the meeting notice so I can read it. Well, why don't I get started? I'll read the meeting notice and call the role and hopefully member parks will be along by the time we're done. Um, okay. So, please be advised that on
Wednesday, May 6th at 4:30 will be a strategic planning subcommittee meeting held through remote participation via Zoom. The meeting is being recorded. Um, the meeting can be viewed live on Medford Public Schools YouTube channel through Medford Community Media on your
local cable channel which is Comcast 98 or 22 and Verizon um 4345 or 47. Since the meeting will be held remotely, participants can log our call using the following call-in number. Um, the Zoom
meeting ID is 91525771727. Um, questions can be submitted during the meeting by emailing Jenny Graham at medford.k12.mma. us and those submitting must include first and last name Medford Street address and question or comment. Um, I will call the
role. Um, member Rinfeld >> present. >> Member Parks is coming along and then member Graham here. So, two are present. One is >> she is >> here she comes.
>> Maybe you should call the roll again. Where'd she go? She's joining. We'll give her just a second. Hello, member parks. We were just calling the role and um I assume you're here. >> Um okay. So, um, our agenda for today
is, um, based on the resolution that member Rinfeld offered, um, which says, "Whereas members of the Medford community have provided input into the strategic planning process via survey and focus groups, and whereas the Medford School Committee has identified a permanent superintendent for the
district, and whereas the Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee has submitted its educational plan to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, and whereas the district is convening a dedicated task task force to address overcrowding in elementary schools and examine the viability of a 56 and 78 model for MPS
middle schools. Now therefore be it resolved that the strategic planning subcommittee shall meet to establish the process deliverables and timeline for the development and review of the community informed strategic plan. Um so that's our agenda for today. So I
think we weren't necessarily looking to like finish or finalize anything but more talk about um like what are the milestones and and thoughts on next steps um that we can take. Um and I will
start by saying um one thing that I think would be helpful to do is for us to um take the survey results that we received and produce some kind of like
report from this committee that says like here's the here's the input that we received um based on these questions and just to be able to like boil it up in some salient way as like perhaps like a a handoff to um the school team to say
like this is this is sort of the summary of feedback. But um I'm totally open to whatever approaches that we collectively want to take um to um think through this
and I am assuming Dr. Glucy this also ties to your new superintendent induction program. So, um, yeah, I'm just curious what everyone is thinking about in terms of like what the right next steps are and like how this timeline would like lay on top of all
the other things that we're doing in the district as well. So, I'll stop talking. So I I absolutely intended for the um for the survey results to be summarized,
compiled themes pulled out. Um my thought was that between that and then compiling any other assets we have things like the instructional vision portrait of graduate the values that the values work that all the different schools have been
doing um to to any extent that the high school educational plan should be a part of it. I don't think that should be the main driver, but a lot of work went into that and a lot of thoughtfulness both for the high school, but I think it does reflect some of the larger district pieces. But really all of those what are
the common themes of all of those documents and that that community input. Um I think that informs district-wide goals. um which I think this committee ought to and this this group this group of people not just the committee but in
partnership those goals should be defined and then from there I think those turn into um objectives that are more department specific or school specific grade specific what are the actual things that we're achieving and then from there
certainly the district the school team is going to be looking at metrics and milestones but I think in terms of that the survey A and then all of those other assets. What are the things that we know that we believe about our district and that we want to see about our district? When we met in October, we talked about
the vision statement for the district and potentially revising that. Um I think some of that work was was going to happen in the focus groups which had limited turnout. I think most people really preferred to provide their community input through the survey. Um,
and then the other piece that I thought was a groundwork setting was looking at a couple other district strategic plans just to say what do we like about this? I remember member Graham you mentioned like Lexington painted this really
beautiful picture of rooted in history and current values and what that is. I know I think it was Salem did a strategic anyway I think there are some strategics plans out there that we might just want to look at and say yeah these are the components we definitely want to
include but gathering those pull out the themes set the goals and then start drilling down into um what this looks like and I would really welcome the input around the
timeline for those different steps Um, I would certainly like to see us pull themes and um, just articulate what came out of the survey before the end of the school year. I know we all have a lot going on and it is Maycember but
