Good afternoon. I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which this event is taking place The Massachusetts and the Wampanoag people and pay my respect to their elders past present and future Hello, welcome to Boston and to Emerson College Thank you for being here I'm Jamie Galoon. I am the director and the co-founder of Hallround Theater Commons and My pronouns are she her hers Hallround is a free and open platform for theater makers worldwide That amplifies Progressive and disruptive ideas about the art form and connects diverse practitioners Hallround is organized as a commons Which is a social structure that invites participation along shared values at Hallround we value generosity and abundance Community and collaboration diverse aesthetics equity inclusivity accessibility and global citizenship While much of our platform exists online We know that there's no replacement for in-person conversation Since our founding in 2011 We have produced over 20 convening on a wide range of topics with a combined attendance of over a thousand theater makers In April 2017 in the wake of the presidential election We announced an open call for convening proposals called the howl round challenge We asked the field to submit ideas for the most urgently needed Conversations that demanded in-person gatherings with the idea that we could purpose our resources Toward trying to make a better theater and a better world We got over 70 proposals and out of these proposals The deaf theater action planning session proposed by Ty Giordano Rachel Grossman DJ curse and Ethan Senate was chosen as one of the four convening and over the past year-plus, yes Over the past year-plus Hallround has had the pleasure of co-organizing this gathering It is extremely important to us that what happens over the next three days is shared with the field at large We were able to bring all of you here in person But there are so many more people that we wish Could be in this room So we're asking you to be delegates in this experience and To bring the learning and the conversations we have here back to your communities and networks We're doing our part to make this convening accessible by live streaming most of it on howl round TV People can tune in online in real time right now Or they can access the video archive shortly after the event in addition to video documentation we'll be taking photos and Publishing an official convening report to be authored by Jill Bradbury in the coming months This gathering would not be possible without the amazing howl round team Producer Ramona Astrosky and associate producer Stokely who have been leaders and co-organizing this event and tireless in their pursuit of excellence Howl round cultural strategist Vijay Matthew who is holding down our video and live streaming Ship over here Latinx theater commons producer Abigail Vega howl round fellow Dylan your Vegas and Arcadre and Arcadre of volunteers Ross Emma Rachel and Ali I'd also like to thank I'd also like to thank the production team who's supporting us John Swati and Andre if you're a part of this convening producing team will you please stand if you're able or raise your hand so we can all thank you Thank you. I'd also like to introduce Charles Baldwin From the mass cultural council who is joining us as an observer this weekend Can you stand in closing? I'd like to thank the bar foundation Without whom this event would not be possible I'd also like to thank Boston University for their support as well as the Andrew W. Mellon foundation The Doris Duke charitable foundation and the national endowment for the arts and now Last but not least. It's my great pleasure and honor to hand it over to the organizing team Who identified a need for this convening and committed themselves to making it happen? Please welcome Ty Rachel DJ Patty Ethan and Alexandria who will lead us from here on out. Thank you. I feel like I'm in the Olympics You want to go next? Hi everyone and welcome. This is so exciting that we're convening here I'm Alexandria Wales You'll be interacting with us for three days So you'll see a lot of me and the other individuals and we are so inspired by everyone coming here together We look forward to the entire weekend being with you Hello, everyone I'm DJ. I'm from California deaf West theater I'm excited to be here at this event this weekend and I am also looking forward to this weekend with you guys I'm patty Lang. I'm the director of deaf spite light and DC happy to be with all of you for this weekend go theater Hello, everyone Eaton Senate. That is who I am. I Am a deciding director Producer and I am out of Washington DC and I am a really inspired to see a wealth of collection of Artists here at this weekend. You look forward to the next three days. I am Rachel Grossman. I am so honored to be here Thank you for permitting me to be with you. Hello, everyone. I'm Tyrone Tyrone Calvary Joe Giovanni It's been a long time coming before we got here and I am thrilled that it is finally happening and This is just the beginning folks Just the beginning. There's more to come Thank you for all coming in attendance today. Thank you So we'll begin with a ritual of assorts. We Asked you to bring some artifact something personal We're going to take a couple of minutes to prepare the next part of this So reach into your bags pull out your personal