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Dear Mr. Wise,
Thank you for responding to our letter on June 30, 2024. We are surprised by your response to our request “that the School Committee hold a special public meeting… and engage in a public discussion concerning the issue(s) surrounding RPS teacher renewals and reviews.” We expected an elected board to be more interested in and responsive to the concerns from residents who elected them.
Your citation of M.G.L c 71, sec 59B that “individual employment decisions regarding teachers are within the purview of the building principals and superintendent and are outside of the purview of the School Committee” is misplaced. You seem to interpret this statute to mean that principals and superintendents have the sole authority and are therefore not accountable to anyone for such decisions. This section of the law does not grant such exclusive authority and does not prevent the School Committee from exercising its oversight authority.
In response to your second point, which states that personnel records “are considered confidential under the law and will not be open to public inspection…,” our public meeting request does not ask for the release of or access to any personnel records. Therefore, this point is simply irrelevant.
Lastly, you point out that “Dr. Milaschewski addressed the recent set of questions, rumors, and concerns that were brought to his attention last week.” After reviewing his comments, it’s clear that he did not. How would you, other committee members, or the Superintendent know what you describe as our “questions, rumors, and concerns” without the opportunity to discuss this at a public meeting? Have all of you discussed this matter in detail with everyone interested in this subject (including the many residents who signed our previous letter)?
It is instructive to review the purpose of a School Committee, which the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) described as follows:
“The school board is a legal agent of the state and must, therefore, fulfill both state and federal mandates. At the same time, the board must be responsive to the community it serves. The board is a legislative body that develops, evaluates, and oversees education policies. The superintendent is the professional educator chosen by the board to implement policies and to provide professional leadership for a district’s schools.” (DESE Advisory on School Guidance, Nov. 1995, available at: Advisory on School Governance – Education Laws and Regulations).
Additionally, the School Committee’s website overview states that our schools strive “to ensure that all students will have common challenging meaningful learning experiences in the academics, health and wellness, the arts, community service, co-curricular activities and athletics. We will lead and manage our school community to reflect the values and culture of the Reading Community, and guide and support our students to develop the appropriate skills, strategies, creativity and knowledge necessary to be productive informed independent citizens in a global society. “(Reading School Committee, available at: School Committee | Reading, MA)
Finally, School Committee policies state that the “School Committee is responsible to the people for whose benefit the school system has been established. The Committee’s current decisions will influence the course of education in our schools for years to come. The Committee and each of its members must look to the future and to the needs of all people more than the average citizen finds necessary. This requires a comprehensive perspective and long-range planning in addition to attention to immediate problems…. It must carry out its functions openly, while seeking the comments of public, students, and staff in its decision-making processes.” (Policy B: Board Policy and Governance, available at: Policy Manual – Reading Public Schools. )
Mark Delaney
Beacon Street