getting those and it feels a little bit like summer might be a time that might be more conducive to diving deeper. But I I will ask what seems like a reasonable time frame. So, I think the only thing I would
probably add to a lot of this, I think a lot of what has been said has been conversations that the team on our side has been having. Um, I know I've mentioned it before, but the Medford High School has participated for the
past two years. We've been the wonderful recipients of a bar uh foundation grant which has really been the catalyst for a lot of the instructional work that we've been doing around the district. Um we
are now going through the process to have another iteration of bar funding to help us continue that work. Yes, at the high school but districtwide. This is a slightly different grant. This is called meeting the moment. We're in a
cohort. Um this grant is very specifically targeted to the work that we're doing um across the district. So part of our proposal for this grant funding, which we won't find out about until June, we have our fingers crossed
in a very positive um way. But in a lot of the conversations and work that we've been doing collaboratively on this side um through that proposal we have put in um
a piece to have some technical assistance like consultant to help us with this work. Um I think it would be very helpful to the consultant knows the work that we're that we've been doing. Um my
interim report on findings and my self-evaluation very much framed a lot of the work that we've been doing here around um belonging consistency coherence that is a structure we would like to see uh the
strategic plan be framed that is a lot of the work that we've been doing on this side so having a technical assistance partner one that is familiar with the work we've been one that's been with us um to help us manage the structure will just free up I think
a lot of the bandwidth for the team on this end especially with to the point in the resolution about the task forces and the MSBA and just a lot of the continued work in the district so that we're able to really focus on the content and
providing our expertise to the content and really as you said member Rinfeld kind of like digging into what the the goals and the objectives and the metrics. We don't want to have anything on there that is not measurable. So, I think partnering with someone would
would help us tremendously. um as we kind of engage in this and and we're we're thinking the same way you are in terms of at least the initial timeline where I think the summer is a
great time to really kind of at least lay out the overall structure. Um, and June is early June is when we find out about the grant. So, >> Yep.
>> I do think um before the school year is over, I think it's reasonable for us to get um a draft of the survey findings together. That seems doable. Um, and
that would position us well to like fingers crossed like be able to sort of take off from there in the summer um with all the other assets and hopefully with the support of um this
grant that would help us do that. >> Much agreed. >> Yeah, that would be great. There's always the question with strategic planning of do you bring in a consultant or not? Um and so if that can be built into this grant, I'll cross my fingers as well.
>> And um if we if we are thinking about that kind of timeline so we can summarize the feedback survey by the end of the school year and then um get started on the work in the summer. Um,
are we thinking that like a strategic plan would be drafted? Like I don't have a sense of like what kind of timeline you all are thinking about and and then I guess we can talk about how does it like match all these other timelines.
>> I think that second part is really the the piece to kind of dig into. um in just a very preliminary conversation that Kim and the team and I have had over on this side is um I think some
would depend a little bit but on the the the thought the technical partner assistance partner however it's one that we we would like to use one we've already been partnered with because we could hit the ground running. >> Yes. So I I would assume
to be thoughtful yet aggressive maybe like if we're doing this work if we're getting ourselves situated in the summer so that we're doing the bulk of this work in the fall then I think you know January February feels right >> okay
>> to be to be finished and is that finished with a full plan or is that laying out I guess I guess it's the summer laying out because I see it we're laying out the vision for the district and the the broad goals of what we want to accomplish that everything
kind of maps to those and say in support of the goals we're going to accomplish these things in the area of operations in instruction. >> Correct. So, I I think I think coming up with that that that
big vision statement and and broad district-wide goals that every objective we have supports those goals. You're saying that would be the work of the summer and then diving into what the objectives and
>> I think that would be the work. Yeah, I think I think I want to take the consultant's pace on that because one of the benefits of hiring a consultant is that they're able to gather like really meaningful feedback from lots of stakeholders who are experts in their
own experience. And so I think that might take more than just the summer, but once you have those things laid out, the internal team in Medford is really solutionoriented. And so I think the goals are the hard
part. I think the metrics are the next most difficult part and then the action items just kind of come together. But in my experience, it's kind of organic and so setting like project benchmarks along the way doesn't necessarily always work.
