The Saugus Union School District governing board and superintendent held a special meeting Saturday in the district’s Education Center for a board retreat aimed at team building and discussions surrounding the district’s strategic direction, priorities and goals, as well as team leadership moving forward.
The open-session discussion was led by Education Support Services Group consultants Steven Keller and Kelli Moors, who were selected earlier this year to search for the district’s new superintendent following Colleen Hawkins’ retirement. The team building exercise on Saturday was included in the search activities package and did not come at an additional cost to the district.
Throughout the morning-long conversation, all board members and Superintendent Robert Hernandez shared why they pursued careers in education and governance and the different perspectives they bring to the dais.
Looking ahead to the future of the Saugus district, Hernandez asked the trustees what they would hope to continue to grow. They also discussed how they want to be seen as a team moving forward.
Trustees stated they’d like to work on transparency, developing good relationships among the board and superintendent, collaboration and acknowledgement when something may not be working, efficiency, communication, and thinking ahead to be better prepared with challenges that may arise, and a way to bring families forward to shed light to the positive aspects of the district.
Now that Hernandez has led the district for a few weeks, he said he observed its very community-centered values, with many teachers and employees having long tenure with the district.
“Understanding that we have a different perspective, different background but still at the end of the day, doing what’s best for the kids and being able to work together, that’s important,” trustee Patti Garibay said.
“I would like the board to be more open and honest about having those difficult discussions in public because I think when you discuss things in public, it makes people feel like, ‘You guys are actually working together and not against one another,’” trustee Anna Griese added.
Governing board President Matt Watson also added that having disagreements is expected but as a collective he wants to be seen as a team that’s “willing to unpack the junk, spread it out on the table, examine it, and have discussions,” he said. “I think in addition to being cohesive, proactive, just hands-on.”
Trustee Katherine Cooper said she wants the board to be more involved with school site visits, and support new approaches even if there may be pushback.
Trustee Christopher Trunkey also noted that student focus is the board’s primary responsibility but setting the direction of the district is something the community has to understand, he said.
“The families that have students here, as well as others, need to understand that we’re setting the direction. I think that’s part of the whole transparency thing of what that perception out there might be if we’re seen as setting goals, setting the direction of the school district in a collaborative way,” he said.
The board also discussed what they could do to be better prepared at meetings moving forward, which included building relationships with the community and all stakeholders, and learning to understand the district’s programs and initiatives, respecting colleagues, listening and advocating for the community, and trusting the superintendent and cabinet to deliver the informationand holding them accountable.
Other approaches discussed included asking questions in a productive manner rather than making assumptions, as well as providing the cabinet with questions about technical matters in advance so members have an opportunity to prepare thoughtful responses. This approach, Keller said, can help avoid a “gotcha” dynamic during board meetings that may contribute to mistrust.
“From a board member’s perspective, if you want to understand something better where you want the data or the information, you want it to be available so you can all hear it and consider it and make your decision based on it,” Moors added.
Hernandez added that he not only wants the board to be informed when making decisions, but also that the public also understands the process and where those decisions may come from, and having public discussions about minor changes in policies so the community remains informed.
“I think we need to keep in mind, we do often have different views but instead of looking at is as a ‘against each other’ looking at it as a ‘this is the goal, and we both all get to the same goal,’” Cooper said.
Transparency was also a topic of discussion during the meeting, with Hernandez seeking to establish a clearer understanding of what transparency should look like within the district. He said he would like to provide the board with quarterly updates on student behaviors and other areas of concern to help streamline communication and ensure trustees have access to timelyinformation.
Trustees emphasized the importance of having open and honest conversations, as well as being willing to educate one another on topics they may not be as familiar with.
Hernandez also said that when trustees seek information about a potential challenge at a school site or raise other concerns, he would not want them to feel as though they are being shut out of the process. Instead, he said he wants to ensure trustees have the information they need to better understand the situation and make informed decisions.
