The July 31 School Committee meeting has been postponed, the committee chair says, because the investigation of e-mails between the Ottoson principal and a teacher has not been completed. The recommendation is that the committee next meet in late August.

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Here is a copy of the July 24 memo to Arlington School Committee from Susan Lovelace, chair:

Please consider this memo notification that I am postponing the July 31st meeting.

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According to policy BBAA, it is the responsibility of the School Committee:

“To vote and act in committee impartially for the good of the students. “

And

“To represent the committee and the schools to the public in a way that promotes interest and support.”

Due to the circumstances listed below I believe it is in the best interest of our students and the health of our district to postpone the July 31st meeting:

a) The investigation of inappropriate behavior between two highly visible employees has not yet
been concluded and the committee only has a portion of the final report;

b) One of those employees is out of the country and not able to represent herself; and

c) It is likely that concerned members of the community may choose to speak at the meeting and
since the committee is not currently in a position to respond to an ongoing investigation, it is likely that further misinformation, rumors and innuendo could be spread among the district.

It is therefore my decision that in order “to represent the committee and the schools to the public in a
way that promotes interest and support,” the July 31, 2007 School Committee meeting is postponed
until the current investigation is complete, with the understanding that the next meeting will occur in late
August prior to the start of the school year, unless I receive from our attorney or the Superintendent a
recommendation to schedule a meeting earlier.

In addition, I believe this decision is consistent with the code of ethics outlined in policy BCA below
that we all agreed to via our oath of office:

Policy BCA

A School Committee member in his relations with his community should:

1) Realize that his primary responsibility is to the children.

2) Recognize that his basic function is to be policy making and not administrative.

3) Remember that he/she is one of a team and must abide by, and carry out, all committee decisions
once they are made.

4) Be well informed concerning the duties of a committee member on both a local and state level.

5) Remember that he/she represents the entire community at all times.

6) Accept the office as a committee member as means of unselfish service with no intent to "play politics," in any sense of the word, or to benefit personally from his committee activities.

A School Committee member in his relations with his school administration should:

1) Endeavor to establish sound, clearly-defined policies, which will direct and support the
administration.

2) Recognize and support the administrative chain of command and refuse to act on complaints as
an individual outside the administration.

3) Give the chief administrator full responsibility for discharging his professional duties and hold
him responsible for acceptable results.

4) Refer all complaints to the administrative staff for solution and only discuss them at committee
meetings if such solutions fail.

A School Committee in his relations with his fellow committee members should:

1) Recognize that action at official meetings is binding and that he/she alone cannot bind the
committee outside of such meetings.

2) Realize that he/she should not make statements or promises of how he/she will vote on matters
that will come before the committee.

3) Uphold the intent of executive sessions and respect the privileged communications that exists in
executive sessions.

4) Not withhold pertinent information on school matters or personnel problems, either from
members of their own committee or from members of other committees who may be seeking
help or information on school problems.

5) Make decisions only after all facts on a question have been presented and discussed.

 

[School Committee attorney Alan S. Miller has interviewed Ottoson tech-ed teacher Chuck Coughlin. Miller has not completed interviewing Principal Stavroula Bouris, who is due to return to school Aug. 9.]

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