2. School committee members have taken steps that exceed their role and authority in policy and decision-making or that do not appear to be aligned with the district’s 2012-2014 priorities and objectives. For example: a. The “School Committee Agenda” of July 30, 2013 included nine school committee motions. One motion required the administration to justify a decision to provide double blocks to offer Honors CP level Algebra I, Geometry and English courses. This level of involvement by the school committee usurped the authority of the superintendent and school leaders. 3. At the December 3, 2013 meeting, a school committee motion required the superintendent to recommend a new program of second language instruction at one elementary school for the beginning of the next school year, noting that it would be a recruitment tool to make the school more diverse and respond to an interest in second languages by families at the school. This is unrelated to the previously-established district priorities, including the Innovation Agenda. C. The school committee has not demonstrated optimal collaboration with the superintendent. 1. Rather than acting on a meeting agenda collaboratively developed by the superintendent and school committee chair, committee members create a second “School Committee Agenda” for each regular committee meeting. a. The committee has two agendas: one for the superintendent to present what he needs the committee to vote on and one for the committee to present their own items for a vote. D. A member reported that the School Committee Agenda sometimes includes motions submitted by a parent or community member to a school committee member. 1. Principals said that they spend many hours developing educational proposals, which are often changed in significant ways by the school committee without regard for educators’ opinions. 2. Teachers agreed that the school committee gets involved at a level which they characterized as “way too deep.” They offered the example of a parent listserv of with a relatively small number of participants to whom committee members pay strong attention. Teachers believed that committee members focused on this small sample of parents rather than listening closely to the superintendent about what is happening in schools. Impact: The school committee election structure in the district makes it difficult for members to collaboratively embrace a long-term vision for the district. In addition, the committee’s fragmented approach results in a loss of focus on district priorities and inhibits the district’s ability to plan and implement long-range strategies for improvement.
Cambridge Public Schools District Review Recommendations Leadership and Governance 1. The school committee, within the scope of its responsibilities under the 1993 Educational Reform Act, together with the superintendent, should create a more collaborative culture that encourages all stakeholders to work together to support higher levels of student achievement. A. The school committee should delegate to the superintendent the educational and operational leadership of the district, foregoing direct involvement in the administration of the school system and in the administration of individual schools. 1. School committee members should recognize that the superintendent is the educational leader for the school system; the superintendent provides administrative leadership for all school staff in operational matters and in proposing and implementing policy changes. The school committee should communicate with the superintendent before bringing any independent motions to school committee meetings. 2. The school committee should reconsider the appropriateness of individual members’ uninvited visits to schools. B. The school committee’s work to provide high-level oversight of the district should include annually evaluating the superintendent based on mutually agreed-upon district goals and current state laws and regulations, including the new educator evaluation framework. The evaluation process should include a review of the rubric to be used, in order to help the superintendent and school committee members clarify and agree on roles, responsibilities, and expectations. C. The district and the city may wish to convene a study group to reconsider the continued viability of the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system and the concurrent, two-year term of office for all school committee members, and contemplate instituting a different approach that could provide more stable district governance and leadership continuity. Recommended resources include: The Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) (), which provides training and information to school committees. In particular, the examples listed and described in MASC’s member publication Protocols and Best Practices for Effective School Committees could be useful in the school committee’s assessment of its strengths and areas for growth. Setting and Monitoring District Goals: The School Committee’s Role () is a concise synthesis of guidance about the school committee’s role in district planning and educator evaluation. DESE’s Implementation Guide for Superintendent Evaluation () describes recommended tools and processes to guide the evaluation of superintendents.