So I guess what I would say is it would be reasonable to anticipate February landed with goals and metrics and strategies. Um, one question I had around that is I
feel like people are getting interview fatigue like people have been providing input. They've been talking about what they want to see. they've been obviously more so at the high school, but I do think we've had a lot of these
conversations and we have a lot of this information and I wonder if it would be more um respectful of people's time to say here is a draft vision goals and let people respond to something concrete rather than trying to build it again
from scratch. I feel like we have so many pieces between the instructional visions and the school values and the community feedback. We've we've asked people a lot of these questions already and I think it might feel more
productive to have them respond to, hey, here's what we heard and what we think this looks like and something that feels right to us. Does it feel right to you? We >> I can be talked out of that, but >> no, we we don't disagree. We don't disagree. We actually had that
pretty much identical conversation um member Rinfeld because even for just all of the um shifts in leadership, every one came with an interview. So we do have a lot of recent input and data um
between my transition and a lot of community events between the MSBA. You are right. There are there's a multitude of data sources that we have at our fingertips and I think we would be much it would be much better served to provide a framework that people are
responding to rather than like the openness of how do you want this to to look or what are your specific pieces on that. I I think it would be much better feedback if they're responding to
a friend. >> If we are talking about a consultant though, I do think um a good consultant is not going to reinvent the wheel. A bad consultant is going to reinvent the wheel >> 100%. Um, and a good consultant, but a
good consultant is going to like repeat the things that are worth repeating because there's strategic value to like the exercise. Um, and sometimes that feels like we're doing the same thing again, but usually it's because there's
like a different intended outcome. So I I feel like less strongly about like being positioned about like not repeating things because a good consultant repeats things strategically
um to build consensus to like really get to the meat of something to like push on like clear assumptions people are making that may not hold up. Like there's a lot of reasons why people do those things. So I don't that doesn't bother me so much. I mean, if it's a bad consultant,
it's a bad consultant. And that bothers me like just sort of in a global way, but um you know, I I think you know, whoever this is coming in, like they're going to read everything. They're going to they're going to dive in and they're going to ask questions of a smaller
group of people before they sort of take their show on the road. Um but they are like for them to do their best work, they're going to have to talk to people. And I think we just have to be okay with that. um to some, you know, like to some degree.
>> Um, >> member parks, did you have >> I was just going to say, but it would be in that context. It would be like we're gathering additional because we found X, Y, or Z and we need to kind of dig deeper. So, I think that that it would
be kind of within that context. like it we wouldn't necessarily have a framework laid out per se for them to respond to, but it would be kind of in the context of we've honed in on this and we need to now dig deeper. I think in that
situation, which I think, you know, people get that. >> Yeah. Well, and I think there's more than likely lots of conflict in the data that we have, right? Like if you talk to 100 people, they're not going to like agree on the same premise. So if you
have like big swats of people who have different opinions about the same thing, like that that that means something and like you have to resolve for that before you can like really like go forward. Um, but I do think like timelinewise,
think, you know, thinking about being able to get started in summer and um conclude at some point in like January or February before budget season um feels like the right timeline um for this as like a standalone project. And I guess the
second question is like what about like how does this match like the middle school work? Uh the other thing I just wanted to say too in terms of like the digging deeper I was also very transparent in our data set right it does not reflect
all voices. So the one thing in this in terms of digging deeper is also to make sure that we are we're approaching the work so that we're capturing the voices of Medford. Um uh so in terms of that the task force
work I think that's maybe a little difficult to pin down right now. We had our first meeting um our introductory meeting. Everyone's very well uh resourced with all materials um so they can kind of see the the
report that was provided by HMFH. We our next meeting is next week and we will be taking that meeting at the Andrews Middle School and it will include a little bit of a tour of the Andrews Middle School, maybe some of the
constraints and possible opportunities. So, I think it's a little hard to gauge what the total timeline would be. Um I do we
talked a little bit about I think there's like two pieces running here when we're talking about the task force. There's the grade configuration of 5 6 7 8 and then there's also the middle school model uh the team model. And so
both of those things need to kind of be points of conversation regardless just to see which how the paths go. So if we're not able to really fully engage in the great configuration, there's still um the model to to kind of vet out
a little bit. So I would anticipate I think it feels very safe to say that those time frames are somewhat aligned. I don't know what member parks how you feel about that task force timeline.