item your artifact and get ready for the next part of the session If anyone has forgotten to bring anything or some hair clippers or something. I'll take a strand of your hair Before we proceed. I would like to talk a little bit about why we're here You know deaf theater actors. We've been planning, you know, what's the purpose of this event? You're probably wondering why we flew in from all across the country You know to take the time to work out You know the schedule and the money that's been invested for this for what purpose you may be asking yourselves the goal is outcomes You know planning to find out what the outcomes and how we can improve and how we can grow the industry and the landscape of the deaf theater and Also deaf artists and the opportunity for us to discuss this as a group because we can move forward with a vision So that we can change How we can be the change we are the beginning of this change which begins right here Now I've got to other events and gatherings similar to this Where we've had the little forums we discussed these things and then they dissolved and nothing came about it So now we decide to say that it's been over a year and we've been meeting on a regular basis planning this specific event We wanted to find out what other milestones we could look for and look at what's going on in other theaters and other parts of the country and how they're getting growth and how they're developing and Creating more opportunities in terms of writers and plays and scripts So we're starting to take you know a collection of ideas and stuff and see how things are working And so we want to gather all these people together Which is the hardest part because now I have to be very selective of who I can't invite to this event but ultimately we picked you people because of the fact that you are in a position of change and You are the ones that are going to be making this change and become leaders in this industry producers directors writers educators We all together are in a position where we can make things happen and we need more deaf theater and Right here with some people among us. We can make this happen and this is why you were chosen and I know that many of you Who have been with us that are not here? There are many that are not wish that you could be but we can take this information back to where we come from and spread this information and then have more inclusion through social media and Livestreaming so we can continue this conversation way beyond this event. I have an agenda We're gonna elaborate on that a little later on and in this agenda. We hope that we're gonna design With the purpose of having clear information before we leave in terms of how we can actually put this plan into place and How we can start network networking with each other and building a bridge for the future? I also recognize that historically You know traditionally deaf theater when we speak about the landscape of it. It's been shifting We have more of a diverse background Now we have deafblind theater and that was also going to become part of our Legacy and so we want to discuss how we can support that vision as well ASL theater in itself Historically has started back in the 1950s 1960s to the present But professional theater like what we know it is now Really started 50 years ago with the National Theater of the deaf Through the 70s, so it's well over 30 years, so we're still in its infancy So we have so much more to grow and develop as we expand the future of our industry I like to bring Alexandria up to the stage, please Hello So I want to go along with what was just said We're pretty young and as a professional theater group and there are many many individuals We want to honor and recognize from the history to now and going forward as well So maybe some of the names that we will recognize you haven't really been aware of and we want to make sure that every individual is respected equally and Recognize those so hold those thoughts in your heart hold them in your heart and in your minds So as we expand on this they will carry us forward They're gonna do this. We will do this together and that will help us move forward. Amen. Someone just said amen So let's go on to what we have our goals for this this work this session we have an altar and Your this is your personal journey, so you are bringing things Creatively to professional theater. You are bringing yourself here, so take your object and Think about who gave that to you or How you got that and how that represents you So make a very conscious connection to that And then hold on to that remember it Remember who taught you and where that information came from We were speaking about the Wampanoag Tribe and think about the language that we have and the culture and the community and How it might have gotten smaller and now is going to expand again Through the darkness That language that culture that oppression that we've had we've everyone has fought so strongly We are now going to do that altar to remind you this weekend and moving forward to put what we honor and Love so much in our history So that this is a sacred space. We are bringing this to So all of you have something and what we're going to ask you to do now is to bring that to the table This is the altar that we're going to put the things that represent us on I'll demonstrate so again