Thursday, May 10, 2012
According to advice from legal counsel, the School Committee can review the data collected during the Wellman Report process, but members must be careful about discussing how it shapes their opinions.
Following a May 9 meeting with legal counsel, the Lexington School Committee will review data gathered during the compilation of the Wellman Report and potentially draw its own conclusions about the report with regard to alleged teacher moral issues within the district. The Wednesday afternoon meeting saw the School Committee consult both town and School Committee counsel about how to approach and use the data – including slips of paper and redacted it interviews consultant Bruce Wellman conducted with district employees – committee members voted April 25 to review. According to Town Counsel Kevin Bott, School Committee members can review the data individually to deepen their understanding of Wellman’s report and the climate within the …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Lexington School Committee also discussed awards won by Lexington Schools, English curriculum, exchange trips and other topics in Tuesday evenings meeting.
The Lexington School Committee met on Tuesday, May 8, amid mixed sentiment over recent awards won by students at Lexington High School and criticisms the handling of low teacher morale reports. With his evaluation on the agenda for the evening, members of the community spoke out against Superintendent of Schools Paul Ash, specifically noting a perceived violation of trust and lack of confidentiality in the district's handling of supposedly anonymous teacher comments collected in a study of teacher morale, which had their names attached. In the face of the scrutiny surrounding the Wellman Report, the committee voted to suspend discussion of the superintendent’s evaluation until a later date. The School Committee is meeting at 3 p.m. today, …
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Town Office Building
1625 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA
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Town Meeting, Wellman report data, high school sports and more today in Lexington.
1. Town Meeting's Back in Action: Annual Town Meeting reconvenes at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Cary Hall to take up remaining articles dealing with the Wright Farm Land Acquisition and a request to rezone the Dana Home and an adjacent property to allow for redevelopment as a hotel and restaurant known as the Inn at Hastings Park. 2. School Committee Looks to Counsel on Wellman Report Data: The School Committee is meeting at 3 p.m. today at the Town Office Building and its agenda includes a discussion with School Committee Counsel and Town Counsel regarding the data collected from staff and relied upon as the basis for the Wellman Report. 3. Today in High School Sports: The Lexington High School sports schedule for today includes boys varsity …
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Cary Memorial Building
1605 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA
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-71.224282
Town Office Building
1625 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA
/articles/five-things-you-need-to-know-today-may-9-28f82cdd
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Lexington High School
251 Waltham St, Lexington, MA
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-71.22795
Lexington Depot
13 Depot Sq, Lexington, MA
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Tuesday, May 8, 2012
On short notice, the School Committee tomorrow will seek legal advice regarding how to proceed with the Wellman Report data it voted to review in late April.
The Lexington School Committee is meeting at 3 p.m. tomorrow, May 9, at the Town Office Building, and the only item on its agenda is a discussion with the School Committee and town counsel regarding the Wellman Report data voted to review. On April 25, the School Committee voted in favor of reviewing a redacted version of comments provided by school staff in interviews with consultant Bruce Wellman, who was hired to study alleged issues with teacher morale and professional relationships within the school district. However, two weeks later, that information has not yet been provided. Exactly how the School Commitee moves forward with that data could hinge on tomorrow’s discussion, according to School Committee Chair Mary Ann Stewart, who …
42.446449
-71.224282
Town Office Building
1625 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA
/articles/school-committee-seeking-counsel-on-wellman-data
232594
/locations/6969643
Friday, March 23, 2012
Moving forward with consultant Bruce Wellman's report on improving teacher morale in the Lexington Public Schools will involve relying on district staff to address personnel issues, School Committee Chair Mary Ann Stewart said Friday.
Mary Ann Stewart, chairwoman of the Lexington School Committee, is in the same boat as most who attended her board’s March 13 meeting where consultant Bruce Wellman delivered his report on improving professional relationships in the Lexington Public Schools. “I’m interested in hearing what the next steps are,” Stewart said by phone on Friday. “I think it’s a little bit of a puzzle, because some of the issues are personnel, and that’s the internal piece the School Committee is never going to have direct access to unless people tell us. We’re just going to have to rely on the staff in the schools to find out about the work that is going on in the schools.” That work could begin next Monday, March 26, when, according to Stewart, Lexington …
Patrick Ball
10:25 am on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Nice catch, Charlie. I'll fix that right away. While I'm here, I should also add that yesterday, May 9, LEA President Phyllis Neufeld explained that consultant Bruce Wellman had redacted names and titles prior to the review by herself and Superintendent of Schools Paul Ash. Those two reviewed interview responses to ensure there was no other identifying info, according to Neufeld. more ›