This is addressed to Waitsfield residents.
Welcome new and returning families to another great year at Waitsfield Elementary School. Now that we are all back in the school rhythm, your school board would like to take a moment to re-introduce ourselves, provide you with an overview of our work ahead and invite you to participate in our monthly meetings that take place the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the school library.
Our local school board is comprised by five elected members who are tasked primarily with creating a vision, establishing policies, developing and adopting budgets and negotiating teacher contracts. We also strive to engage our community in defining the outcomes we all want for our children.
In my years of serving on the school board, I cannot think of a more critical year for community involvement. Act 46 was passed in the last Vermont legislative session. It promises to significantly change our local school governance structure, our budget process and the way we deliver quality educational services in our district. As a Waitsfield community, we must make some significant decisions as to how we would like to move forward in complying with this law. The implementation of Act 46 will be a major focus for boards across the state and we invite you to be part of this important conversation.
In addition to Act 46, Vermont schools are also implementing proficiency-based standards, personalized learning plans and new technology initiatives to meet the demands of a changing world and revised education quality standards. It is a demanding and inspiring time to be an educator. As a board, we couldn’t have greater confidence in our school principal and the talented staff to meet these challenges while building a 21stt-century framework for educational excellence.
Family involvement is central to all our children’s success. Therefore, we hope to have the opportunity to see you at our meetings, hear your points of view and engage with you on these important topics that promise to shape students’ educational experiences for years to come. Our board agendas are publicized in school newsletters and on the school website. If you cannot attend a meeting, they are also recorded and aired on Channel 44. We will host informational meetings on Act 46 throughout the year and we also ask that you engage in any surveys that may be administered to gauge the pulse and sentiment of our school community. We thank you in advance for your involvement.
Eve Frankel, chair, on behalf of the Waitsfield School Board members, Jonathon Goldhammer, Helen Kellogg, Barclay Rappeport and Christine Sullivan.
