Okay, we are recording. >> Good afternoon everyone. Welcome to the government relations subcommittee on uh October 8th, 2025. Uh today uh I don't have the agenda in front of me, Betsy, but Oh, we we don't have any minutes, do we? Or anything?
>> We do not know. Uh the first item is the discussion of and vote on relevant special town meeting warrant articles. >> Right. Okay. Um so I don't know if people have had a chance to go through them. Um, I did my little piece. I came
up with two possible uh articles that might be really relevant to us. Uh, we can have a conversation about that certainly. I thought maybe we might start with article uh 18 just seem more
straightforward in some ways and then we go backwards. We get a little success. >> Can everyone see my screen? >> I can, Betsy. Thank you. So resolution 18 is >> I actually have a little background information on this. Just go
>> right ahead and you can probably tell us what we do historically. >> Um well the um petitioner is Heather Hamilton of course who is the director at big. Um big streams all our meetings. Um I have always um the big streams are regular meetings. After our subcommittee
meetings I've typically sent them our zoom recordings and they reformat them and put them up on their website just as a way of getting things out. I happened to ask her about this, wondering why. And she at Big, they had a um an intern
last summer who created a program that goes through the town's calendar. Can you see the new screen now of the meetings here? >> Yeah, I can. >> Uh so they have a um program that goes through the town calendar and finds um I
will let me just find for you. These are our meetings um on the town's website and in July I started also posting the recordings here. So BIG now has a way to come to the town's calendar and look for these little icons. That's that's the
meeting recording and pull them off and put them onto the big website. So it's another way of um you know distributing uh and sharing the town recordings. So, I already do what this resolution is
calling for. So, what Heather is asking is that all the town departments um take their recordings and put them on the website here. So, if you were to click that, you would come to the recording of the Friday, August 1st school community meeting. If you were to click it here,
you see how it says go to media. Um, so it turns out that we're already doing what she's asking all departments to do. >> Okay. So, is it more work for you? >> No, not at all. It's l literally very simple. I'm I'm on that site a lot
anyway. Um, I just don't know if we need to take a position. We're doing it. I presume that other To be honest with you, I didn't know about this until July 1st. I think it had been an option that was available sooner. I happened to see that the select board did it. So, I asked them how. So, I think Heather's just trying to make sure all the various
departments that are already recording their meetings also take a moment after the meeting to link it up again back on this calendar page so that a member of the public can come here and find all the documents in one place. So, for instance, August 6th, I can find the
recording, right? I can open it up and I find the minutes and a packet, you know, the whole thing. So, >> so, um, sorry, Betsy. >> Yeah. No, I was done. jump. So, um, of course, because we have the best
support staff in Betsy, our stuff is fantastically organized. Um, and I can see why in some ways it so I don't know how usually, this is my first time on this subcommittee. I don't know sort of what the criteria tend to be for what we
take positions on, but I do find there are times where when I'm considering something that is relevant to my school committee work, I'm looking for recordings from other committees um and
can't find them. So, I I really I I appreciate Heather's um suggestion with this article. I personally support it. So, um I think all things being equal, it could be nice for us to
put our support in even though we are already in compliance. But I do think it there there are definitely times where I'm looking for something whether it's a building commission, a school building committee meeting.
um th those are two that actually are really they they they don't post them and then you have to email somebody and it's a whole thing. So um so I I personally supported and would be nice to support Heather.
