The Arlington School Committee and interim Superintendent Kathleen Bodie gathered at a retreat Nov. 5 at the Whittemore-Robbins House, facilitated by Robert Evans, executive director of the Human Relations Service in Wellesley. The retreat was advertised as a public meeting, and a YourArlington reporter tried to cover it, but the reporter was urged not to stay, and he didn't.

The purpose of the retreat, committee Chairman Denise Burns said, was to "bring the
entire committee together to discuss better norms for conducting business." Vice Chairman Joseph Curran, considered to be Burns' closest ally on the committee, added that he hoped to use the retreat to "better communicate with other members of the committee."

However, before the meeting began, Bodie expressed concern about whether committee members would feel comfortable with a reporter's presence, given the nature of their intended discussions. She characterized the retreat as an "off-camera" meeting.

Upon his arrival, Evans informed the reporter that he would not facilitate the meeting if a reporter was present. At that point, the reporter left.

It is believed that those gathered discussed, among other matters, communication issues.

According to his Web site, Evans "provides a range of consulting and training services including professional development programs, organizational consulting services, and parent education programs." His new book is Family Matters: How Schools Can Cope with The Crisis in Childrearing.

The state's Open Meeting Law aims to give public access to government meetings.The information at this link lists the exceptions that allow a government body to exclude the public.

Guidelines to the Open Meeting Law are published by Gerald T. Leone Jr., Middlesex County district attorney.You may read them here >>.