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MARS Board Meeting Minutes
June 10, 2008
Present: Maureen Marshall, Donna Harlan, Clifford Fountain, Michael
Fitzpatrick, Michael Wood, Christina Lynch, Bruce Kaiser, Lynn Ryan, Ken Rocke,
Gene Carlo, Paul Gagliarducci, Stephen Hemman, Dee Dee Niswonger
The Board of Directors announcement in item III that Stephen Hemman has been
selected to present to the Board as the new Executive Director of MARS was
greeted with applause. Following a motion by Donna Harlan, seconded by Gene
Carlo to accept this recommendation, there was an unanimous vote to appoint Dr.
Hemman to the position.
Maureen Marshall and Eugene Carlo will meet to work out the details of a
memorandum of agreement and then meet with Steve.
Steve will meet with Dee Dee to receive the archives from MARS. He will meet at
a separate time with Emily Audette, MARS treasurer and webmaster.
One of the first of his jobs will be to grapple with the by-laws. Maureen
and Steve will work out a letter detailing the changes in MARS and the new dues
rate. There will be a large MARS meeting at the MASS event on the Cape
July 16.
It was stressed how important outreach is to the organization. Steve listed his
ideas about outreach, including developing a map, attending Round Tables across
the state to ask about issues of importance to regional superintendents, getting
out information effectively, using the DoE list to remind supers of pending
obligations, reconsidering the frequency of Board meetings, continuing to stay
on as member of sister organizations and reaching out to others, talking with
legislators.
Questions arose about the need for an annual meeting this fall, more effort on
the Board’s part to reach out to colleagues, more formal mentoring, and if there
would be services offered for a price?
A detailed discussion followed on ways to cooperate with MASBO over training
sessions for regional business managers, and training for recent MBA graduates
in educational business management. Since most districts hire only one person to
work on the business details, there is not any opportunity for in-house training
as might be experienced in a larger office. There are some programs in the
state, such as at Bridgewater State, that offer programs leading to licensure.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education offers a certification
process for interested people. The meeting expressed sound support for working
with MASBO on all these issues.
MASBO is working with the DoR on E and D issues that are still not fully worked
out. The differences between regional and non-regional schools for business
purposes are issues MASBO is interested in presenting to its members, and MARS
may be able to cooperated here.
State Update
The issues brought up were energy, energy and energy costs. Gene Carlo warned
all that costs are very high and going higher and signing contracts at this time
may be too costly. Using a collaborative, trying to work with bigger and bigger
groups that can push harder for better prices looks like a better way to
possibly save some money. Times are bleak. Small communities, small districts
working alone are very vulnerable. Collaboration looks like the only protection
out there. All the conservation possible needs to be practiced.
Various ideas were brought up: excluding the cost of energy from Prop 21/2,
state purchasing of fuel, working with legislator’s offices, such as Senator
Kennedy’s, talk about alternative school calendars, working with all the public
entities, such as hospitals, towns, colleges, etc. Talk about using only four
days during the coldest months for classes brought out the problem of school as
day care, and parents needing to work and depending on their children being in
school during their working hours. The need to be responsible with public money
might counter that problem.
The political aspect of the energy crisis makes dealing with it even more
complex.
In other state matters, the early joint resolution was noted as being very
timely and very helpful. Further appreciation was expressed over the setting of
minimum contribution and maintaining the numbers. Thanks to all our legislators
who worked to bring more dollars into the regional transportation line item. We
were all reminded of the many new legislators who need to be informed of each of
their districts needs, annually. Don’t forget your legislators just because the
budget season is behind us. Work with them and keep them well informed.
A similarity of position among the leadership on the Hill was noted with a
corollary that such agreement may reduce some of MARS’ need for lobbying in the
future.
On a personal note, I wish to thank MARS’ Board of Directors for your support
all these past twenty-two years! Some of you have been there, all that time. It
has been great for me to work with you on these many, many issues, and I
appreciate the opportunity it has given me to help effect changes and hopefully
improvements for the school children in Massachusetts. There are so many of you
reading these minutes with whom I have talked, sometimes many times. Those
conversations will stay with me over time as wonderful connections with people
whom I could admire for your caring and determination to do your jobs well. One
cannot be a cynic about human nature when surrounded by people who care about
education—perhaps the energy can be overwhelming, but what admirable focus it
always has been!
I am looking forward to retirement, to my garden and quilting, grandchildren and
husband, children and time. But the time spent with MARS all these years has
been very enriching and I thank you all for it. Steve Hemman will be at the
other end of the e-mail, or the ‘phone, now, and I hope, Steve, that you find it
as rewarding as I have, and that all of you out there benefit from the new
perspective and skills that Steve brings to this job. I send my very best wishes
to all of you during the future.
Sincerely,
Dee Dee Niswonger
For More Information Contact:
Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools
P.O. Box 334, Williamsburg, MA 01096-0334
Tel: 413-268-3607
E-mail:
niswonger@comcast.net
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