HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Committee 07/28/2014Mansfield School Committee Meetin¢ Amended
Open Session Minutes for Monday, July 28, 2014
Town Hall — 2 AB
An Open Meeting of the Mansfield School Committee was held at the Town Hall, room 2AB on Monday,
July 28, 2014. Chairman, Mr. Michael Trowbridge, called for a motion to open the meeting. A motion was
made I" by Mrs. Linda Fernando 2°d by Mrs. Kiera O'Neil, with a roll call vote of 5 - 0. The meeting was
called to order at 7:00 PM by Chairman, Mr. Michael Trowbridge.
Members Present—
Mr. Michael Trowbridge, Chairman;
yes
Mrs. Kiera O'Neil, Vice Chairman
yes
Mrs. Lynn Cavicchi
yes
Mrs. Linda Fernando
yes
Mr. Wayne Smith, Jr.
yes
Also present:
Zeffro Gianetti
The School Committee voted to reaffirm its July 15d' vote in Executive Session to accept Mrs. Hodges'
resignation. Chairman, Mr. Michael Trowbridge called for a motion to approve the agreement. A motion was
made I" by Mr. Wayne Smith, 2°d by Mrs. Kiera O'Neil. A Roll call vote was taken to approve the agreement.
Mrs. Kiera O'Neil, yes; Mr. Michael Trowbridge, yes. Mrs. Lynn Cavicchi, yes; Mrs. Linda Fernando, yes; and
Mr. Wayne Smith, Jr.
Motion U.C. 5-0
School Committee Chairman, Mr. Michael Trowbridge, called the meeting to order and welcomed Mr. Gianetti
and the district principals to the meeting. Mr. Trowbridge stated that the meeting was being held to interview
Mr. Gianetti for the position of interim superintendent and invited him to the table to begin the interview
process. Mrs. Teresa Murphy read a letter on behalf of the principals and addressed it to the School Committee
in support of Mr. Gianetti's role as interim superintendent. The School Committee each asked Mr. Gianetti
questions and engaged his thoughts and ideas on many subjects. Mr. Trowbridge stated that his expectations of
moving forward were not to have Mr. Gianetti just keep a seat warn for the next year. Mr. Trowbridge
explained to Mr. Gianetti that the Committee realizes that they can't have expectations that he may not be able
to proceed at the level they would love to see only because he was new to the job and that you would still be
working on transitioning whatever is going to happen at the middle school. The Chairman noted that the
Committee would need to be realistic with their expectations as well. Mr. Gianetti noted that he did not see any
outrageous new initiatives coming; however he would take the template of the Strategic Plan, school goals,
which goals we want to continue for the district and what individual school goals we would want to continue.
Mr. Gianetti felt that all of this was a trickledown effect to the Teacher Evaluation process. Part of the teachers'
goals will need to be continued because it is the first time we have been working through all of this. We need to
look at what goals are sustainable and concentrate on what other ones we should implement. Mr. Gianetti felt it
was unwise to have an interim come in at make sweeping changes because there is no benefit in that whatsoever.
After all committee members asked their questions, Mr. Trowbridge then asked Mr. Gianetti if he understood
the structure of our Central Office and that we did not have an Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum Director,
and if he felt up to that task in the event that they choose him to be the interim superintendent. Mr. Gianetti felt
that it went with the position, yes, he did understand and that being an inside candidate had a huge advantage
over someone coming in from the outside and that we have a very strong organizational structure that is in place
regarding vertical teams and that he was confident in the structure that we have. Mr. Trowbridge then called for
a motion to name Mr. Gianetti as the interim superintendent ? Mrs. O'Neil made the motion to offer
Mr. Gianetti the position as the interim superintendent and go into Executive Session to discuss the details, 2"d
by Mrs. Cavicchi. Roll call vote: Mrs. Kiera O'Neil, yes; Mr. Michael Trowbridge, yes. Mrs. Lynn Cavicchi,
yes; Mrs. Linda Fernando, yes; and Mr. Wayne Smith, Jr.
Motion U.C. 5-0
Chairman, Mr. Michael Trowbridge called for a motion to enter into Executive Session to conduct strategy
session in preparation for negotiations with non union personnel and conduct collective bargaining sessions or
contract negotiations with non union personnel. The first one would be to have a strategy session and the next
one would be to conduct negotiations with the potential interim candidate A motion was made 1" by Mrs.
Linda Fernando, 2"d by Mrs. Lynn Cavicchi. A Roll call vote was taken: Mrs. Kiera O'Neil, yes; Mr. Michael
Trowbridge, yes. Mrs. Lynn Cavicchi, yes; Mrs. Linda Fernando, yes; and Mr. Wayne Smith, Jr.
Motion U.C. 5-0
Chairman, Mr. Michael Trowbridge, announced that Mr. Zeffro Gianetti was now the interim superintendent
and that his start date would be sometime next week and we would be drawing up the contract and ratifying it
next Monday night. Mr. Trowbridge then called for a motion to appoint Mr. Zef£ Gianetti as interim
superintendent.
A motion was made to appoint Mr. Gianetti as the interim superintendent, ls` by Mrs. Linda Fernando, 2"d by
Mrs. Kiera O'Neil. A Roll call vote was taken: Mrs. Kiera O'Neil, yes; Mr. Michael Trowbridge, yes. Mrs.
Lynn Cavicchi, yes; Mrs. Linda Fernando, yes; and Mr. Wayne Smith, Jr.
Motion U.C. 5-0
School Committee Chairman, Mr. Michael Trowbridge, called for a motion to adjourn from the Open Session
Meeting of July 28, 2014 at 8:55 r.m. for the sole purpose of adjourning. A motion was made I" by Mr. Wayne
Smith, Jr., 2nd by Mrs. Kiera O'Neil. A Roll call vote was taken to close the meeting: Mrs. Kiera O'Neil, yes;
Mr. Michael Trowbridge, yes. Mrs. Lynn Cavicchi, yes; Mrs. Linda Fernando, yes; and Mr. Wayne Smith, Jr.
Motion U.C. 5-0
Respectfully submitted,
Mary O. Jackson
Secretary to the Superintendent
& School Committee