There's so much to cover, >> you know. I was trying to wrap my head around it today and feel like we could talk about it for All right. So, it looks like this is started. All right. So, um, call the meeting of
the school committee communication subcommittee meeting to order at 401. Um, I'm assuming we don't have any public comments since it's just you and me. Um,
and so I think, uh, we can just jump right into the discussion items. >> That sounds good. So the f the first two that I put on here. So inventory of existing communication tools and what tools should we focus on developing I think
are almost one topic right because >> in a lot of cases the tools we do have and sorry I'm looking over at my other screen here. So that's >> don't worry about it. >> Um the tools we do have all need to be developed anyway. Right. >> Yeah.
Um, so the the channels that I thought we had were I mean we've got the website. >> Yep. >> Um, we have email, although as far as I can tell, we don't have our own list. I think
>> like distribution list. Yeah, I think we're relying on the the district's list, which I think >> is certainly a a start, but there's there's other opportunities like people who don't currently have >> kids in school don't receive.
>> No. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's a good point. >> Um and I think there's there's broader interest in in what we do than just kids who are in schools. So, >> yeah. Um
there is social which we have barely any I mean we don't seem to have a presence at all. >> Yeah. So I was going to ask like if we wanted to do a full inventory like it basically be scraping together I guess all these different sources and just
effectively putting a list together of what sources we do have. >> Like who do we know? I'm trying to think who would be the person that has all that information or if it's literally us piecing it together, which maybe it is and that's fine. But what I'm envisioning in my head is like, okay,
list of tools, list of like who the owner of the content is and like the frequency of how they go out to see like where are the gaps and or like where like what are we missing here and like who are we reaching because it feels like step one is like what is this like
what do we have and to understand informing like where we're missing or like where we're duplicating efforts. I know. And I think I think like our own tools we I think it's up to us to develop them. I mean, I believe I received one email
from the school committee a year ago maybe. >> Yeah. Um, but and I I would have to go back and see whether that was sent through the district or whether it was a a list that we have, but I think either
way it's not active. >> Yeah. >> So, we need to I think it's worth it to determine, you know, are we going to commit to email? And if we are going to commit to email, like we need to develop our own tools. >> Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Um, and I think
so I just to finish off sort of the the inventory part of this, I think that we have some other tools at our disposal through other organizations like the newspapers and the PTO's like they all have active,
you know, they have active social media, they have active, you know, >> so those aren't our tools to use obviously, but I think we could leverage those if people are willing to to start to build our own tools that I think
>> obviously we need to record this because we're here sitting going you know >> well what do we even have >> I don't want people in the future to have to do that >> yeah I agree I agree
>> so I would suggest that what we focus on initially is email and possibly social. I mean, I I social's a tricky one because I know
there, you know, there's a lot of discussion online and I don't think it's appropriate for the school committee. I mean, it's probably more than not appropriate. It's probably illegal for us to participate in that,
especially if it's a quorum of us on the same forum. >> Yeah. So, But I think if we're using it as a one-way announcement platform that might work, you know, we >> more or like Instagram like sharing like I would rather do something like that to
share information out than like Facebook that like engages in like more of a discussion that I feel like can get >> I well I don't so I don't have Facebook, right? So I don't know turn off I'm assuming there's a way to turn off comments,
>> right? like the way >> cuz they enable that I mean the same meta enables it for Instagram right so >> yeah that's true that's true >> and I think if if we were going to use social we would have to do that
>> yeah yeah because I think it could yeah it it yeah I agree >> I mean I think I think we wanted I would like to develop some other tools for getting public comment like maybe a a a
form or do we send out regular surveys? >> Yeah, I think like a fall survey and a spring survey like >> Yeah. Yeah, >> I would love to see that. Especially be Yeah. I mean, we're trying to track our progress. And if you're just doing it
off what your friends or what people are on online are saying, like, you're not getting the the actual culture. >> And I think in a survey, we could try to capture more than just school parents. Um, >> yeah. >> Which links back to like
>> what are the lists? How do we how do we actually reach everybody um in the community? >> So, I Yeah, you're right. So, so it's just like we can make plans all day about what we want to do, but if we don't have the tools to communicate with people
>> that we can't move the needle. >> Yeah. Like what's the point? Yeah. >> And we do have a lot I mean we have a lot to talk about. And right now we have >> I'm I'm like I don't know. I'm trying to run this meeting informally, but I'm I'm like a slave to the agenda. But I did I
did put like the instant recap email on here and um I mean right now >> I think this is an important one. >> I do too. And I think I think we need to do a better job of distributing it
because right now we sort of upload it to the website. It I you know again it's information that people have to know exists. They have to know where to find it. They have to know when to find it and then they have to on their own initiative go track it down.