Well, we're lucky we always posted them on our uh meeting materials page. So if people knew about that page, they could find them, you know, here. Yes. >> But um not until we had this new function um other departments or other boards didn't have a place like you know
we always put our recordings here recording media recording >> but right otherwise before we had this new system here >> the building commission had nowhere to post it right they didn't really have easy access to the website >> right but they still don't so I think so
I I like the idea of encouraging >> um all groups to post. >> So, as Suzanne will explain, we've typically, and you can let us know if you want to hear, um, on the items that this subcommittee felt wanted they wanted to move forward, we would then
have invited the petitioners to come to a school committee meeting to potentially, you know, talk about the item and we don't have to here if we feel like we, you know, we kind of can read it in it, but we could, we would put anything that you guys decide today on the agenda for the 22nd. I would not
want to create more work for Heather um or any petitioner because I don't think anything that might even peripherally touch us um is particularly controversial. So I wouldn't want to create work for Heather. I wouldn't want
her to have to come. Um but if people felt like and and maybe it's not even worth devoting five minutes of school committee to but but I definitely support the initiative. So, >> right, we like Betsy said, we wouldn't have to have Heather come. I mean, it's
pretty straightforward. I don't think she'd be offended about not coming. >> Okay. >> So, I we wouldn't have to have her come. >> Um I mean, we don't have to. So, >> you know, we go through the articles and we just kind of think about which ones have direct impact to us. Almost all of
them have some indirect impact because we live in the town, but not necessarily for the school. So, we don't have to weigh in on this. We can vote yay to support, no to not support, or take no action. Isn't that our third
option, Betsy? >> Yeah, it's really up to I mean, we wouldn't make a statement of no action. So, we've typically done for other warrant articles in the past is we have typically voted to support them. Whoever, you know, is sort of leading that um wish to support would write a
short little statement. We send that to the town administrator's office by November 7th so it can become part of the combined report and then it's among the documents that the town meeting members look at. So, so we would take any action like that at the October 22nd meeting and that'd be plenty of time to
meet the deadline with the town administrator's office. >> Rob, you have some thoughts on this one way or the other? Um, I think we probably shouldn't make a generic policy decision in the sense that maybe there are, you know,
something will come up that we do want someone from the town or some organization to come before us and have a conversation. >> No, no, that's No, I'm just talking about this particular one. >> Oh, this is fun. >> Yeah. Okay. So, do we want to bring this forward to the school committee? I don't It won't be very controversial. I don't
think >> I think we should. I I think it's like a a nice sort of again even though we have the luxury of of Betsy keeping us in excellent compliance. I I do think that for all of us to do our jobs sometimes
we want to see what else is going on in other committees and I think this would be good practice to encourage all amongst all our partner committees and boards. >> Right. And we're doing it. So thank you again Betsy Bob. Go ahead. Yeah. I mean,
so is Heather going to be invited or not to the October 22? >> No, she doesn't need to be. Did you want her to be Bob? Do you think the committee needs to hear? >> Okay, then I would say no. That we could we would say no. But let's take a vote on for supporting this article 18. Bob,
how do you vote? >> I vote yes. >> Yes. Carolyn, >> yes. >> And I vote yes as well. So that will come up on what' you say? October something. >> Yeah. Our next meeting after this week is Wednesday, October 22nd. So, I'll put it as a school committee action item that night.
>> Okay. >> And I'm sure Heather, you know, presuming that the full school committee uh votes to support it, she'll appreciate our eventual statement of support. >> Yeah, I think she will. Yeah, she's trying to do a good job there. Okay. So, um before we go to article uh 11, was
there any other article that somebody felt should come through the school committee? Uh Carolyn, >> I wonder whe whether and I don't feel strongly, but I wonder whether um it might be nice for us to um
discuss 10. Name a baseball diamond uh for Joe Compana. Open to discussion. Bob's laughing. Yeah, I mean I I know Joe I mean that's a good thing. I think Joe should get
recognition. >> Me too. So um I know Joe also I think he's made good contributions but that's just a little thought again for me. None of these are a hill to die on for me. So
totally open. I don't know him, but I take your word that he is worthy of a baseball diamond named after him. >> You know whose husband he is? Suzanne is >> Oh, he's Peggy's. >> I'm sorry. >> Elaine Duger.
>> Oh, okay. >> Do you know her from the Banger School? She was a fifth grade teacher for many years. >> Okay. Okay. >> Amazing teacher. >> Amazing. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Now, Joe's Joe is, you know, he's been around so long. He was uh I think cousin
to Carol Pietelli who was my secretary at the high school for a really long time and I might I probably watched 25 30 of the games he coached and I didn't yell at him too much. >> Okay, that's that's good. Where where is this diamond? Oh, Warren Field.
>> Yeah. >> Oh, it's Warren. That's where Yeah, that's what's the name of that Betsy. What's the name of that area? The cottage or No, it's got a name. That neighborhood. >> Um I mean I would just call it the Heath school neighborhood. It's right off of Chesn Hill Avenue. >> The one you see from Chesn Hill Avenue
is actually the little league field. I'm pretty sure this is referring to the larger field just tucked behind that where the varsity team plays. >> Yeah. >> And he ran a camp there for years. It was great. >> Okay. >> So, I like it. >> Okay.