We're a little early still. >> We're a little early. I mean I think it I mean it depends on the team but I think it could be barring anything that comes up.
I mean there are some big decisions I think that could change that and some of it it some of it truly is what what comes out of you know
a big question is what does fifth grade look like and what does fifth grade look like creates two different space needs I think and and that's been flagged and so it's it's going down kind of two separate paths in a sense until that
determination is made. >> I think it's really likely we're going to have a hole in this middle school aspect of it. Um, and I'm I'm nervous about delaying the whole process because of that. Um, I
don't want to do that, but I recognize that whatever's decided around middle school is going to have some impact on the other pieces of before middle school, after middle school, and we are all part of one one district together.
Um, because we are the task force is currently still in the can we actually do this. Um, and we're we're talking about should we do this, but really we're in the can we phase rather than the how. Um, but I think it is reasonable once we
kind of get past the yes, is this possible and do we want to to really explore it? I think it is reasonable to ask the task force looking at who's on there of what are the guiding principles in making these decisions and I think
those guiding principles do inform the strategic plan. And I think if we haven't done that by the fall or in in early fall, we're the task force is to will be too I think that I think that's a natural part of what's what will happen with the task
force in the fall is those like what do we want to keep in mind? There's a lot of logistical questions, but the like what are we trying to achieve? what what are our goals for middle school students should come out of that before we start really diving into the
the exactly what will it look like >> but also and maybe I'm thinking of this wrong but wouldn't these higher level elements of the strategic plan help inform should we
be doing it at all once we kind of figure out what it is, you know, because it's it's identifying if it's possible, if it's possible, we identify, okay, how to go about it. And then once we
figure that out, it's should we do it? But that should we do it then ties back to kind of the higher up the mission vision. >> Yeah. Does this support >> does this goals supported >> our higher level part of the strategic
plan? So we would need that in place to be able to say should we right or am I thinking about that wrong >> sounds right to me. It sounds a little circular no matter which way we look at it. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I I guess from my perspective too,
like should we is like a really dangerous question to be asking about the middle school model because if we say no, we shouldn't like the the
next question would have to be well what should we do because we we like are approaching this at all because we are trying to solve problems. So the school committee has already said like we >> we intend to do this that
>> right >> that is what we said >> we yeah and so like the question is how should we right and certainly if there's if there's a reason not to do it we want to know right like that's fine but um
you know I I do think like we have to alleviate the issues at the elementary schools like we have too and if absent like this being a solution like we need another solution and I'm
not sure the community is going to find it suitable to say like we have to undertake more building projects right so um the consequences of saying no to something like that are pretty significant um for our district and for our
students. So, um I guess the qu my question um is like you know when we talk about like the the big decisions that need to be made like there's like the big decisions and then there's like operationalizing those big decisions.
Um, and that can take longer. But like for example, like one of the things that we talked about was like we're going to if we're going to do this, we want to give our elementary schools enough runway so that they know that they're going to graduate not just fourth grade fifth graders next year. They're going
to graduate fourth graders, too. And that means something very particular to families. And it means something different in every building. And it's not a like a thing that you can like whip up in April of next year. So like
we there is a like there's some progressive probably some progressive decision-m that will have to happen on on that committee. Um and not to mention like if there's construction and other things like those those things all like you know they
don't happen in a minute. So, um I mean to me like the strategic plan of the district right now is to solve that problem, right? And like that's going to be the number one thing in terms of like work that
we're going to do. Um because we're having to actively solve for it right now. So, I don't think that's a problem. Like I don't if it overlaps, it doesn't bother me so much. if it like underlaps, it doesn't bother like it like the timing of that is going to
not be perfect with this work. Not unless we say we're not going to do this work until we're done with that. And that's like not ideal either. So, I think we just have to sort of be okay with there being some >> like there's overlap or, you know, or
contention in in trying to do a lot of things at the same time. So, I think that's okay. Like I I don't think that's an issue and I think people are, you know, people are able to understand that, you know, we can do more than one thing at a time. So I think that's okay.
