By Melissa Fales
Reporter
School Committee considers hosting a MASC event on campus
At their July 6 meeting, the Ware School Committee discussed the possibility of hosting a Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) course on campus.
As Chair Christopher Desjardins explained, each member of the school committee is required to take a course through the MASC within a year of being elected. The course covers basic meeting procedures as well as other topics regarding laws and policies. Desjardins noted, however, that committee members might also benefit from a MASC course after they have some experience on the committee. “There is a learning curve to this,” he said. “As people learn the job, they have more questions.” A course would also cover any recent changes to the laws that members might not be aware of.
School committee member Danielle Souza suggested inviting members of other school committees from the region. “It would be nice to bring in other school committees from our area that might have the same issues or the same questions,” she said. “Maybe they’re doing something that we could piggy-back on. Maybe they have the same struggles we’re facing.” Souza also saw another benefit to bringing in people from outside the community. “The more people that get into our school and see how beautiful it is the better,” she said.
Desjardins agreed with Souza but worried about the time commitment of contacting other school committees with the information about the course. “It takes a lot of time to reach out to people,” he said, noting that there isn’t an existing database of school committee members’ emails that would make a mass mailing possible. Souza asked whether the MASC would be willing to send out information to its members promoting a course to be held in Ware. Desjardins said he would look into it.
Committee to review its goals monthly
Souza asked when the committee would have the opportunity to review its goals. “I feel like I’m out of touch with what we said,” she said. Desjardins said it was too easy for the committee to get off track with their goals. “We set them and then a million other things get thrown at us and we don’t have time to look at what we set eight months ago,” he said. Committee member Aaron Sawabi suggested that the committee take advantage of the relatively quiet summer months to revisit their goals. Desjardins suggested that the committee adopt a schedule to review their goals at their first meeting every month.
Desjardins went on to say that he thought the committee should have fewer goals. “It’s hard to do 10 goals when there is always something else that comes along,” he said. “We should try to keep it to three or four solid goals. There’s much more likelihood of us sticking to them.”
Meet and greet for new SMK Principal Daniel Somes set for July 12
Faculty, staff and parents of Stanley M. Koziol Elementary School students are invited to a “meet and greet” for new SMK Principal Daniel Somes at 12 p.m. July 12 at the school.
The next school committee meeting will be July 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Ware Reader Forum 