>> Companion field. I love it. >> Okay. So, you would you like to bring this forward? >> Yeah. >> Okay, we can do that. I mean, I'm fine with that. I mean he because he would did a lot of stuff at Brooklyn Heights and actually to the schools. >> He was the assistant athletic director for a long time as well.
>> That's what it says. Yeah, that's what it says. >> No, he's great. >> Okay. Well, um Okay, we can bring it forward. And Carolyn, how do you vote? >> Yes. And Bob? >> And definitely yes. >> And I'll vote yes as well. Okay. Anything else that people saw besides
11? No, for me. >> Okay. Okay. 11. 11's a little trickier. I think is asking that the that an AC member be allowed. I
believe it says here uh a narrow exception to the rule that AC members doesn't say how many according to how I'm reading it will serve on the boards or committees related to construction or reconstruction of specific town
buildings or properties such as school building committees. Uh I believe they're they do not serve now. >> They do. >> They do. They're assigned. >> They do. My understanding of this one
because somebody was talking to me about it anyway. >> Um sorry Suzanne, do you is it is it okay if I sort of share what I know? >> Yeah. Yeah. give us my sense of this one is that somehow it
came up through town council's office or something that um they wanted to sort of button up compliance with this existing bylaw that
says if you are on advisory you can't serve on a standing board or commission that would have some fiduciary um responsibilities. So, and I probably shouldn't get into sort
of what those might be, but there was this there was became some discussion for reasons unknown to me. I guess there were questions of whether one or two advisory committee meeting advisory
members were on boards that they maybe shouldn't be because those boards ha have the authority to make some financial decisions. And so then that
raised the question of school building committees and the select board. It's my understanding through this article wants to carve out from the existing bylaw school building committees thus allowing
advisory committee members to be able to serve on school building committees as they currently do and in fact as when it's an MSBA project is is actually required by the MSBA. So that's why it's with the exception of
so they're carving out an exception to this bylaw that otherwise prevents AC members from serving on boards that make financial decisions so that an AC member can serve on school building committees.
>> Right. But you're saying they do currently serve or they do not? >> They do currently serve, >> but they're not supposed to. Well, I think it's a question of maybe interpretation of this bylaw because the
bylaw says standing committee. So, I think that there had been an interpretation of the bylaw that building committees because they're temporary are not standing. And I believe that in order to clarify
that and ensure the interpretation and the so and to ensure that AC members can continue to serve to create this exception because then there became some maybe town council
Kalinan I and this might be in the explanation his interpretation of school building committees is that they may not be um temporary because they go on for a
long time. So that they might in fact be standing and therefore be um subject to the bylaw and therefore they want to carve out this exception. It's a little bit wonky, I guess.
>> Yeah. >> I hope that makes sense. >> Yeah. Know it kind of does. I think I I didn't want I don't think I know I just spoke to Helen, but we didn't have an in-depth conversation and she because she was just at I think the Pier School
building committee and she said they did not have an assigned advisory committee member on that committee. >> They do. It's Carol Levvin. >> Okay. >> She's been on it from the beginning and it's a requirement of of MSBA. In fact,
I was just looking at the MSBA form because there have been questions about why Helen is still the co-chair of the school building committee having no longer been um elected to school committee.
>> Okay. >> So, that the form actually and I think that also is is is in the explanation. I don't I I can't imagine Helen maybe that was a No, Carol Levin is on the school
building committee. >> Okay. >> So, let me ask a question. Clarify this warrant article um provides an exception from a past policy um allowing advisory committee members to serve on building committee. Is that
what that what's this is about? It ensures that advisory committee members can serve on school building committees. >> Can or have to? >> Can I think I guess >> provide for a narrow exception allowing
AC members to serve on boards or committees related to the construction or reconstruction of specific town buildings or properties such as school building committees. It would provide for the exception allowing. >> Yeah. So they can
>> Yeah. >> And in the case of MSBA, somebody from the town um >> from the >> fiscal management board has to >> Okay. >> Right. The MS It says that in the explanation the MSBA mandates a municipal budget official.
