Board of Education Member Lisa Loomis Self Report Card

Dear Middletown Residents,

I believe in holding our elected officials accountable for doing the job they asked for. As the 2017-2018 school year draws to a close, I am holding myself accountable by reporting to you what I have done in my role as a member of the BOE since my election this past November:

• Attended New Member Training by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education on Dec. 12th
• Chaired the curriculum committee which met monthly with a strong focus on equity
• Attended and actively participated in all 10 regular board meetings
• Attended and actively participated in all but 1 of the monthly budget committee meetings
• Attended and actively participated in BOE retreat as well as a number of special meetings on topics including the new transportation contract, hiring personnel, budget workshop with Common Council, and annual superintendent evaluation
• Served on Strategic Planning Team, attending and actively participating in 2 out of 3 meetings held so far
• Served on committee to determine recipients of Professional Improvement Grant
• Attended community meeting Jan 12th and planning meeting Jan 15th regarding the confederate flag incident at MHS
• Attended Once Upon a Mattress at MHS, Minds in Motion, annual district art show, Middletown Adult Ed graduation ceremony, and MHS graduation ceremony
• Used Facebook to keep community informed of BOE work and district successes
• Read What School Boards Can Do: Reform Governance for Urban Schools by Donald R. McAdams provided by Dr. Conner

I also believe in continuous improvement. To that end, I am reflecting on my areas of growth. While I have been very active on committees, I think it is important that BOE members be present and visible in the schools. Though I got to a few school/ district events, I did not get to as many as I wanted to, and sadly, I did not get to any events at Keigwin, which is my adopted school. I had planned on attending the community conversation that Dr. Conner was going to have there, but it ended up being canceled due to snow. Even so, I do not think attending that 1 event would have been sufficient. With that in mind, I am setting a goal for myself for the 2018-2019 school year to double the number of school/district events I attend, prioritizing events at Keigwin.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve on Middletown’s Board of Education. Our district has areas in which we need improvement, but I feel strongly that we are moving in the right direction, and I cannot tell you how grateful I am to be a part of that work.

Sincerely,
Lisa Loomis