>> I think overlap is our middle name at this point. >> Exactly. >> So agreed. And I think that's why for our second meeting, we're already going to be touring um a facility to so that we can fully aware that
we have a shorter runway and need to be communicating and making plans which is why >> we had to make sure that we had this meeting on site >> um before the school year ended. >> Yeah. Yeah. Because this is the the
looking at the Andrews is is saying can we physically >> right >> take a school that houses 450 and have it house 600 like it's that math. Hmh see seems to think so but we have to
look at the spaces. That's what this next week's meeting, >> right? They seem to they say we we can at the McGlin we're short a couple classrooms at the Andrews. >> Yeah. >> But we also walked through the Andrews
and said, "Okay, this giant space, >> correct?" So, so I think a week from now we'll we will have answered or gotten much closer to answering that question. So, I don't mean to make it sound like
everything's up in the air until fall. >> We've had one meeting of this task force and >> there is a there is a math question that we can solve. >> Yeah. >> Agree. Agree. So for the strategic plan then I think what I am hearing is like
by the end of the school year we'll have like a summary of the um community input and we'll have a timeline that says like when we intend for there to be an update of this and that update
and you know development of the plan is like February because that like is before budget time which is important. Um, and you know, strategic plans aren't meant to like be once and done. So, if there's, you know, some evolution that
has to happen beyond February, I don't think that's necessarily like problem. Um, and then really the rest of the year would be dedicated to like aligning the strategic plan to the budget and those budget priorities.
Um, so that you know any initiatives can kick off. So, I think that sounds to me like the the right timeline based on what we're saying. >> I would love to put some put a marker on that timeline for September of what what will be accomplished
before or over the summer if I think we said summer. Oh, I guess that with the consultant. I think perhaps fingers crossed that this comes through and we can work with this consultant that knows us and loves us and we love
them. I assume um but with them over the over the summer talking with them about their process and to be able to say this is what's going to happen in the fall. I think that's an important piece of
communication around how we're strategic plan, how the strategic planning will play out. >> That's what we're hopeful for. >> Would you agree, Kim? That's what we're hopeful for. >> Yeah, for sure. Um well and maybe what we can do is say
that by like November we want just like an interim update on what's happening. How's it going? Where are all these things sort of fall sitting and falling and if we're still
like on track for that original does that feel reasonable? Yeah, I am way more comfortable providing updates as often as you want on the process. I'm just not comfortable setting like benchmarks about what's going to be done when without really like having met with
the consultant, having them look at all the work we've done here, get to know us. >> So, I feel like updates feels completely reasonable. >> Okay. >> Yeah, I think that's fine. But we did say June for the current survey results, right?
>> Yeah. >> Okay. >> And to be clear, are those survey results the results that community members responded to, member Graham, when you launched that in like December, January, or are we talking about like
the full like all the times anyone's ever contributed? >> No, no, just the strategic planning survey. Yeah, I think it would be nice to have a list of those other things if if where information is available
where we would find it. >> I I can easily >> I mean and I know a lot of it is in your interim presentation like I think that's a huge that's an asset that goes into if there's a shared folder around this um like that that goes there. There's
the instructional vision goes there. The visioning session summaries might go there. I think we have some work to do in pulling out the themes of the survey responses, but knowing that there's other information in other documents, I
think just a list of those documents would be helpful. >> We can do that with the plan. Um, and is there is there utility to pulling other to explicitly pulling other district plans?