>> I agree. Yep. >> And I would be surprised if anybody even opened it. >> Yeah, I agree. >> Um especially because we we just you know we have the recordings on the YouTube page, we have the the minutes
and this is this to me I I wanted this to be more of an outreach tool to try to engage people. Right. How do you balance I guess how do we balance speed with accuracy of like information that we're pushing out? Because to me an instant recap I we can talk about what
instant means to you. I'm like okay within a week of each school committee meeting there should be some sort of email being pushed out to people with kind of the highlights of >> things that are talked about in the meeting that are relevant to folks. >> So I think that's a good goal. I'd like
to do it faster, you know, like I don't want to Yeah, that would be ideal. I don't want to put a target on it that we >> can't meet, but I mean with all the tools that we have now, I mean, we have the the AI >> AI transcripts. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I
think the and I my challenge in preparing these in the past was how do I make this concise and relevant like do we pick three headlines rather than put everything and just say here are the top
three stories from this meeting. I mean, if we can't if we, you know, I mean, I don't want to pick and choose what's relevant, but I think if we're sending out basically mini minutes
every time. >> Yeah. It could be here's the top here's the top three things and by the way, here's a link to everything else if you're interested in. >> Yeah, because we'll have I mean, the recording will be up so we can say here's, you know, here's a link to the recording. Um, >> yeah,
>> we're fast enough we can get the minutes up and and the minutes are happening pretty fast now again with AI tools. Um, >> and the minutes are really clear with like what was actually spoken about. So, it should be very easy to create the kind of headlines off of,
>> right? Yeah, it it should be it I I always find maybe this is just my own personal thing, but a lot of words are always easier to write than like a few words. >> Yeah. because um >> it's hard to make things simple, >> but I think if we're if we're sending
out a complete summary of every meeting, I don't know if that's if that's adding as much value as if we're talking just about the highle the main points and providing people with resources to learn more. >> Yeah.
>> Um but again, we we we don't have a distribution list. We you know >> got to start there. >> I think we need to see if we can I think we need to partner with the the PTO's
with the papers, you know, some social media accounts like all Marblehead possibly. >> Yeah. in in the district to see if we could send some some messages out on their platforms to get people to sign up for our our
>> Yeah, that's what I was going to like because we need to even if we want people to sign up, we need to have a list of who we're going to to like, hey, come sign up for this. And I think we need to start to include it in our in our regular business meetings, you know,
like in our twice monthly meetings to say, you know, please sign up for our emails. >> Yeah. >> Uh and we also need to choose a platform because I think we should probably choose something like Mailchimp or something that's going to
>> make this easy. Um, yeah, you know, Jen was bringing up >> how do we do this without using too much of the district resources, and I think that's a great point. I mean, you know, we we can do this on our own, but we may
need a vendor to help. >> Yeah. Yeah, agreed. >> Especially just to manage that. I mean, just managing an email list is >> a tremendous amount of work just doing it manually. So, >> Yep, that makes sense. I don't know if
we want to I may um I'm trying to figure out how to bring this to the full committee to say, you know, we're going to explore some vendors for newsletters. >> Yeah. >> Um so I may just bring that up in in
sort of new business tomorrow even. >> Good idea. Yeah. >> Um >> yeah, and and like conscious we can't pay for a brand new tool. We need to try to work within the confines of what we have already and not >> Yeah. And I think in in some I mean
we're not going to be doing robust email marketing. We're going to send >> you know two two I don't know two to five emails a month, right? >> Yeah. Right. Like I mean if we're >> fly below any like premium, >> right? like it would be two and I you
know I think like if we wanted the budget subcommittee or something to send out their own you know message or if we wanted to update people on the roof I think that we enable those subcommittees to use the tool too. >> Yeah. >> Yeah, that's a good idea.
