By Scott MacKeen
Contributor
6/26/08

(previous)
At the June 12 School Committee meeting she laid out some of the concerns she has received, much of which, she said, centers around a lack of understanding and access to the school committee process.
She said concerns were voiced about citizen speak sessions at committee meetings, because some people feel that school officials are not open in their responses to citizens. Jones suggested the possibility of “open office hours” for residents to speak with committee members privately.
“It might be a good idea,” she told the committee. “We have citizen speak and then we move on with our agenda without really addressing their concerns. It can be frustrating for parents who want answers.”
Jones said that the committee would look at various options to open up better dialogue between schools, parents and others in the community.
Some parents have complained that parent conferences are not long enough, she said. Incoming Superintendent Mary Gormley responded that such conferences next year would likely be extended to meet these concerns.
Suggestions from residents seeking to bridge the communication gap include better access to school websites, improved responses to calls and e-mails, more clearly defined committee goals and more visibility from school officials, said Jones.
Jones said that response levels were so high that she only managed to get through half of them prior to bringing concerns to committee members.
“I’m still working my way through them,” she said. “The number of e-mails I got is significant and says that parents are frustrated. There are even (parents of former students) who are still looking to keep up with what is going on.”
Jones also met with the editor of the Milton Times, Jon Prestage. They agreed that parents would like to see a district-wide school calendar published in the paper each term and expanded coverage of school events and athletic activities, including team roster photos and other information.
New Grant Writer
The Milton Foundation for Education (MFE) announced last week that the group would fund a new grant writer position for the public school system.
MFE President Helene Haddad said that the foundation distributed up to $20,000 in school grants this spring through their program. She called the new grant writer position a “great addition to an already great school system.”
“We’re thrilled about this,” she said. “This comes from the hard work of foundation and School Committee members working together to make it all happen.”
The MFE is a non-profit corporation made up of community volunteers who distribute funds to Milton schools.