>> Right. >> Okay. >> Which could be uh someone from the finance committee, municipal finance committee, which is our AC. So, I guess the first question is, should weigh in on this? Seems it seems
to me we should since they specifically mentioned school building committees. >> I think so. Um, but we don't have to. I think we should because I think that it came up
in part specifically because of school building committees and I think it's really important for somebody from our advisory committee to be on school building committees. >> Why do you think that Caroline?
>> Because they have relevant expertise. they have they would tend to have fiscal e expertise. >> I mean as I recall from the number of build building projects I was involved with that there were so many you know there bunch of people on those
committees and >> um I'm trying to think I know that Peter Row was on most of those committees. He was the business and finance guy from the high school I mean from the for the school system. >> Yeah. I'm just, you know, so I'm just thinking out loud. You had a lot of people there who knew what was going on
with those projects, including some folks who understood the f the fiscal um situation. So, you know, I was on the advisory committee for six weeks when I said I'm not going to do this anymore. Um, and they have a lot to one of the reasons I couldn't do it is because I was working and it was a monstrous
responsibility. Carolyn, you know that. Um, so I just, you know, one of my reactions, do we have to have an advisory committee member on another committee? That's all that's my my concern is these are volunteers and they have a lot of responsibility as
everybody knows. So here's another responsibility. Is it necessary? My gut is that it's not necessary. But if the law says they have to we have to have a representation have to have representation from a townwide finance committee. Well, there's no question
there. I think it's important to have, you know, sort of fiscal input. Maybe oversight's not the right word, but but input and the perspective
um from an official town committee and yeah, the MS. Yeah. So, >> except it does say mandate a municipal budget official. So again, it could be like the Peter Rose, which would be Susan Given now, or it could be um
anybody from, you know, it could be Melissa, could be so >> Susan Given is also um sorry, I'm going to try and pull up this form. Um >> she would have to be on the committee.
Yeah, >> that's an absolute >> form found here. So, um, how can I do this?
Can I screen share or >> You should be able to if you hit share. So long as you've got that window. Let me see if I can put the Okay, I'm so not good at Zoom. Do we have comments here?
>> Uh, do we have a share? I see a share. Does that not do it? >> Let's see. Um, I just have so many things open on my desktop. Um,
yeah, sorry. I'll try. Do you guys want to see this form from the MSBA or >> just tell us what it says? Oh, >> it's so to read it. >> You can read it. >> Okay. So, they require Sorry, bear with me. Okay, they require
an SBC member who is MCPPPO certified. I forget what that is. That's something some kind of financial stuff. Local chief executive officer. >> That would be business and finance.
>> Administrator or manager. >> That would be Tony Wiggly. school committee member minimum of one superintendent of schools local official responsible for building maintenance. So
I think Lap Yan serves on this or it would be >> Clancy >> Charlie. Um representative of office authorized by law to construct school buildings.
School principal member knowledgeable in educational mission and function of facility. local budget official or member of local finance committee. So that's AC members
of the community with architecture, engineering andor construction experience. >> Other it's a big committee. >> It is a big committee. >> We used to have those meetings I think every other week. Maybe every week. >> Yeah.
>> With the construction. The point is they require an AC member which is why that is why this >> okay >> that is why the select board wants this brought this warrant article to ensure
that they we can have >> we must have >> member >> must have >> in the case of an MSBA product must have >> okay no-brainer Okay. So, uh do we want to bring this
forward to to the whole committee? >> Sure. >> Okay. Okay. Um >> just forformational really. I mean, yes, for a vote, but you know, it's just good for everybody to know who's on those building boards, building, you know, building. Yeah.
Do you think you would want me to invite anyone to our October 22nd meeting to further describe it or do we have enough information from the documents that are filed? >> Have there been are there other members of the committee who have served on
these boards? I'm sure they have. Well, unless Helen is the only one who did it. >> Andy has Andy has been on the Pierce, hasn't he, Betsy? >> That's right. Val was on Driscoll. Val Driscoll. >> Yeah. So they know, they're very familiar.
>> And the question really is not about how the boards operate. the the impetus for this Warren article really came from again this sort of peripheral conversation, a different conversation
wherein Joe Kalinan noticed I believe that there were AC members on other boards that he had concerns that our bylaws
said they should not be on because they were AC members and then they wanted to carve out an assurance that AC members can continue to serve on SBC's. So, it's not even really it's not a
question of it's not about school building committees per se. It's about ensuring that AC members can continue to serve on school building committees. Well, it also says construction of other town buildings or properties. Oh,
>> or other town buildings or properties. Yeah, sure. >> It's not just school buildings. They just happen to mention that as an example, >> right? So, like maybe like there's going to be Fiser Hill West or I I don't know what else. I don't know what else we build other than schools.
