Post by Chaz Stevens on Jan 9, 2010 0:07:05 GMT -5
Broward School Board regroups in under-the-radar meetings
BY PATRICIA MAZZEi
January 8th, 20I0
The Broward School Board, regrouping after a year plagued by marathon meetings and a corruption scandal that has raised questions about how the school district does business, plans to shorten its meetings and make its workshops more accessible to the public, members said Thursday.
The board wants audio of workshops to be broadcast on the radio and online -- and for the public to be able to comment on hot-button issues. It also plans to impose stricter time limits for speakers in meetings and to reshuffle the order of business to zip through items faster.
``We don't get to our agenda until one or two o'clock,'' Board Chairwoman Jennifer Gottlieb said. ``I think we need to go back to doing the business first.''
BROUGHT TOGETHER
The board gathered as part of a two-day professional development session with a hired consultant. The session, which began Wednesday at a conference room at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, was meant to bring the board together after the arrest of suspended member Beverly Gallagher in a federal corruption sting in September. Gallagher has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, extortion and fraud.
Although the board said it wanted to make its future workshops more public, the district did not advertise the training sessions on its website, along with its regular meetings and workshops. The meeting was advertised, as required by law, in the Neighbors edition of The Miami Herald in mid-December. The sessions were not taped.
In the past, board members have said they cannot be as forthright in their team-building discussions when the media or the public is present.
Florida sunshine laws do not allow elected officials to discuss public business in private.
The media was not at the meeting Wednesday, which board members described as a chance to vent about Gallagher's arrest and the intense scrutiny that has followed.
``Yesterday was an emotional day where we got to release a lot of anger and frustration,'' board member Ann Murray said.
Much of the discussion Thursday centered around how to be more efficient in meetings, some of which have lasted up to 10 hours in the past few months.
Gottlieb said she would try scheduling reports from district committees, proclamations and special presentations after lunch on meeting days.
That way the board could hold discussions and make decisions at the beginning of the meetings, which start at 10 a.m. Now, those discussions typically don't happen until 1 or 2 p.m.
She and Superintendent Jim Notter will also set a cap on the amount of time spent on presentations and proclamations. And they will be stricter with the time allotted to committee and board member reports, typically three to five minutes.
As for workshops, a majority of board members agreed with making audio from those more informal meetings available over the radio, although Phyllis Hope disagreed with that tack.
``We feel very comfortable that we're not being recorded,'' she said. ``I think we have enough media scrutiny.''
Most members also said they would like to hear public comment at workshops, either on a case-by-case basis for controversial issues or during a set period of time at the end of workshops.
Up to now, workshops have not allowed public comment and not been broadcast, although audio tapes of the meetings are available.
This week's meetings were facilitated by California-based consultant Bill Mathis, a management psychologist whom the board agreed in December to hire for up to $50,000. His contract lasts through the end of September and includes leading Notter's annual evaluation.
MENDING FENCES
Mathis has worked with the School Board since 2007, when he was brought in to mend fences after the contentious firing of former Superintendent Frank Till, and after an election brought three new members to the board. Mathis dropped his fees from his 2008-09 contract, which was for up to $100,000.
Still, a couple of board members questioned Mathis' hiring last month. They said training was necessary for the board to maintain its accreditation but raised concerns about the cost of flying in a consultant.
The reviews about the week's sessions were generally positive Thursday, despite some worries that the board didn't cover enough ground. ``I feel more optimistic now,'' board member Maureen Dinnen said. ``I don't feel like the crises are over . . . but we're beginning to get back to basics.''
BY PATRICIA MAZZEi
January 8th, 20I0
The Broward School Board, regrouping after a year plagued by marathon meetings and a corruption scandal that has raised questions about how the school district does business, plans to shorten its meetings and make its workshops more accessible to the public, members said Thursday.
The board wants audio of workshops to be broadcast on the radio and online -- and for the public to be able to comment on hot-button issues. It also plans to impose stricter time limits for speakers in meetings and to reshuffle the order of business to zip through items faster.
``We don't get to our agenda until one or two o'clock,'' Board Chairwoman Jennifer Gottlieb said. ``I think we need to go back to doing the business first.''
BROUGHT TOGETHER
The board gathered as part of a two-day professional development session with a hired consultant. The session, which began Wednesday at a conference room at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, was meant to bring the board together after the arrest of suspended member Beverly Gallagher in a federal corruption sting in September. Gallagher has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, extortion and fraud.
Although the board said it wanted to make its future workshops more public, the district did not advertise the training sessions on its website, along with its regular meetings and workshops. The meeting was advertised, as required by law, in the Neighbors edition of The Miami Herald in mid-December. The sessions were not taped.
In the past, board members have said they cannot be as forthright in their team-building discussions when the media or the public is present.
Florida sunshine laws do not allow elected officials to discuss public business in private.
The media was not at the meeting Wednesday, which board members described as a chance to vent about Gallagher's arrest and the intense scrutiny that has followed.
``Yesterday was an emotional day where we got to release a lot of anger and frustration,'' board member Ann Murray said.
Much of the discussion Thursday centered around how to be more efficient in meetings, some of which have lasted up to 10 hours in the past few months.
Gottlieb said she would try scheduling reports from district committees, proclamations and special presentations after lunch on meeting days.
That way the board could hold discussions and make decisions at the beginning of the meetings, which start at 10 a.m. Now, those discussions typically don't happen until 1 or 2 p.m.
She and Superintendent Jim Notter will also set a cap on the amount of time spent on presentations and proclamations. And they will be stricter with the time allotted to committee and board member reports, typically three to five minutes.
As for workshops, a majority of board members agreed with making audio from those more informal meetings available over the radio, although Phyllis Hope disagreed with that tack.
``We feel very comfortable that we're not being recorded,'' she said. ``I think we have enough media scrutiny.''
Most members also said they would like to hear public comment at workshops, either on a case-by-case basis for controversial issues or during a set period of time at the end of workshops.
Up to now, workshops have not allowed public comment and not been broadcast, although audio tapes of the meetings are available.
This week's meetings were facilitated by California-based consultant Bill Mathis, a management psychologist whom the board agreed in December to hire for up to $50,000. His contract lasts through the end of September and includes leading Notter's annual evaluation.
MENDING FENCES
Mathis has worked with the School Board since 2007, when he was brought in to mend fences after the contentious firing of former Superintendent Frank Till, and after an election brought three new members to the board. Mathis dropped his fees from his 2008-09 contract, which was for up to $100,000.
Still, a couple of board members questioned Mathis' hiring last month. They said training was necessary for the board to maintain its accreditation but raised concerns about the cost of flying in a consultant.
The reviews about the week's sessions were generally positive Thursday, despite some worries that the board didn't cover enough ground. ``I feel more optimistic now,'' board member Maureen Dinnen said. ``I don't feel like the crises are over . . . but we're beginning to get back to basics.''
