Board of Trustees Update Regarding Communication Taskforce

Dear ECS Stakeholders,

On behalf of the ECS Board of Trustees and the ECS Administration, we are reaching out today to provide an update regarding communication improvements and adjustments to ensure transparency, openness, and accountability. As you may know, the Communication Taskforce was developed in early 2021 to address communication between the Board, administration, and various stakeholders in the ECS community. This group is composed of several diverse individuals and includes parents, Board members, staff, and administrators. Since its inception, the Communication Taskforce shared and presented its insights and suggestions at the October Board Meeting and November PCO meeting.

The ECS Board of Trustees continues to partner with ECS administrators and staff to better the communication processes, and we are greatly appreciative of the time, effort, and commitment the task force asserted to formulate an insightful presentation. Prior to this presentation, ECS had implemented several processes to expand communication, transparency, and opportunity for public comment including the addition of the monthly Java with Jon and James meetings; the creation of the COVID-19 Dashboard and Information Center; the development and dissemination of the COVID Closure procedure; and providing support to address students and staff’s social-emotional needs by presenting resources and extending winter break to give additional days for the ECS community to partake in family time and relax.

In that same vein, the ECS Board of Trustees is dedicated to continuing the conversation around communication while implementing many of the recommendations and expanding current efforts. The next steps include differentiating Board and admin responsibilities, creating additional dedicated task forces, and strengthening collaborative efforts with the PCO and ECSFT while embedding long-term enhancement projects within a strategic plan.

In the meantime, the Board, in conjunction with the ECS administration, encourages the ECS community to continue to engage with the current opportunities for public comment and involvement to better strengthen our knowledge of stakeholders’ concerns, celebrations, and opinions. Below are a few ways to get involved.

Attend Monthly Board Meetings

Board Meetings are on the third Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Participates are invited to join virtually, and an agenda is posted on the website prior to the meeting. The Board highly encourages individuals to sign up for public comment. The link to join as well as the form for public comment is located on the Board webpage.

Join Java with Jon and James

Join Mr. McCann and Dr. Doyle via Google Meet the second Wednesday of every month to chat about district-level information, share feedback, and ask questions. The next Java with Jon and James is on Wednesday, Jan. 12 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Join here.

Finally, in the spirit of a task force recommendation to identify a third-party mediator for ECS, we are taking the opportunity to have our strategic planning partners with the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management facilitate a parent feedback and dialogue session with members of the Board and ECS administration. This session is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 18 from 5-6:15 p.m. and will be held in person in the ECS Middle School café. More details and a session RSVP link will be shared in early-January.

Thank you for your attention and for your friendship. Please reach out if you have any questions, and we hope to see you at one of our upcoming meetings.

Sincerely,

The ECS Board of Trustees in Collaboration with the ECS Administration