Pelham school trustees to work on team building, communication before regular meeting Wednesday
The members of the Pelham Board of Education will work on team building and developing communications skills during a private meeting Wednesday before the trustees’ regular session.
Such training sessions are not covered by the state Open Meetings Law as long as trustees do not conduct or discuss public business during the meeting, according to two opinions from the state Committee on Open Government provided by the Pelham Union Free School District.
The board will start at 7 p.m. with an executive session to discuss the employment history of a particular person(s) along with the private meeting on communication and team building, said a notice from the district. The board is expected to move into its regular meeting at about 8:15 p.m. The trustees will meet in the Pelham Middle School gym, according to the notice, though residents must view the session on YouTube.
At the public meeting, the board will receive a presentation on the work done by the New York University Steinhardt Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools, the organization the district paid $10,725 to do a racial equity audit this summer, along with running three virtual forums and staff training.
The work by the Steinhardt center was contracted through BOCES, which means the district should get about 50 percent of the cost back in state aid, a PUFSD spokesperson said.
The district anticipates hiring the Steinhardt center for additional work during the school year, including more training for administrators, teachers and students, but the scope of that work could not be finalized until the audit was completed, the spokesman said in July.
Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Champ will provide an update on the opening of schools and district facilities.
“Due to public health concerns, physical in-person attendance by members of the public will be prohibited,” said the notice. “The meeting can be viewed on YouTube live. Members of the public may participate in the meeting by submitting written comments to [email protected] before 9 p.m.”
