pm.
V. CONSENT AGENDA
● Clerk’s Report – Approval of Minutes – September 26, 2023
MOTION BY AB TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2023.
A discussion ensued.
DS posed two questions to Mr. Speno, both of which referenced items that were raised at the September 26 meeting:
● A question whether PCB testing was done at early childhood facilities on Birge Street and Canal Street.
● A proposal to institute staff stipends for attending Leadership Council meetings that Mr. Speno was going to look into.
Mr. Speno responded: Human Resources Director Michael Kelliher is drafting a proposal to send to the union about staff stipends.
WSESU Business Administrator Frank Rucker responded: the PCB testing is conducted by the state, and the administration has no influence on their process. Ms. Gass added that to her knowledge neither EES building was tested.
VOTE ON THE AB MOTION: MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
TM noted the Board has not decided whether it supports the staff receiving stipends for participating in Leadership Council meetings.
● Warrants and Payrolls
Warrant of September 11, 2023
Warrant No. 1085 in the amount of $ 34,608.75
Warrant No. 1087 in the amount of $ 468.31
Warrant No. 1088 in the amount of $ 129,211.37
Warrant No. 1089 in the amount of $ 918,812.31
$ 1,083,100.74
Payrolls September 8, 2023 $ 1,527,168.07
Warrant of September 18, 2023
Warrant No. 1090 in the amount of $ 5,587.50
Warrant No. 1092 in the amount of $ 9,938.44
Warrant No. 1094 in the amount of $ 10,261.00
Warrant No. 1095 in the amount of $ 98.94
Warrant No. 1096 in the amount of $ 209,112.52
$ 234,998.40
Warrant of September 25, 2023
9/12/23 ACH Purchasing Card Payment $ 33,089.86
Warrant No. 1097 in the amount of $ 5,665.00
Warrant No. 1103 in the amount of $ 1,312.40
Warrant No. 1104 in the amount of $ 4,160.93
Warrant No. 1105 in the amount of $ 417.08
Warrant No. 1106 in the amount of $ 354,652.31
$ 399,297.58
Payrolls September 22, 2023: $ 1,617,238.65
Warrant of October 2, 2023
Warrant No. 1109 in the amount of $ 181.40
Warrant No. 1110 in the amount of $ 2,042.20
Warrant No. 1112 in the amount of $ 507.23
Warrant No. 1113 in the amount of $ 198,097.43
$ 200,828.26
MOTION BY KP TO APPROVE THE WARRANTS AND PAYROLLS AS THEY ARE LISTED IN THE AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
KY reminded the Board that the agenda was amended to include a Finance Committee motion.
MOTION BY SM TO APPROVE CONTRACTOR PRE-QUALIFICATION CRITERIA AS
OUTLINED IN AIA FORM A305-2020 FOR OAK GROVE HEATING AND VENTILATING
IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
A discussion ensued. AB noted this motion is specifically to approve the contractor qualifications; the Board has previously approved the spending for this project.
VOTE ON THE SM MOTION: MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
VI. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
KY read the public comment response statement.
Ms. Normandeau said she has heard conflicting reports — some good, some bad — about the condition of Natowich Field, and she would like to know its actual condition. Mr. Speno responded: its condition is somewhere in the middle. The challenge to its condition is the heavy usage it experiences. The administration is working on different venues for playing, such as using Tenney Field or Sawyer Field.
The administration will present these options to the community.
A discussion ensued on the process and ramifications of resurfacing Natowich Field, its current condition, and other options.
JG spoke about friends who reached out to him as a board member looking for support with addressing the challenges at Hinsdale High School. Mr. Speno responded: he recommended JG’s friends share their concerns with the Hinsdale High School administration and see if there are steps that could be taken to honor those concerns.
VII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Sexual Abuse Investigation
KY reported Attorney Goddard is still unavailable. KY said she followed up with the Board’s attorney to see if she could make a presentation, but she is still unavailable for personal reasons which were reported at the previous Board meeting.
Ms. Haskins Rogers asked if the delay is due to the Board not having received information, or is it because the Board is waiting for Attorney Hoechst to prepare a report for the public? Has KY or the Board received any information? KY responded: the Board is waiting for Attorney Goddard to share information with its attorney that can be shared with the public.
B. Policy & Amendment presents the following to be Adopted:
● Presented for ADOPTION: D1 Personnel Recruitment, Selection, Appointment and
Background Checks
DS announced that the Policy & Amendment Committee presents, for readoption by the Board, Policy D1: Personnel Recruitment, Selection, Appointment, and Background Checks. She noted this policy has been presented at two Board meetings, and there has been no comments, questions, or suggestions on the policy as it exists on the website.
MOTION BY DS THAT THE BOARD READOPT POLICY D1: PERSONNEL
RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, APPOINTMENT AND BACKGROUND CHECKS. MOTION
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
C. Policy & Amendment presents the following for 2nd Reading:
● E10 School Crisis Prevention & Response
● E15 Security Cameras
● F9 Student Substance Abuse Prevention
DS announced the Policy & Amendment Committee presents these policies for a second reading. She noted this is a 10-day reading period for public review and comment. She invited the public to submit comments to committee members. At the next Board meeting on October 24, the Board will move to adopt these policies.
VIII. NEW BUSINESS
A. PCB Lawsuit
MOTION BY DS THAT THE WINDHAM SOUTHEAST SCHOOL DISTRICT (WSESD)
SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES THE DISTRICT’S INCLUSION IN THE LAWSUIT AGAINST
MONSANTO REGARDING PCBS. THE DISTRICT IS TO BE REPRESENTED BY LYNN,
LYNN, BLACKMAN & MANITSKY. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
IX. BOARD MATTERS / TRAINING
A. Leadership Council Updates
Academy School
RMO reported this Leadership Council (LC) discussed the following:
1. Interest in creating a Parent University program, similar to the one Burlington High School has.
2. The school’s playground and grounds were damaged during the summer’s flooding, and it is still being repaired. She hopes the board will support allocating additional funds if that is necessary.
3. The LC again asked, as other LCs have, how the questions and concerns that they include in the administrative report will be addressed. RMO suggested that the board representatives on each council should be clear that they are the person responsible for answering questions, or finding out the answer and relaying it back to the LC, as well as for bringing LC concerns to the full board when appropriate.
A discussion ensued on whether #1 requires Board action, what would this program look like, and who would be responsible for developing it. Mr. Speno suggested that it could be a school-level initiative and he could discuss further with Principal Kelly Dias.
MS will be the Green Street School LC representative.
BAMS
KP reported this LC met recently and discussed the following:
1. Parents asked about Restorative Justice needs and Principal Keith Lyman shared that Doreen
Burke has recently become certified in RJ and also has a therapy dog.
2. Parents asked if students could have access to some classes at the Career Center.
A discussion ensued on #2. Ms. Wiese said she will explore the idea, but she cannot commit to it at this time. Mr. Speno added that they have discussed the need to increase awareness for students and families about all the offerings at the Career Center, including dual enrollment college courses and exploration of different employment fields.
B. Board Sub-Committees
◦ Finance Committee
SM reported this committee met just before the Board meeting. Mr. Rucker presented the budget- development timeline, which will be presented at the next Finance Committee meeting.
MOTION BY AB TO ADJOURN. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:21pm.
Documents presented:
● A slideshow: “The Science of Reading: WSESD Board Presentation 10/10/23.”
Submitted by Robin Morgan, WSESD Board Clerk, from minutes taken by Wendy M. Levy
This represents my understanding of the above dated meeting. If you have any changes, please submit
them at the next board meeting.