I'm Alexandria. I prefer she her for pronouns I I Come from New York City and this is a script of our town my first deaf mentor Michael Lamatola is represented So Mike Lamatola, so I'm going to ask each person to come up and share So you can see me Can you in the background on the big screen? And it's really important that everyone has a visual and can see the sight lines So we will hand that over we'll finger if you finger spell something Please do it at a pace that we can see and read clearly I'm DJ And my pronouns are he him and his This is a ticket from Bernard Bragg from the theater and I received that back in Washington, DC And I brought that with me. It's a momentum We were good friends and We were and he was the trailblazer and it's very personal to me next I'm Rachel Grossman She her and hers are my preferred pronouns. I Come from DC and That little clown red nose. I just showed you I brought it for two reasons Separated at birth was the show that I was used it was used in as A part of the costume the company's dog in Pony That was the first time they had a deaf actor That was Marley Matlin and she was in that performance That red clown nose really really taught me How to interact with the audience and that was one of the best things of my life how to do that Here's my clown nose. I know there are some questions here. So please come and ask the questions. Sure There's a question from the audience to see whether or not participants can bring their altar object to Participants and then we can have them place back on the altar So would that resolve if they put it on the altar and then you were able to come up and Get a sense of what it feels like after No, I'd like to do it at the same time if possible when they are bringing it up to the altar Sure, that would be fine Again, yes, so what I will do I Acknowledge your question and that would be fine. So as you come up to this altar So I am just reiterating what's being said so we can go up to the altar one at a time And then wait for the person to sit down before the next person comes up Okay, if the two individuals who already presented can come up to the altar Actually, there are three objects right now on the tape on the altar Okay, so now again to clarify what we will do we will take turns someone will come up to the altar Explain first introduce themselves explain the object and what that represents Just briefly After that's been done. They will go hand that object over to the community of deaf-blind folks to be able to feel and Touch it and understand what that is clarifying question from the audience So the person themselves can go over and give that object to the other group Yes, we want to make sure there's time for one person at a time and not everyone rushes up in a mass, okay Are you ready? Okay Can everyone see this? My name is Sabiva England like the country. I actually have three things. I'd like to explain to you The first object represents prayer It's a figure of a hand if you can see it and its palm is facing up It's a meditative gesture mudra So we sign this in the Indian culture Within our dances and our art in theater So my art is physical theater Three years ago my husband passed away It was really unfortunate Very sad. I was grief-stricken.  I want to make art again and I started Just to become more inspired and enlightened by this. I Felt a connection to that object so through physical art and Physical theater that helped me feel connected to other people. I Felt the spirit and that's the experience. I wanted to share with you So for me I Want to feel the connection with other people and I do that through my art Through this art. Thank you And the individuals in the audience are getting an understanding and feel for the specific objects Hi, this is Alexandria again We will continue with this process and as we go on we're gonna really Get to know each other, but I'll also our time is short So I'm asking you to keep it a little bit brief and concise with your stories They are unbelievable beautiful stories to share and during break time and other time throughout the day You'll have an opportunity to come and see what items are placed on the altar and what the connection is They all represent all of you and we want to have everyone have a chance So I know there's lots of questions that keep coming up, but I'm gonna really manage and facilitate the time we have here I'm Nikki Runch executive director of theater and arts in Colorado Imagine theater this item that I have Belong to my daughter This was at the same time. I started in Barking my imagined imagination theater and gave birth Her name is Amber as in fire my daughter was fighting for her life at birth and She continued as she was facing death No matter what obstacle was about before her She can continue to fight and because of my daughter Today my daughter is three and very healthy And so is my art at the ASL theater They're taking a moment right now to just pass the item around among the attendance Hi, I'm Amy My pronouns are she her and hers I Come from Seattle, Washington the object I brought That's me a picture of me in this brochure in this flyer This is a part of a production associated with the deaf spotlight and Before This event I had no public speaking experience acting experience, but I was really thrown into the fire and I really thank Especially Patty