Um, I know we've all probably looked at them and seen them in passing. Is there is there value to calling out we did this with the the AI task force was saying ah yes we like this about this policy and this about
that policy. And I guess my thought is like that that would all be work we would expect a consultant working with us on this to do. Um and if there's not a consultant working with us then yes but >> okay >> um
that's where like we should lever their expertise. >> Yeah, that feels right. Okay. >> Do we have a process or a goal to select a consultant already or >> Yes. So, were you going to speak about
that, Kim? >> I was. >> Yeah. Go ahead. I saw I saw the unmute go. >> Yeah. So the grant the bar foundation is the grant um the grtors and they have a pre-approved list of technical consultants that they work with and so
one of them is Lynch leadership. Springpoint is another one um and there's a third that also does um consulting work on strategic plans. So Lynch leadership also does work on strategic plans. So it will be um we can
choose from their set of options and as Suzanne mentioned working with Lynch leadership has been transformational for our high school and for some of the big changes we've seen in our middle school. So we're hoping to be able to um continue to work with them in the
capacity of setting a strategic plan. >> We did strategic plan work when I was in Wilmington. We had a wonderful consultant and that's what drove and ran the whole process for it and less that let us think about goals and you know achievements and things that we wanted
to do rather than the process you know otherwise you get bogged in the process and >> that's such a great point because if we don't get the grant or if we don't get that point of the grant I would really urge this committee to think about um a
budget for a consultant because like Ken I've been part I've been part of districts that have done this sort of like grassroots like we drive the process and it is >> spins and spins. It's painful >> and a consultant can really like
>> leverage the expertise and like just let us be thinkers and not necessarily like designers and editors and writers. >> It was actually Meg Suzanne was our consultant. >> Oh, that my coach. >> Yes. She, you know, she didn't,
>> she led the process in a way without telling us what we needed to think and set the goals and priorities. She just focused us and moved us and and organized and coralled us when necessary, you know. >> Well, I'm still very optimistic about
the bar grant proposal. we will know in June, but that's good feedback to hear and um I'm sure it's another layer of resource at our fingertips if we need. I will also ask while we're all here, um
Joan will be retiring in September. Um, and just to make sure that we capture her thoughts here and make sure that that that that plays in with the deep
knowledge you have of >> Medford. Absolutely. I'm I'm here till September, so you have me as long as you need me. >> There aren't enough journals for us trying to capture what Joan has in her head.
>> It's September of 2027, right? Sure. >> Storage locker. So we for Joan, so I think we'll be good. >> Okay. There other questions from the committee? We can provide this update to the school committee at our next meeting. Um, and I've been meaning to
like I had started pulling together some like findings out of the survey data. So, I just need to like return to that and maybe we can schedule another quick meeting to look at a report before it goes to the >> Should we all kind of do that independently? I know we all have all
three of us have our approaches to um or I I I don't want to I want to make good use of people's time or >> yeah and we h I mean we do have to do these things in public meeting which is
um a little bit painful um so why don't I will put something together and then we can I'll make sure that we have some time for everybody to review it before and the data before we meet and then we can have a meeting where we go through
the editing process. >> Yeah. I mean I I yes I we all have this the spreadsheet. >> Yeah. >> We can look at and >> Okay. >> Jessica, you're you making
did you have anything to say about the survey? Oh, I was trying to remember if I had access to the spreadsheet. I couldn't remember if it was before January or after January, but I think I do. >> We can make sure you have access.
>> Yeah. I know you love a spreadsheet. >> Very good at a spreadsheet. >> Um, okay. So, let me do that and then I will like find another date for us all to get back together again and we can go from there.
>> Okay. >> Yeah, I think we have got access on February 1st is what it looks like. No, January 29th. Okay. >> Um, is that meeting after when in June
are we going to hear about from Bar Foundation or >> I believe schedule this around that. >> I can double check with Marta Cabraw, but I believe it's early June. Isn't it by the 6th?
>> Saturday. >> Yeah, I think it's maybe it's the 5th. It's right around the beginning of June. >> I mean, we have to do the survey work either way. Um, yeah, I think obviously there's a lot going on with the high school,
>> which member Graham I know is well everyone on this call, but >> um but I think we should target um the June 15th school committee meeting to do this because that would give us at least a little runway between like
finding out about the bar foundation if we have to make any adjustments to the plan um before we present to the school committee. >> Mhm. All right. So, one meeting to look at this data before then.
>> Yeah. Okay. All right. Anything else? Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Um, is there a motion to adjourn? >> Yes, I can make that. >> Uh, by Erica, is there a second?
>> Second. >> Jessica, I will call the role. Jenny Graham, yes. Erica Reinfeld, >> yes. >> Jessica Parks, >> yes. >> Three in the affirmative. Zero in the negative. Meeting is journed.