Board approves special committee

NEW LONDON – The New London Board of Education approved the creation of a special committee on student achievement and growth when it met Feb. 12.
Board member Mark Grossman voted against creating the special committee. Board member Mandy Wilz was absent from the meeting. The board also agreed that district administrators should present their existing programs and processes regarding student achievement and growth at the March 12 board meeting.
Grossman initially made a motion that the board not accept the proposed special committee, but the motion failed to receive a second.
A motion was then made by board Vice President John Heideman and seconded by board Treasurer Nate Grundy for the creation of the special committee.
Leading off the discussion, Grossman said one of the things that disappointed him about the proposed special committee was the lack of inclusion of district staff, especially the principals of the schools. He said the principals would be a good source for the board to find out what is happening in each school building.

He added that at the last school board meeting, when the special committee was discussed, he asked that the principals be contacted regarding the special committee. Since that meeting, Grossman said none of the principals had been contacted.
“I was pretty emphatic about it, that we contact them, at least as a starting point to figure out what’s going on right now,” said Grossman said. “All of them have said they have not been contacted by you [Board President Chris Martinson].”
Grossman added, “All you had to do is ask, that’s it.”
Creating a positive culture should be important to the district, Grossman said.
“I’ll tell you what, going ahead with this is not going to do anything to help get a positive culture in our school district,” said Grossman.
He said creating a special committee would show the district’s teachers and administrators that the board doesn’t have any interest in what they think.
Martinson told Grossman that it’s alright to not agree with the idea of a special committee, but it’s not alright to attack a board member’s motives. Martinson said if a special committee were to be formed, it would show the district is engaging the community with the issue of student achievement and growth.
“This is not something that should be looked at in ways as outsiders coming in and telling us what to do,” Martinson said. “Nothing’s going to get through here unless the people that work for us are treated right.”
Grossman told Martinson he disagreed with him, adding that district staff should have been allowed to address Martinson’s concerns at a board meeting.
Martinson said that had been done.
Grossman disagreed.
Martinson said promoting community engagement with the formation of the special committee would be a “win-win” and would not be hostile toward the district’s staff.
New London Superintendent Scott Bleck said a special committee does present an opportunity, but recommended that the board take a “pause” to allow the district’s administrative team to further inform the board about what their efforts have included to improve student achievement and growth in the district.
He added that if the administrative team were given time to assemble an overview of what their initiatives are, it would help the board understand where opportunities are regarding the matter.
As he said at the previous board meeting when the creation of a special committee was discussed, Martinson said he’s seen special committees work in the private sector.
Before the vote to create the special committee, Grossman recommended the board “put this motion on pause until we hear from the staff what’s going on.”