Delivering on Mission and Vision Board of Education Goals 2022 -2023

“Inspiring A Standard of Excellence For All Students”

Aligning with our commitment to fiscal responsibility, high expectations, creative and critical thinking, sense of belonging, and continuous improvement, the Board and Superintendent will focus on the following systemic goal areas:

Goal 1

Examine how our vision and mission are currently understood and being met, and determine what is needed to fully meet our goals in the years ahead. This will include a focus on resetting our school community around the district’s mission-aligned work, while keeping strong expectations and supports in place for all students in our learning environment, and using data to support our priorities, goals and student success.

Goal 2

Implement the ongoing action steps of the Strategic Plan which have been established around the following three key pillars:

Cultural Competence: Cultivate an empathetic, inclusive and equitable school community that values and encourages respect, voice, and agency for all students.

Whole Child: Deepen our systemic, academic and social emotional supports for the health, safety, and well being of the whole child, recognizing that our learners need to balance academic, physical, social, and emotional demands.

Authentic Learning: Develop innovative problem solvers, critical and creative thinkers, effective communicators, and strong problem collaborators who can apply their knowledge and skills to navigate real world challenges.

Goal 3

Effectively execute our oversight responsibilities as stewards of the district's finances by developing and consistently communicating our plans for a responsible district budget, current reserve balances, and long-term facilities plan.

Access Committee Agendas & Minutes

Audit

Focus: To oversee and report to the Board on the annual independent audit of the District’s records. The committee shall recommend the selection of the independent and internal auditors and continue on through the review of significant internal and external audit findings.  

Board of Education Members: Sue Childs, Jackie De Angelis, Will Treves

Administrator/Staff Representatives: Jim Hricay, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Dr. Cheryl H. Champ, Superintendent of Schools

Community Members: Todd Toaso, Kelly Ulto, Maria Tiso

Authentic Learning/Curriculum

Focus: The Authentic Learning/Curriculum Committee will explore, study and implement the action steps of this goal area in the District’s Strategic Plan. Specifically, the committee will be looking at ways to advance relevant and authentic experiences for all students, and exploring how the District’s use of time and space can better support these efforts.

Board of Education Members: Jackie De Angelis, Jessica DeDomenico, Ian Rowe

Administrator/Staff Representatives: Dr. Alice Bowman, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning, Traci Holtz, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services

Community Members: Jessyka Calzolaio, Amy Sparano, Leah Tahbaz, Annie Balestra, Peter Liaskos

Advocacy and Community Engagement

Focus: To evaluate and improve two-way communication with the community and to advocate for the educational interests of our students and Public Education at both the state and local levels.

Board of Education Members: Jessica DeDomenico, Natalie Marrero, Will Treves

Administrator/Staff Representatives: Dr. Cheryl H. Champ, Superintendent of Schools, Alex Wolff, Public Information Officer

Community Members: Michael Morgan, Diane Otter, Katherine Pringle, Lynda Banfield, Jennifer Hawks Bland, Nandini Anandu, Liza Schaeffer, Dina Mangiafridda

Cultural Competence/ Diversity

Focus: The Cultural Competence Committee will oversee the implementation of the action steps of this goal area in the District’s Strategic Plan. Specifically, the committee will work with District wide staff to support efforts to increase student voice and agency, align curriculum to reflect principles, values and lessons of inclusivity and equity, incorporate culturally responsive theory and practice, and build a more diverse and culturally proficient staff.

Board of Education Members: Jackie De Angelis, Ian Rowe

Administrator/Staff Representatives: Dr. Cheryl H. Champ, Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Steven Garcia, Executive Director for Human Resources & Leadership

Community Members: Joanie Paradis, Armir Taraj, Liselle Sakhrani, Tiffany Hebert, Connie Garrido-Carmody, Debra Stern, Sarah McKee, Kim Espinosa

Facilities

Focus: The Facilities Committee will oversee both short and long term facilities planning and maintenance and will assist in oversight of completion of the 2018 Capital Projects. This committee will make recommendations to the Board as needed.

Board of Education Members: Dr. Michael Owen-Michaane, Sue Childs, Natalie Marrero

Administrator/Staff Representatives: Dr. Cheryl H. Champ, Superintendent of Schools, Jim Hricay, Assistant Superintendent for Business, John Condon, Director of Facilities 

Community Members: John Brice, Robert Gimigliano, Michael Star

Finance

Focus: The Finance Committee will oversee both short-term and  long-term Budget Planning & Implementation.

Board of Education Members: Sue Childs, Will Treves, Jackie De Angelis

Administrator/Staff Representatives: Jim Hricay, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Dr. Cheryl Champ, Superintendent of Schools, Jackie Vigil, District Treasurer 

Policy

Focus: Update, review and recommend required policies and regulations on an on-going basis in collaboration with BOCES services to be consistent with new state mandates and requirements.

