Opening Remarks/Review of Agenda

1. Committee Members/Staff Introductions
2. George Russell Comments on SOF Process
3. Q and A: comments on SOF purpose and structure
4. Logistical issues; operating agreements
5. Initial vision for this process

Public Comment

1. Equity issues need to be clearly and strongly communicated in all public announcements - interviews, agendas, discussion questions, etc.  She suggested using phrases like “striving for both excellence and equity.”
2. Equity issues need to be institutionalized throughout the whole process.
3. The committee’s work should consider defining success as effectively preparing our children to participate in society as citizens who can take leadership in dealing with environmental issues, the increasing gap between the haves and have-nots, and the impacts of massive in-migration to the United States on our society.

Group Introductions

Thoughts Concerning a Vision for Schools of the Future

• It is his belief that this process is a genuine attempt to bring together the educational and community stakeholders to build a shared vision of what schools will look like and what schools with do in the future. 
• 4J is the community’s school system; this process is really about a vision for the community. 
• A shared vision should be a set of guiding principles that inform decisions, affect our planning, and how we think about this school system at all levels of the organization and the community. 
• The vision needs to be formulated so that it can be compared with data that reflects a clear and honest picture of the District’s current reality. 
• Differences between the shared vision and the current reality then become the focal point and the impetus for creating and implementing strategies that identify and strengthen or create the programs or services that will make that vision a reality. 
• Products he believes are expected from the committee:
1)  Statement of beliefs, values, concepts and perhaps even descriptions that we collectively hold about educating our community’s children; 
2)  Identification of long-term and short-term strategic direction, goals and priorities that describe what the future will look like, what it can look like, and how we can get there; 
3)  A foundation for communicating with all stakeholder groups about the vision for public education in this community, and how we  plan to engage parents and community members in our schools in an ongoing and increasing basis.
• The committee was purposefully designed to assure a cross-section of stakeholder views, providing an opportunity to learn from each other and develop a deeper shared understanding.  He hopes the process will develop agreement on strategic directions although the reasons for agreement might be different. 
• He cited the importance of dialogue, creative and collective thinking where peoples’ assumptions are allowed to surface and held in suspension, is critical to finding common ground.. 
• Mr. Russell distributed the following materials at the conclusion of his remarks: 
• Preparing Schools and School Systems for the 21st Century
• Future Trends Affecting Education
• Educational Visioning 1996

Q and A

• Task groups

Discussion: Is the existing list (in the notebook) all-inclusive?  Need to ensure that the process of selecting members includes all who need to be?  Committee members were encouraged to take applications and give them to community members.  October 8 is the deadline.  The information sought on the application is to learn more about the interests, not to imply that participation is competitive.  All applicants will be accepted.  Does there need to be a task group solely concerned with issues of equity?
Decision: Task groups’ structure and functions will be discussed at the next meeting.
• Equity issues

Discussion: Equity underlies all the work in the task groups.  A particular group could be assigned to be responsible for equity, social justice or access issues.  The committee may need to come up with its own working definition of equity/access.  Members’ notebook describes results of the Board’s work session on SOF, their thinking about the role of the task groups, SOF Committee and the charter of the Council of Community Advisors.
Decision: The committee will continue its discussion of equity issues at the next meeting.
• Importance of Inclusiveness

Discussion/Agreements: The committee needs to continually ask; “who have we not yet included?”
• End Products: the characteristics of what the community will want to see

Discussion: Are we talking about the characteristics of what we think will be needed or the specifics in terms of direction?  How to get from the process to the decision to the results - when will the results start happening?  The guiding principles are more important than a description of what we think will be needed.  We should rely on the people with expertise  (in the task groups) to define the products. 
• Importance of struggling with how the lives of children will be different than they are today?  How do we want their lives to be fundamentally different than they are today?  We’re really trying to describe that in a useful way.  The role of the SOF committee is a balancing act.  By dividing the labor up effectively, we can get to those products.

Committee Operating Agreements

• Meeting Dates/Times

Evie passed out a form to gather information about the best meeting times and day, which will be collated and reported at next week’s meeting.  Committee members agreed that meetings will start and end on time.
• Role of Board Members

Discussion/Agreements: Board members on the committee will be participating as individual committee members, not as School District 4J Board of Directors.
• Role of the Co-Chairs:

Discussion/Agreements: Virginia and Susan will open and close meetings; help in between meetings to review progress made and to set agendas and directions for future ones, and be a sounding board for Evie in discussion of issues.
Spokespersons for SOF Committee: When there is need for official spokespersons, co-chairs will fill that role.  All committee members can be ambassadors for the work of committee.  Concern was expressed regarding need for consistent messages.  Members were invited to participate in opportunities to speak to groups and/or organizations, such as site council meetings.
• Expectations - Attendance:

Discussion/Agreements: The assumption is that members have committed to attend and to not miss more than one meeting in a row.  If a member cannot attend, he/she is to let Evie Matthews know.  Members will not send substitutes if not attending.  If events require it, a member may request the Board to find a replacement.
• Communications

Discussion/Agreements: Decisions made in meetings should get out as soon as possible.  E-mail is the preferred communication within the committee. The District will look into getting e-mail addresses for those without.  Information should be made broadly available throughout the district and individual schools.  Hard copies of meeting minutes will be available, and posted on the District website.  Avoid jargon.
• Decision-making

Discussion/Agreements: Discuss disagreements respectfully.  Need to have honest meetings, useful disagreements.  Bring disagreements to the group for discussion.  In disagreeing, separate the person, the ideas expressed, and the process.  No decisions by default.  Members prefer comfortable consensus with the potential option of a minority report when or it is seems necessary.
• Open Meetings

Discussion/Agreements: The committee’s meetings will be open to the public and there will be a time for open comment at the beginning of the meeting.  Provision will be made to also receive public comments in writing or via e-mail and on the website. 
• Special Needs Not Yet Addressed?

Discussion/Agreement: Staff should provide adequate signage on the building, and notices in the newspaper and on the web.

Overall Purpose of SOF Committee

Next Meeting:

Proposed Agenda:

• Review operating agreements
• Address equity issues; develop plan for managing within the process
• Review/consider functions and structure of task groups
• Develop vision statement for SOF process