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ADC-appointed consultant recommends changes for city school board
Improved communication, streamlined meetings among suggestions
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
The city school board should eliminate its caucus sessions and board committees and include the superintendent in all meetings, including executive sessions, according to recommendations from a consultant appointed by the Youngstown School District Academic Distress Commission.
Mark Freeman, a former superintendent from Shaker Heights Schools, delivered his recommendations at Tuesday’s school board meeting. He was appointed by the ADC to provide training to school-board members, Superintendent Connie Hathorn and other members of the administration in team and consensus building and parliamentary procedures.
The cost of the training, paid by the district, was limited to $5,000.
The board and administration need to “review and improve all areas of communication,” Freeman said.
Communication between the board and Hathorn should be consistent and predictable.
He recommends eliminating the caucus session, conducted before each regular meeting, calling it redundant. Freeman also recommended eliminating board committees and replacing them with work sessions as needed.
“The superintendent should attend all board meetings including executive sessions,” he said.
There may be exceptions for sessions that deal with the superintendent evaluation or contract.
Board members have moved into executive sessions several times in recent months and not included Hathorn nor any members of his administration.
Both board President Richard Atkinson and Hathorn said they have no issue with the recommendations.
“If it’s for the betterment of our team and our students, we’ll do it,” Hathorn said.
Atkinson agreed and said he expects the recommendations to be implemented immediately.
Freeman also said agendas, proposed resolutions and other information should be transmitted to board members on a regular schedule. Addendums should be added as needed for minor items.
Board members have complained that they don’t receive agendas in time to review them before board meetings.
The consultant also recommended the district develop and maintain a statistical abstract or “fact book” for the district to include information such as the number of sixth-grade teachers, percentage of minority personnel and other data. That information would be available to anyone, including the public, for review.
That would reduce the need for special reports, Freeman said.
“Only items that are on the agenda should be acted on or discussed at board meetings,” Freeman said.
There should be no provision for old or new business on the agenda, he said.
He said that when one board member brings up an issue under old or new business, the other members have no warning about those issues.
“The board should govern through policy,” Freeman said. “Policies should receive three readings before formal action is taken.”
Currently, the board votes on policy changes at the same meeting at which they are introduced.
Freeman also said in his recommendations that the board should provide oversight of personnel through policy and goals.
Also, the superintendent and treasurer have a responsibility to advise the board if they believe board action may be overruled by the ADC, he said.
“ADC action should not be a surprise,” Freeman said.
In other business, the board appointed four students as student school board members. Buker Abu-Hashim will represent the Chaney Campus where he is a senior in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program and maintains a 3.88 grade point average.
East High School has two representatives, Kristin DiRando, a junior with a 3.08 GPA, and Shakayla Poole, a junior with a 3.41.
Jerry Mims is the board’s Youngstown Early College representative. He’s a YEC senior with a 3.4 GPA.