Board of Education Members: Dr. Michael Owen-Michaane, Jessica DeDomenico, Ian Rowe

Administrator/Staff Representatives: Dr. Cheryl H. Champ, Superintendent of Schools, Jim Hricay, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Dr. Steven Garcia, Executive Director for HR & Leadership, Traci Holtz, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services, Dr. Alice Bowman, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning 

Safety and Security

Focus: The District's Safety & Security Committee works to assess and improve the security of our buildings and ensure that our students and staff are safe in and around the school facilities.

Board of Education Members: Dr. Michael Owen-Michaane, Jackie De Angelis

Administrator/Staff Representatives: Dr. Cheryl H. Champ, Superintendent of Schools, Jim Hricay, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Traci Holtz, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services, John Condon, Director of Facilities 

Community Members: John Hynes, Kamy English, Joseph Vitarello

Wellness

Focus: The Wellness Committee works as an oversight committee to maintain and/ or implement new programs and strategies through a perspective of best practices for the social and emotional wellness of our students K-12. This committee will be looking at ways to advance the district’s efforts to support the whole child.

Board of Education Members: Dr. Michael Owen-Michaane, Jessica DeDomenico

Administrator/Staff Representatives: Traci Holtz, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services, Jim Hricay, Assistant Superintendent for Business

Community Members: Suany Aquino-Chudavala, Laura Caruso, Inga Dawe, Genevieve Mensah

Board Governance and Meetings

The Board will publish an annual document describing its communication protocols and governance practices

The Board will publish an annual document describing its goals for the District.

The Board will set clear goals for itself and the Superintendent, and the Board and Superintendent will set clear goals for the Pelham Public Schools. 

The Board will employ systems-based thinking to improve student achievement and community engagement with a focus on policy making, long-term strategic planning, and public relations.

The Board will collaborate with the Superintendent on a mutually agreed upon Superintendent Evaluation process.

The Board will review its behavior by yearly self-evaluation and by addressing itself to any individual problems such as poor meeting attendance or breaches in confidentiality. 

Board members should make an effort to pose questions that they have to any of the Central Office Administrators in advance of the Board meeting. When such questions are posed via email, Board members should copy the Superintendent and President. When posed verbally, the Superintendent and President should be notified. Board members may also use the shared Google Doc to pose meeting questions.

The Board President will decide how consent agenda items will be taken at the meeting in advance. 

The Board President will manage Public Comment at meetings. 

Board members may access the District Clerk as a resource to obtain information. 

Communication with Superintendent of Schools 

The Board President is the primary contact between the Board and the Superintendent of Schools. The Superintendent shall maintain regular communication with the Board President on matters of importance. 

The Superintendent will maintain regular communication with all members of the Board on matters related to the District. The Superintendent will provide the Board with a detailed update on items of importance via the Weekly Update. Board members will be responsible for reading the update and contacting the Superintendent with any questions. 

The Superintendent will use email as a tool to provide information to the full Board of Education.

The Superintendent will immediately inform the Board of major issues pertaining to student matters (medical emergencies, arrests, significant altercations, etc.). This may be done by email, text, or phone. 

Any Board Member may contact the Superintendent at any time regarding issues or questions.

Emails regarding Board business should be copied to the Board President. Replies from the Superintendent should also include a copy to the Board President. 

The Superintendent and Board President will meet on a regular basis to plan Board meeting agendas and items for discussion with the full Board of Education. 

Agenda Setting meetings will be held with the Superintendent, President, Vice President, and an  additional Trustee on a rotating basis prior to all meetings for the purpose of clarifying questions and information as needed so that efficient discussion and decision-making can occur at the meeting. Board Members should communicate questions to the Superintendent or President prior to agenda setting meetings to facilitate timely responses from Administration. Board members may also submit questions prior to agenda setting on the shared Google Doc. Board members may suggest agenda items via the President prior to agenda setting.

Communication among Board Members 

Communication should flow from the Board President to Members and vice versa.

All pertinent issues brought to individual Board members from community members should be raised with the Board President. 

Relevant emails of concern should be forwarded to the Board President. 

The Board President will be responsible for communicating and sharing information to the full Board. 

Board members will refrain from detailed group discussion about any Board business or decision making via email. 

Communication with Central Administration  

All Assistant Superintendents will provide a brief update on their work, especially as it relates to District Goals, that will be sent to the Board in the weekly packet prior to Board meetings with all corresponding supporting materials. All issues should be referenced and explained so that the issue could be put into its proper context relative to the District Goals.

Central Office administrators will have a responsibility to include all supporting information from District Committee meetings to the full Board (e.g. agendas, minutes, presentations, etc.)

All items for Board action will be presented to the Board the week prior to the meeting whenever  practicable.

Board members may call or email an Assistant Superintendent to ask clarifying questions.  Board members will use their judgment when contacting Central Office Administrators. The  Superintendent and Board President should be notified when such calls are placed or copied when inquiries are made via email. 

Questions regarding process or more substantial issues (i.e. beyond clarifying question) should be brought to the Superintendent with a copy to the Board President for follow-up. 

All communication with Principals and other Building Level Administrators will go through the  Superintendent.