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The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Board Retreat Agenda & Overview

To:Members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
From:Maura Banta, Chair
Date:August 4, 2009

I look forward to your participation in the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education's retreat on Thursday, August 13, 2009. The retreat will immediately follow our regular business meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. Both the business meeting and retreat will take place in the Dunn Conference Room on the campus of Bridgewater State College.

Following our business meeting, I will present a quick overview of the purpose of our retreat. I will then defer to three Board members whom I have asked to serve as facilitators for the retreat. During the morning segment, Dana Mohler-Faria will facilitate an open discussion around our motivations for serving on the Board, our accomplishments from the 2008-2009 session, and how we spent our time. To guide this dialogue, the Department prepared the enclosed "Overview of 2008-2009 Board Meetings." Please look at and reflect on this document prior to the retreat, and ask yourself what stands out relative to the time allocation of meetings and how agenda items mapped to the Board's goals and priorities.

After our lunch break, Sandra Stotsky will facilitate a discussion around the online survey that is currently being administered to Board members. I will share the results of that survey with you under separate cover prior to the retreat.

To conclude our day, Gerald Chertavian will facilitate a discussion around the Board going forward in terms of its priorities, processes, and time allocation. I have enclosed a copy of the Board's Goals and Priorities, which were distributed at the September 2008 Board meeting, and Commissioner Chester's May 8, 2009 memorandum relating to charter school agenda items and possible changes to the Board's work process.

I know that summer is a particularly busy time of year for your all, and I appreciate your willingness to commit to spending the day in Bridgewater. In the meantime, please let me know if you have any questions.

Enclosures

View HTML PageOverview of 2008-2009 Board Meetings
 Commissioner's Working Goals and Priorities, 2008-2010
 May 8, 2009 Memo, Charter School Agenda Items - Possible Changes to the Board's Work Process