MINUTES

Mansfield Advocates for Children

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Mansfield Town Hall, Council Chambers

6:30PM-7:30PM

 

PRESENT: K. Grunwald (staff), S. Baxter (staff), J. Buck, C. Guerreri (Graustein), M.J. Newman, J. Stoughton (Staff), J. Soroka

REGRETS: A. Bladen, L. Oransoff, R. Leclerc, J. Goldman, B. Lehmann, A. Bloom, S. Daley

 

Time                     Item                                              Discussion                           Action

6:30 PM-6:35 PM

Introduction: Call to order 

 

S. Baxter called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM.  A thank-you note from Joan Buck was read.

 

S. Baxter shared information about the Town’s strategic planning process.  J. Goldman will represent the needs of families with young children on the Steering Committee.

 

C. Guerreri discussed the investment plan from the Children’s Cabinet: “ Ready by 5, Fine by 9.” There will be funding available for community-wide planning (pg. 35).

 

S. Baxter announced that we received the award letter from SDE for $107,000 for School Readiness.

Pursue possible funding from the State/Graustein for the Town’s Strategic Planning effort.

 

Determine when our School Readiness monitoring visit will be scheduled for this year.

 

 

6:35 PM-6:40 PM

Approve minutes of 6/6/07

No discussion.

The minutes of the June 6 meeting were not adopted in the absence of a quorum

6:40 PM-6:55 PM

MAC By-Laws discussion

The most recently updated by-laws were included in the packet.  This version incorporated all comments received to date.

 

J. Stoughton clarified that in Article III, #4 that the issue has to do with limits on members of a specific organization. The general feeling of the group was to not place any limits on membership unless this appears to become a problem.  C. Guerreri encouraged the group to consider this item as providing structure and framework for membership in the governing body of MAC.  J. Soroka suggested that we could identify organizations that need to be represented.  M. J. Newman suggested that we maintain the limit at 25.

J. Buck suggested a minor change in Article II, #9: change accepted.

 

It was decided that membership will reflect balanced/diverse representation from all elements of the community identified in the by-laws.

 

6:55 PM-7:30 PM

Discovery visit and evaluation

Process (Visit 9/5/07) for development of 2008-09 Application 

Development of Ad Hoc Committee to Accomplish above in Aug.

Report on Evaluation Conference Call of 7/12/07 Anne & Sandy

 

Preparation for the Graustein visit on Sept. 5: the following areas need to be considered relative to (1) progress to date on strategies identified in the Action Plan, (2) relevant barriers and (3) next steps. The indicators of success that need to be evaluated are Collaboration, Parent Engagement, Local Leadership, Staff Support, Meaningful Local Match, and Participation In Discovery.  C. Guerreri suggested dividing the strategies from the 2007 action plan into each of these three categories as a starting point; then pull in other activities as relevant.  We should think of this as a status report.  For each strategy we need to determine if it was completed, in progress, or yet to be done. 

 

The group went through the Action Plan and classified each of the strategies by the indicators for success identified by Graustiein.  A small group will continue to meet on this issue in the month of August to prepare for the Graustein visit.  All MAC members are invited to attend.

7:30 PM              FYI:

Discovery Incentive Grant: Parent Empowerment Workshop Series with PEP

 

“People Empowering People”

No discussion.

 

 

            The meeting adjourned at 7:40 PM

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Kevin Grunwald                                                                                                                                        ->  -> ->