Nothing. >> Well, Fisher Hill West is Yeah, that's a possibility. Um, yeah, it's only been about 10 years since we purchased the property. >> Hasn't been that long. >> Paying for it.
>> There you go. Um, okay. Should we take a vote on how how we want to do this? I mean, what we want to say? Uh, Caroline. >> Uh, yes, >> Bob. >> Sure. Yes. Um, I'm gonna say yes to bring it to the full committee, but I
need to do a little bit of background work myself just to understand um what people are thinking about this. So, >> thank you Suzanne. >> Yeah. Um, I think that's it for the articles. Uh, and that was our main task
today. Uh, I think >> Oh, sorry. >> Go ahead. I have a general question and it might it it I suppose now we're we've started talking about school building committees.
The peer school building committee membership has changed because the principal changed, the superintendent changed. Helen isn't a school committee member anymore. Um, Betsy, are we not supposed to ratify
changes in SBC memberships? >> Um, I don't think, not since I've been here. You mean has the school committee taken votes on the SBC membership? >> Yeah, I thought since I've been here that we did when something else changed. >> I can't recall, but I'll check.
>> Yeah, I can't recall either. I feel like changes happen all the time and they just happen to I don't know if my mind is working correctly, but didn't the school committee empower Helen to stay on the Pierce committee? >> We did election.
>> We did. I think >> maybe that's what I'm thinking about. >> I think we did. I think a bunch of us I know said, you know, she's going to be around. She's got a lot of experience. Let Helen stay on the Pierce Committee as as our representative.
No, not as our She can't be our representative. She's not a school committee member. She can be an other. >> She can't be a school committee representative because she's not a school committee member. >> Yeah, I know we had that conversation. I'm not clear on what exactly happened. But
>> so maybe that's what I'm thinking about. Betsy, Betsy, do you remember that conversation? I don't I don't remember it as a docketed item. Um to be honest, >> I don't think it was. Yeah, I would say that the only um if the school committee were to have taken action, it could only
be on the school committee's representatives. The school wouldn't take wouldn't >> appoint the AC member or appoint the >> no >> you know the others etc. So um >> yeah so I guess that's sort of my question. I don't know who forms
the initial committee that I feel like if I just recall from older documents when I was in superintendent's office was a letter from the town administrator to the MSBA listing them all out cobbled together
from obviously like the superintendent saying this is who our community representative is or our principal etc. So, >> Bessie, is Andy still surveyed in any capacity on the Pier School? >> I believe so. Yes, >> I think Andy is. Yeah, >> I'm just looking.
>> Well, we have to have someone. So, Andy is >> Andy. Yep. >> Andy's a person >> and I would think he is the co-chair because the co-chairs are supposed to be select board school committee are supposed to be the co-chairs.
>> We could check on that. Let's see. >> Anyway, sorry that's a digression, but that as I said, that question came up um elsewhere. >> Okay. Um
so we can we can go to new business. And the thing I'd like to bring up is how often this subcommittee would like to meet. So no one is is a delegate to the MASC. So we don't really have to go over those resolutions since we're not going to be there for a vote. I mean people
can look at it and kind of discuss it if they want but we don't have to we won't have a vote on it. So um and then the next so kind of the three things we do well we do the ward articles twice a year this commit subcommittee we do MASC
resolutions in the fall if we have a delegate and then we get ready for the um uh the panel with our legislators. When are we doing that this year Betsy March or January or >> uh we do it in February now it's usually
Monday the Monday before the February vacation which is February 9th this year. Okay, great. Thank you. >> And this subcommittee works on the what we call our legislative priorities that we >> Right. Right. So that's kind of what we do for the year. So we can meet four times or three times actually. Um if
that sounds good. Uh if this committee wants to be more involved with things like MASC's day on the hill or following closer legislation both state and federal, we could do that. It's it's kind of up to
the subcommittee uh what we want to do. So, I'm gonna open it up to our committee members. >> So, I mean, I didn't realize I was I don't think I volunteered for this committee, but I'm very interested in government relations period throughout
my life. >> Yeah. Um, and I'm just gonna open it up and and you know, we're in a we're in a time when the the relationship between the federal government and state governments and local governments is different than it
has been in terms of funding, in terms of philosophy, in terms of edicts that come down from the federal government about what we should do, can't do, can do, blah blah blah. So I guess I'm raising um the issue of the challenges
that we face in terms of government relations and and I'm just asking what might we think that the government relations committee's role could be in terms of that um taking positions, lobbying,
um communicating, you know, because we're in a you know, we're in a very different environment. Um the department of education is being dismantled. Much of the government is being dismantled, you know. So I think
this committee, this little teeny committee um >> the powerful >> can can choose to to do to to take positions to communicate um about government relations. Um >> I'm just, you know, I'm just thinking
out loud, Suzanne and Carolyn. Yeah. Um but you know one of the things that I am concerned about is silence in the face of um um troubling changes. Um we all know the
history. So do we want to be more powerful? Do we want to change our role or add to our role to some extent? I'm just asking a question. you know, I would probably say, yeah, let's think about that. Let's
let in the in this environment um in the world of education and also polit educational politics, what what might we do? I want to give you more work, Suzanne. >> Yeah, there you go.
