What are some examples of things that you and the School Committee have done to support students and families in Medway?
Fully supporting our students, educators, and schools lies at the heart of the School Committee's work. Lauren is particularly proud of the work Medway has done to keep our schools open and our students and staff safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Several of the committee's most important initiatives over the past few years include the following:
Implementation of weekly pooled testing for students, faculty, and staff beginning in December, 2020. Medway was one of the first districts in the country to offer regular, weekly pooled testing for COVID-19. This measure was a key element of our full return to school, and Lauren is proud to have worked with other members of the Safer Teachers, Safer Students Collaborative to help make this a possibility in Medway.
Budgetary support of student support services and additional COVID-19 management strategies:
Addition of two school additional adjustment counselors, wrap-around services provider, nursing staff, and COVID testing program manager
Enhanced air filtration, ventilation, cleaning and other mitigation strategies
Support of increased recess times at the elementary schools and implementation of recess at the middle school. The latter was most directly supported by the School Committee's 2018 vote to designate the middle school as an elementary rather than a secondary school. This reclassification affords greater flexibility with state "Time on Learning" requirements so that recess can be effectively implemented into the middle school day and is something that School Committees vote upon each year. Lauren is thrilled to see the myriad benefits of recess being valued and supported at the district level.
Budgetary funding, implementation, and support of tuition-free full day kindergarten. First offered in the 2018-19 school year, free full-day kindergarten for all students was a significant accomplishment and commitment that will have a positive impact for Medway students for years to come.
What are the roles and responsibilities of the School Committee?
The Medway School Committee consists of five members who are elected to staggered three-year terms in the May Town Election. In the context of Chapter 71, Section 37 of Massachusetts General Laws, the primary responsibilities are as follows:
review, approve and oversee the annual school budget
hire and evaluate the performance of the superintendent
establish policy and goals for the school district
advocate for the students in the school district
The committee generally meets the first and third Thursday of each month during the school calendar year in the Presentation Room at Medway Middle School. Meetings are public and are conducted under the rules of Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.
To learn more about the work of the Medway School Committee (including policies, meeting minutes, upcoming Office Hours, etc.), please refer to the Medway School Committee website.
To read the Advisory on School Governance as outlined by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, please click here.
Are there any conflicts of interest for School Committee members who are spouses of teachers in the same district?
Per the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission, there is a limited set of circumstances that might warrant a School Committee member's recusal in this instance. These primarily relate to matters of teacher wages, hours, and working conditions. During discussion of the budget, for example, Lauren would recuse herself from any line-item conversations about teacher salaries, but would still be able to vote on the budget as a whole. Like other elected committee members and representatives in this situation, Lauren has consulted the State Ethics Commission about such matters and has a § 23(b)(3) disclosure form on file with the Town Clerk. Since her election, Lauren has been an active member of the Medway School Committee and has been able to fulfill her responsibilities on behalf of the citizens of Medway.