The Westfield School Committee 2016-2017
WESTFIELD – The Westfield School Committee reviewed a recently completed self-evaluation at the Dec. 4 meeting, the last meeting of the year with the current membership, as Jeffrey Gosselin and William Duval will be leaving and Tim O’Connor and Heather Sullivan joining the School Committee at its first meeting in January.
The answers to the self-evaluation portray a School Committee that is well-prepared and well-run, treats each other with courtesy and respect, has a good relationship with Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski and the school district, and welcomes public input into its decision-making.
Led by School Committee chair Mayor Brian P. Sullivan, members reviewed questions relating to governance, operations, member relations, committee and superintendent relations, strategic planning and fiscal management, community relations and conduct of meetings. Questions were scored 1- strongly agree, 2-agree, 3 disagree and 4-don’t know. Out of the 36 questions asked, 17 scored a 1 (strongly agree), 16 scored a 2 (agree), two questions received a 3 for disagree, one question was split 2-3, and none were answered 4 for don’t know.
The Committee’s relationship with the superintendent was the highest scoring category. School Committee members strongly agreed that they regularly evaluate the superintendent using a mutually agreed-upon process. They also strongly agreed that the superintendent is accessible, that they contact him when seeking information, that he informs them of major personnel decisions, and they treat each other with mutual respect. The only 2 in the category (agree rather than strongly agree) was that the types and frequency of communications are agreed to in advance.
Another high-scoring category was conduct of meetings. Members strongly agreed that public input is welcome and that full and sufficient debate is allowed. Members agreed that they receive sufficient information far enough in advance to prepare for meetings, and that the discussion is focused on issues and not personalities.
Fiscal management also received high scores, with members strongly agreeing that the budget process is documented and published; that budgets are developed “bottom-up” based on needs, and the committee receives regular reports on the school’s financial status.
One of the two questions on which the majority of members disagreed was that a long-term strategic plan exists and is regularly reviewed.
The committee was also split between agree and disagree on whether it evaluates its progress relative to goals and objectives that have been adopted.
The other question on which the majority disagreed is on whether the committee has a public relations plan for the school system.
Member Diane Mayhew, who chairs the Human Resources and Policy sub-committee, said the committee has worked very hard over the last six years to update the twelve goals that it has. She also said there is a public relations policy in place, although it needs to be updated. “We do have a plan in place,” Mayhew said.
One of the workgroups in the transition process underway for the 2018-2019 school redistricting is a Communications subcommittee, led by Czaporowski and grants director Shannon Barry, with help from WHS principal Charles Jendrysik, Fort Meadow principal Joanne Hentnick, and Russell School principal Alison Hamilton.