and those in deaf spotlight who gave me the courage to be where I am today to be in that kind of production Hello, I've been involved in theater for well over 18 years and all facets of theater all sides of production in front of and behind the curtain I Brought with me one piece that has inspired me again We bring up the name deaf spotlight This is a play poster in which it really invested into deaf playwrights several deaf playwrights Their content was gathered and exhibited to a general audience with the goal of sustaining exposure to this kind of work to the capability of Finding our kind of work a full platform to be fully produced and these were a series of short plays that allowed Deaf playwrights to be empowered and this hadn't been done for decades and for a decade there have been deaf playwrights You know we think about Willie Conley and oh my goodness who else Steve Baldwin oh goodness others See the issue. I'm trying to remember so there are so many Playwrights they've curts I can go on Although the numbers relatively small. We're trying to expand Those kinds of efforts by those playwrights and make sure that we grow grow the work. So that's my piece. Oh My name is my pronouns are he him. Yes Is he they say that right? He the previous speaker was Ryan Schlett afternoon everyone My name is J. W. Guido Pronouns are he and his I'm the artistic director of the New York deaf theater. I'm an actor The entire catalog of theater production My artifact is a DVD Looking back when I was younger some of the things that inspired me most Was the work of Peter Cook. I learned so much from Peter Cook is a role model person. I look up to so This is my artifact. Thank you. Hello everyone. I'm Tyrone Giordano He him his Are my pronouns? I'm from DC and My object is not here. It's in the hotel room, but but but I do have a placeholder for it But I do promise to bring it to the altar tomorrow So the object was is Something associated to 2001 when I hosted a theatrical event part of a theatrical event Big River Was in a small space very small theater, but it did end up getting touring engagements all over the world as far as Japan Amazing experience, but what was rich for me was two things that happened one of which Was the fact that I made it there, you know got to that level professional theater But that's the kind of once-in-a-lifetime event and I thought and thought that I don't want to be a once-in-a-lifetime Event I want something like that experience to have a legacy and be sustained So I brought a piece of that experience with me that I have a bookmark for Hi, all you beautiful people out there. I'm Joey cavalry Him his he are my pronouns. I'm an actor a director a dazzle an Advocate and many other professions. I have a picture of children of a lesser God and I was in that cast and That was on Broadway That was a huge accomplishment for me It made history for deaf people to be on Broadway So we're gonna do that again, and then it happened again. So I brought that artifact with me Here it is. Thank you at about ten years ago I produced a play for the very first time and I loved it And it led to my eventual journey to becoming a theater administrator Now I work for a deaf West theater I am new to signing and new to the deaf community So I will thank you in advance for your patience and apologize for my terrible signing And I'm very happy to be here. Thank you. Hello My name is Aaron Kelstone. I'm from Rockchester, New York From the National Theater of the deaf artistic program designer My pronouns are he him and his my artifact Is a pencil drawing? This is a piece of artwork from the National Theater of the deaf It was the first professional community deaf community. I was involved there That's where I met Sonny Matthew Who is a writer and an artist? Aaron is from NTID National Technical Institute for the deaf in Rochester, New York Hello everyone My name is Wayne Betts, Jr. My pronouns are he him and his I'm the founder of Convo VRS and my artifact is This I wish this was real It's from the National Theater of the deaf It's a key. I Was actually responsible So it was an artistic theater and behind where they worked everything out Was art and today that key is the only thing I have of it and it belonged to Bonnie McLean My name is Sarah Bowden I'm a heart of hearing Playwright and pretty new to sign. So thanks for your patience My artifacts The last hearing aid I got I never wrote about hearing Stuff and I got this hearing aid in grad school while I was studying playwriting and People were asking me about it and I realized that people actually want to hear about this stuff It's not just a part of my life, but the playwriting Can help communicate this experience and bring people in so the hearing aid was the inspiration for that and It's in a plastic bag. So just for Sanitation reasons Hi, my name is Richard Costas. I am I am deaf, but I was raised hearing So my sign language isn't as fluent as I would like it to be I brought with me today a book of theater history, but I didn't bring it because it is book of theater history I brought it because in 2006 I wrote something in here that has motivated me and Everything I've done in theater since then I went into I went to a very mainstream school And I took an acting course and my acting teacher told me You should quit theater because theater is not