>> Well, just so you know, so there's two ways that you can be powerful around all that's going on. one is as the individual, right? I mean, each of us can sign petitions and we follow whoever we follow. I get, you know, I get stuff from um ASCD and the you know, we all
get MASC and I get I get the AFT and NEA, you know, >> yeah, >> bulletins, government bulletins. So you know I personally am connected is how much we do how much we bring the to the whole school committee and you know if
we are to have a voice as a school committee if we are to take positions as a school committee then it has to come to the whole committee of course. >> Yeah >> and that would be uh additional work for everybody but again this is the time to maybe speak up and not be quiet for
sure. Uh so um you know if it's the will of this committee and of the whole committee to have us do more work around you know what is going on um I mean there are particular things I'm sure we can agree on. I'm sure there are other things we may not as a whole committee.
Um I we could do that. I think means we would need to meet more often because we'd have to be timely, right? I mean, um, if if there's a a current legislation that's that's going through,
uh, then we need to be on top of it. If we want to if we want to speak, if we speak two months later, it could all be either dead or tabled or voted down or yes or whatever. >> I mean, the one of the bigger things that we could think about in terms of
government relations is advocating for a better budget from the state. Um, I think that's an ongoing crisis that we all face. So, it's not just Brooklyn, but I would be happy if if this
committee and the whole committee would, again, I just showed up, so maybe this has been done before, Suzanne. >> No, not not recently. Not, >> you know. So, I mean, I think it's a no-brainer, you know, as we think about an override, for example, for perhaps this committee and the whole committee
to say, you know, this is the challenge, fiscal challenge we face as a result of these rising costs. I mean, obviously the override committee is going to talk about that. Um, and hopefully if they decide to have an override vote, they will have a compelling argument that
includes much of what I'm saying right now. But I guess what I'm saying in addition to the local, you know, the local work that might be done, communicating to the community and asking for a vote, um maybe this committee can go beyond that and
recommend um directly to the state, our state legislators, etc., and the governor that um that the public schools are in are in crisis, fiscal crisis, and there's no and there's no end to it. And we know why. you know, obviously we're
limited by two and a half, etc., etc. Um, but it's more than that. It's it's the it's that it's inflation. It's the increasing costs that we face for special education. I'm not saying anything you guys don't know. All I'm saying is that as a government relations committee, we can choose to bring to the
full full school committee position paper of some kind supporting what what we we may be interested in advocating for locally, but also statewide. >> Yeah. Yeah. And you know, there are opportunities to um to speak at
hearings. Uh and I will say that when Brookline speaks, people do listen. Um doesn't mean they'll agree with us or they'll do what we want, but they will listen. >> Okay. >> For sure. So, um I mean, we can do that if we want. Caroline, you have any
thoughts about this? Um, I appreciate Bob's um, perspective here. Um, so yeah, to totally open to to that kind
of direction and I appreciate that the thinking. >> Okay. So, what >> original thoughts? Sorry to say. >> I'm sorry. What? >> No original thoughts. >> Oh, no. That's so I'm just kind of
thinking how how we might organize maybe each of us do some homework. We come back together. We talk about maybe those really big bucket uh topics that we might want to pursue, might want to bring to the whole school
committee, might want to have position papers on or go to the state house. Um you know, plenty of opportunity to do that. And you know, you don't have to work wait for MASC day on the hill. You know, we can go anytime if we have an
agenda that's worthwhile. But >> I agree with what you just said, Suzanne, about Brooklyn being an important community. Um, I had breakfast I have every three weeks I have breakfast with the former for all the retired principles that I work with over the years. And what we were talking
about is the fact that Brookline has always been the lighthouse school district. And you know the people who were there were principles in the system for 25 28 years. >> You know they including me and we were
very proud of the history in Brooklyn of of creating innovative programming that went national and beep is one and facing history is another and teachers mentoring teachers another. Um there's a history here of addressing local
problems that have a national impact. And what we were sort of bemoning is that there's been an absence of that um an absence of that kind of innovation in Brooklyn. But um I guess what what I'm
do is I'm affirming what Suzanne said. Um, and personally when I became the head of Brookline High and I went to conferences and I had my my badge on that says Bob Wro High. I was always shocked at how people would respond to it. They would say, "Oh, Brooklyn High."
