Executive Sessions

Summary: Menin offers a description of the uses of Executive Session, with an important caveat.

At the conclusion of many School Committee meetings, some one will make a motion to go into Executive Session for one of two purposes: contract negotiations or possible litigation; and that we will not be coming back out into public session (that the results of our Executive Session for reasons that will become obvious, are for the time being restricted to that session). A role call vote is taken, the community and press are ushered out of the room, and our discussion begins.

Consistent with Ed Reform and existing laws, the term "contract negotiations" refers to any dialogue we are having relative to negotiations for the teachers or other union contracts; assisting the Superintendent in setting parameters for administrative raises (the Superintendent hires and evaluates all administrators), negotiating and hiring the Superintendent, and recommending and negotiating any raises with the Assistant Superintendent, pending a recommendation by the Superintendent. It may also refer to contract talks ongoing with sub-contractors. Once the Committee has made these decisions, they become part of the public record.

"Litigation" refers to ongoing or potential legal issues we may face; Special Education, athletics, Union grievances, etc.

There are no other items discussed at these sessions, no other votes taken. Often, these meetings end up with no decisions being made- they are simply informational. There is no discussion of how we will "frame" vote, and no deliberation as to how we will vote if the decision is one that we are required to make as part of a public session.

Once any items discussed at these meetings have reached their "statute of limitations," that is they have been resolved, it is my understanding that notes of the Executive Sessions become a part of the public record; that is certainly worth double-checking however, I could be wrong there.

One final note on SC decisions made in Executive Session, as well as those made in public session. School Committee rules require that once the vote is taken, the outcome is adopted as a decision made by the full Committee and enforced as such.

Let me put it another way.

Do not assume that any decision made in Executive Session was made unanimously. We have had some mighty stormy discussions, some very close votes in Executive Session. I have found that the "intimacy" of Executive Session and the nature of the decisions we are limited to making allows for some very candid and wide-ranging consideration of the issues and their long-term impact.

You can usually tell by the looks on our faces where we stood on the decision when it is announced in public session.