>> So yeah, I mean you know it's it's 60 emails a year at most. >> Yeah. Um, and I feel like we could, depending on the size of the list of people who sign up, you know, we could definitely get it done with the cheapest
account option. And if we're lucky, I mean, we could start with the free account. Um, but even I think even the cheapest one is like $10 to $15 a month. >> Yeah. Um and in some ways removing the burden from the
administrative staff of the district is probably worth that on its own. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Um so we need to explore vendors. I guess we can meet next time we meet. we
you know let's well tomorrow evening we can talk to the rest of the committee about about vendors. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And just say that we're going to be looking and just make sure that's authorized and um and then we can meet
again and compare. >> Yeah, that works. >> And then probably next steps from there because I think we need to choose a vendor before we can build a list. And we need to build a list before we can >> Yeah. Yeah, >> I wonder if it's worth >> Yeah. can also try to have some
conversations with folks like at on the PTO as an example for like how they built their list up and like what did they like just try to learn from people that have done it before. Um >> yeah, >> I can try to do that as well. >> Yeah, that'd be good. And then and then I I hope that they would I mean I hope
that people would be willing to send out a message. >> Yeah. >> Asking people to sign up for the >> Yeah. >> the newsletter. The other couple tools that I thought we could do a better job leveraging is uh the paper. I mean, I
noticed that the board of health, Thomaso, has a has a weekly column now in the in the >> Oh, interesting. >> Um and and I had talked to him about that a month or so back. Uh but
you know that's another option >> idea >> especially you know what I'd like to do is be able to write one sort of one piece. So, uh, you know, maybe >> and just have it get pushed out to
various places and like >> like instead of writing a couple, you know, instead of spending a couple hours every week writing uh writing stuff for the school community communications, we write one thing and send it out on a bunch of different platforms.
Um, but >> I think we I think we have to think a little bit more about social. It's it would be easier to grow that audience and and it might be a good way for us to
get some subs subscribers to our email list is by promoting it on social, which is a free tool. I mean, it's as as free as >> Yeah. >> as you would want it to be. And I know that there are a couple school committee accounts. I think I saw one that had two
followers and one that had like 12. So, it's not it's not really out there. And I it's it seems like committees in the past have tried to start it, you know, like they've they've gone in there >> well intentioned and then it just doesn't Yeah.
>> And again, you know, all this stuff is lost. So, we need to we need to record this stuff somewhere. >> Yeah. I'm noticing that a lot of we have a lot of policies but like the procedures and and and >> operational aspect of
>> Yeah, we haven't really recorded that so well. So, as you know, I've been like kind of working on that. >> Yeah. >> Um Okay. I mean, is there anything else you wanted to talk about regarding tools or next steps with tools or
building a list? And >> I guess just no. I would just say like do we think it's worth reaching out to anyone like in the administration to ask like what tools they're using? >> Yeah. Yeah. I think it is >> also do that because it feels like Yeah.
>> I think it's worth information. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> There's a lot of people who do this, you know, >> professionally too in the community. >> Yeah. Right. >> Um I mean >> Yeah. This is not my professional wheelhouse. So I'm like I can talk to people and like understand what's what
I'm kind of in the same place where like I know what Mailchimp is and what what it entails, but like I'm certainly not an expert. >> Yeah. Right. Right. >> Um >> Okay. Yeah, I can I can plan to do that, too. Let's get some more information.
>> Yeah, because I I would like to get these these instant recaps going again. >> Um but it >> is there anyone that would have on them? Like if we haven't if we haven't approved the minutes formally, >> do we have to get anything signed off
before we send out an instant recap? >> I think that we we established that the chair and John would have a chance to review this. >> Okay. >> So the timing is a little weird, right?