Like they go, "Wow, you know, they had a Brooklyn high." I said, "Okay." I mean, you know me, I live in Brooklyn. I'm the principal of the school. But they, you know, national people said, "Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Brooklyn." Um, it's a special place. It always was. And so
in my response to what we're talking about now is, you know, Brooklyn can still be that special place by taking positions that can be adopted um throughout the state or even nationally on education issues. So there
>> so there so one place maybe to start is to look at some of the MASC resolutions. Um, I haven't really studied them because I know we're not going, but it's it might be a place to see where the organization is or sometimes there's
membership, the organization membership is bringing it forward. It's not the MASC board. Sometimes it's the MASC board. Um, but at least start there to see what some of the hot topics are that the districts think we have here in the Commonwealth and then maybe from there
start to bring what we are reading, what we are learning about to this committee and then decide if there's something we want to bring to the whole committee. >> Yeah. And if there are, you know, state hearings or something that would where we could participate, that would be, you
know, a followup from that. >> Yeah. >> Does that sound like an okay plan? >> Yeah. I mean, you know, each of us probably has our own >> thoughts, a lot of things, you know, and, you know, this could be one way to bring those thoughts forward in a more
formal way. >> Okay. So yeah, I think it's a good idea, Susan Suzanne, to look at MASC and you know and and reflect on that and and maybe come up with them some ideas. So maybe we want to have a meeting before the next one. When's the next one scheduled for? >> Oh, we don't even have it scheduled, do
we, Betsy? >> Uh, we do. It's December 15th. >> Oh, we do. December 15th. And that would give us time to be theoretically working on the uh legislative priorities so the school committee could vote on them so we could get them to our >> legislative you know members before any
>> December 15th. Does that sound too far away or does that sound just about right? >> I think that's okay. It's too much. >> Okay. So why don't why don't we do the homework we can do whatever you can do is perfect and um we'll bring it back here and then we'll see if we can
organize it for the >> for the big the whole committee and then we'll that will tie into our legislative priorities right because that's >> and we can talk to each other right over these are we allow Betsy we allowed to talk to three of us about these kind of things away from the school committee is
that a violation of the open meeting thing >> I do believe so. Again, I'm not an attorney, but I do believe that um those deliberations need to be done in public. Do you think, Suzanne? Well, we we
certainly aren't a quorum of the whole committee. So, but actually, I think two out of three of us would be a quorum of the subcommittee. >> I think it depends what you mean by about Bob. Like if you were to write I
think to Suzanne and say, "Hi Suzanne, could you research blank topic?" I think it would be a major stretch for that to be an open meeting law violation if you were to say, "Suzanne, can you
research this topic because it's very important to me and uh we should all discuss it at >> more because it's important. I'm thinking more like if one of us
would write something a pos, you know, sort of a position on something that we think is relevant and >> Oh yeah, we can't talk about it until the meeting. >> So I can't forward to Suzanne some a little paper that I would write. >> Well, unfortunately because two is
a quorum, right? >> Right. This is a threeperson subcommittee. So two is a quorum. So when I write something to Betsy and then Betsy shares with the whole school committee, that's not a violation, right? >> Um that's right. So long as no one's
opining or replying all. Um Right. >> But usually those things are done in advance of what's going to be an eventual public discussion of that document. Right? Like for instance, you might draft something, a legislative piece, and share it with the subcommittee. That would be fine. They
couldn't reply to you >> but for when they got to the meeting to say thanks Bob for that and here are my thoughts about what you wrote you know um they couldn't reply back and say I think you should strike line three or add something here they could we can only do that in a public session
>> but you can forward it in advance of you just can't >> yeah deliver public document as well you know >> I like the idea that you would write me and say I would like to do research on not will you do that Yes. No, I was I
was more proactive than that, Suzanne. >> I was just a little technicality. >> Okay. What What do you think about this, Suzanne? But >> yeah, >> he's open. >> Now, what do I think about? You're just going to say I'm going to put this out there for us to consider. >> Yeah. But the thing, the way I've always
done things is if I if I write something or Carolyn writes something or Suzanne writes something and says, "Bob, check it out." Or, "Carolyn, check it out." and edit it or add or delete what you know that's just normal process of thinking. It's a normal process of governing. >> Yeah.
