January 14, 2025 Policy Subcommittee Meeting
WEYMOUTH SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
POLICY SUB-COMMITTEE
Adams Library Conference Room | 89 Middle Street, Weymouth
January 14, 2025 | 6:00 p.m
AGENDA
- Call to Order 6:00 pm
- Policy Updates
- Public Comment
Public Comment shall be in accordance with Policy BEDH
- Adjournment
MINUTES
Policy Sub-Committee
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Location: Adams Library Conference Room 89 Middle St.
Members in Attendance: Dana Scott, Kathy Curran, Mary-Ellen Devine
Also Present: Melanie Curtin, Superintendent
6:11 P.M. - Meeting called to order
First order of business:
The public comment policy was reviewed. The members of the sub-committee agreed on moving forward with making edits to the BEDH policy and suggested focusing on several sections:
- Altering the language of section #1- Removing the 15-minute cap on the public comment period. Removing the phrase, “Public comment is not a discussion, debate or dialogue…”
- Removing section #3 from the policy- “Topics for discussion should be limited to those items within the School Committee´s scope of authority. The authority of the School Committee primarily concerns the review and approval of the budget of the district´s public schools, the performance of the Superintendent, and the educational goals and policies of the district´s public schools. Comments and complaints regarding school personnel (apart from the Superintendent) or students are generally prohibited unless those comments and complaints concern matters within the scope of School Committee authority.”
- Removing section #4 from the policy- “The Chair of the meeting, after a warning, reserves the right to terminate speech which is not constitutionally protected because it constitutes true threats that are likely to provoke a violent reaction and cause a breach of the peace, or incitement to imminent lawless conduct, or contains obscenities.”
- Adding Language encouraging, but not requiring, speakers to be respectful, and speak with clarity and civility.
Second Order of Business:
Superintendent Curtin reviewed and shared the WHS draft of the AI Acceptable use policy which will be entered into the forthcoming handbooks in the coming school year. She also explained how the rest of the district would follow a similar policy in dealing with AI as a tool in the classroom while preventing plagiarism.
3rd Order of Business
Sub-Committee Chair Dana Scott shared with the committee the need to alter contact information in several sections of the District Policy Manual. These global edits to the documents would include editing the address from 111 Middle Street to 89 Middle St., as well as removing the names of previous employees in several areas of the manual and replacing them with the job title of contact. The members of the sub-committee agreed to move forward and present edits to the full Committee at the Thursday, January 23 meeting for a full vote.
6:44 PM- Meeting Adjourned