Like because we meet on Thursday evenings typically and then like like we could probably bust it out pretty quickly on Friday morning. >> Yeah. >> But I don't want John or the chair in
this case Al to be sort of on call all day Friday >> and like waiting to review. Yeah. >> And then you've got the weekend. But but maybe if we target sort of a Monday release, it's not bad timing to sort of
>> get in people's minds at the beginning of the week. Y >> um again, like >> we can write these all day long, but we don't have any means of distributing. >> Yeah. >> Yep. Okay. >> So, I think recording that that approval process is also
>> important. Yeah. And we're not approving the minutes, so we couldn't include them in that email, but we could, you know, again, we can include a link to the video that adds up immediately. >> And I think >> choosing three headlines and,
you know, there there may be other information that we want people to know. I mean, I love that John is, you know, doing his own commendations for his staff and the teachers and and we've got highlights from from the students as
well and all that stuff in the meeting, >> you know, so it's already written. John could just pass that along to us. We could include commendations, right, very easily. Um, you know, we could see if if the district update that John provides
is something that the papers might want to print. And so >> instead of him just reading it at the meeting and and hoping that people are tuned in. >> Yeah. It brings a a little bit more gravit like like it's some something. Yeah. >> Well, and again, it's already written,
right? Like so we're not even the only additional work is that he sends it to to you know two email addresses. Yeah. Yeah. >> Um Okay. So, we'll we'll come back to this at our next meeting. I guess we have some exploration to do.
>> Yep. That sounds good. >> Um I had appointing a subcommittee chair on here. Um it looks like it's on the it's also on the agenda for tomorrow evening. >> I really it does not matter to me who
>> I don't I don't care. I just who so we know who's accountable for posting the meeting instead of >> Exactly. No, it matter like >> it matters such that I care who's responsible for doing that. >> It matters to have somebody there, but I it whether it's me or you, it doesn't
really matter. I'm happy to do it though. >> I I don't care either way. >> Okay. Well, then how about for now? Um I'll nominate myself for chair. >> I will second that. >> And um Okay. So, we'll take a vote. Um, Melissa
and Yes. >> Okay. So, we can come back. I think that I'm pretty sure that the subcommittees are empowered to appoint their in fact, they're expected to appoint their own chairs. >> I've heard that and then I've also heard that the chair of the committee is supposed to do that as well.
>> Yes, I've heard the same thing as well. So, >> we will hear tomorrow. >> We'll do both, right? >> Yes. >> That's um >> cross our tees and dot our eyes. Yes. So, we can we can come back to with that tomorrow. And then you suggested that we finalize
a regular meeting schedule. >> Yeah. This doesn't have to be that specific, but just agreeing to like whether we want to meet monthly or whatever cadence we think makes the most sense and then but I think we should try to if we can in this meeting pick a date for the next one just so we like have it
on the calendar and we're aligned. Well, I'm wondering like do we track it to the schedule of regular school committee? Like do we meet the Tuesday before >> Oh, that's a good idea. >> You know, before the first meeting of the month and just do it
>> I like that idea. >> Yeah, I like that idea. >> Um Yeah, cuz that way you know it it it I like I like being able to bring things to the committee >> to Yeah. and say, "We met on Tuesday. Here's what we talked about. Here's any Yeah. Yeah. Um, I don't think we need to
meet more than once a month. >> I don't think so either. We may, you know, as we're sort of getting some of these tools off the ground, if we need to make decisions, like maybe we do post a quick meeting with a single
agenda item to say, uh, you know, we've reviewed some email vendors and we want to make a decision to pass before, you know, so I think we should reserve the ability to call a very quick meeting to discuss a single
thing. But I think let's say our rough schedule is the Tuesday before the first meeting, the first business meeting of the school committee every me every month. >> Okay, that sounds great. >> Okay. >> Yeah, and I agree. I mean, it'll help move things along faster if we're not waiting four weeks if we just want to
talk about some like quick decision on a tool or something. So, >> yeah, >> makes a lot of sense. >> Yeah, especially because we do need like we can make recommendations, but ultimately the whole committee has to decide. So, >> Yep. >> All right. Good. Then uh I'll make a motion to
adjurnn unless you have anything else. >> Nope, I'm good. >> Okay. Um >> second. >> I will second. >> Okay. Uh Melissa in favor and I think Henry Glaz in favor. All right. Thank you. This meeting is
adjourned at 4:24. Thank you. >> Awesome. Thank you. You'll see tomorrow.