>> But this open meeting law you gota to secure this path that you have to follow. I don't like it. I think we should I think we should eliminate that law. >> There you go. There you go. I think there's, you know, different leadership
groups and different town councils, you know, take slightly different interpretations of what constitutes deliberation. And in my experience, the current interpretations
tend to be highly cautious, >> oppressive, I said >> I mean you know think about what the purpose of open meeting law is so that you don't have these backroom conversations >> right backroom conver
>> except backroom conversations happen all the time >> well I understand but that's the purpose of the law really >> I mean Suzanne when you were the principal in in Boston for example you you led through backroom conversations you know you didn't go public unless you
had support for it >> I I agree Okay, I understand. But we're we're the subcommittee of the Brooklyn School Committee. So, we're going to you you can send it to us and we will be ready to discuss December 15th.
>> Okay. No, send it to Betsy. Right. >> Send it to Betsy. Right. >> I mean, anybody can do it. I mean, I don't know what I'm going to write on, you know. Hey, >> I know what this is. What? >> You know, I have ideas on educational equity that I'd love to >> You can write something and you can send it and say, "Here's something I wrote."
We're just not going to del. We're not gonna tell you what we think. >> We can't opine on. >> Yeah. So, the first one I'll write is about the end of the open meeting law. Okay. Good. >> People fought hard to get that. So >> there actually like there's great it the
open meeting law is very interesting and I'm a fan of it in terms of >> because I'm I'm really committed to sort of public process and and public bodies obligations to the public. So for me, I
really love the open meeting law because it is the intention, the fundamental intention is to ensure that the public has the opportunity to observe and sometimes participate in the deliberations of public bodies that
result in policy. >> Yeah. Interestingly, we I have rarely heard it talked about in those terms in my experience as a school committee member and it I hear it talked about much more in terms of like
don't send that email, don't reply to that email, don't say this, don't say that. um in terms of sort of controlling speech and behavior rather than that sort of window into public process that
it's meant to afford to the public which makes a lot of sense. >> What's interesting is it doesn't that the open meeting law does not govern the govern schools are run. In other words, I was not subjected to that. >> No, because you're not a public body. That's right.
Yeah, that's right. the whole different culture, >> right? >> You know, >> this is different. We're elected officials. We're in a a public body. It's different. Yeah. >> So, we're gonna stick with it, Bob. >> You guys are just way more enlightened than I am. I'm like,
>> there you go. So, um I'm gonna if if you've had the last word, Bob, I'm going to wrap this up so you can quickly eat dinner before our 5:30 meeting. Right, Betsy? It's 5:30. >> 5:30. That's correct. >> Okay. So, >> maybe look in your calendars. We do have two separate links. I saw that, Betsy.
That's so wonderful. Thank you. >> So, if I open the calendar. Okay. Oh, Betsy. Truly, >> she is amazing. >> There are really no words. We're so lucky. >> That paper's not going to push itself, Carolyn. Okay. Someone's got
>> Okay. So, >> yeah. Thank you everyone. It's a nice little subcommittee. I look forward to our work and I will see you at 5:30. >> Okay. >> Okay. Thanks, Betsy. Bye. >> Bye. Good night. >> Thank you guys.