accepting of people with unique characteristics. I Am kind of person that types likes to take something negative and turn it into a positive So I've used that as my motivation ever since then just to prove someone wrong because there's nothing that motivates me more Than someone telling me I can't do something. Thank you. This is my object Hello, I'm Kaylin Feeney my pronouns are she her and hers. I'm from Portland, Oregon And this item is Special for me. I Join the National Theater of the Deaf summer program It was a professional theater program where I got to meet so many actors and I was there on a one-month Excursion Bernard Bragg Michael Amitola and many others and One day I Was sitting with Bernard Bragg and there's a story that I'll share with you about that pen at a later time on break But it's very symbolic for me Because also I am a writer besides being an actress and It's got a nice flow to it when I'm utilizing it. It's not so stiff and awkward And it helps me when I do my creative work. Hello. I'm Patty I'm from Seattle and I'm wonder one of the founders of deaf spotlight theater and One of the coordinators of this event. I believe that art and artistic work whether it be in film Theater conventional theater or otherwise or any visual art Actually, I have some friends here in the audience who are also my colleagues in visual art producing So much work Inside jokes there. We have a special relationship some special reflections But I have a piece here that was from one of those great relationships to this t-shirt that I'm passing to My peers here in the audience Hi, my name is Kayla. I work out of DC and My object is also left behind at the hotel But what I brought with me was my script It was my first experience in deaf theater at the National Theater of the deaf. I Was in a mainstream program. I attended theater a lot You know and had to do a lot of speech therapy and I really could never go back to that But when I went to see National Theater of Death, it was a new inspiration for me But I don't have an object to show everyone Good afternoon. I'm on the cult My pronouns are she her hers and My object is this Why I bring this object this light is Because I value light. I'm from a deaf family sign language and well-lit communication Is always critical to me, but I remember in high school. I remember Eric Malcoons Told me that my sign language was awful. You'll never be an actor. Nobody ever come to see your work and You're telling me this from a deaf family and he brought me to tears but at the same time It impacted me in such a way that I wanted to pursue more quality and fluidity in my sign style So I actually have to thank that criticism that critique So I put the spotlight on the good things and a spotlight on the things that need to be changed or that are worthy of change Put a spotlight on it. The previous reference was to malcoon Hello, I'm Annie Annie Wegan I'm from Iowa But my primary focus in terms of artwork is as a lighting designer I've worked in deaf theater as an assistant lighting designer as lead lighting designer The gamut my object Is this book the theater of dramatic vision? This book is a book written by several designers and the designers This was the content I studied in grad school at Boston University go BU So it brings me really back home. I have so many roots here my grad school time here Was a shift to me from undergrad to grad school It was a time in which I was trying to explore what I was going to do for work And there was a big shift to me because I decided to become a designer and be that kind of producer It's with a moment when things became clear for me Hello, everyone.  Can everyone see it? All right. My name is Fred Fred beam And this is my sign name Professionally, I'm a professional actor and an artist But this is my other sign name because of my braids and my dreadlocks. I'm currently working as an outreach coordinator for sunshine 2.0 formally known as sunshine to oh But that is no longer in existence, but it revitalized itself again, and I brought it back to life and It is alive and up and running again Just like the iPhone 1 the iPhone 2 you get it Alright, so my background is Takes place over 30 years Traditionally, I'm an actor. I never stopped But my object that I'm bringing today is this key chain and it says Michael The name Michael is on this key chain. Remember. I said Fred beam is my name. I edit Michael Because that's my father's name And I wanted it separate because I have my own identity, but yet I hold it dear to my heart Because Michael is the person Who changed my life? Michael Jackson you all know that he was the one who's inspired me to become an actor But everyone said I couldn't beat one and Later I read a scripture out of the Bible and there's a song that it says Michael rode the boat ashore Hallelujah And I thought about that and I thought I would use that theme to change my life To get into theater and the first person that pulled me into theater was Jerome Cushman from National Theater to death and he saw my interest and took me under his wings and the rest is history And this here Represents who I am and there's a figure of a heart there Up and a musical note. Don't forget to put your object there. You walked away with You didn't leave it on the altar great. Hello everyone. I'm Andrew Morell from Illinois if you don't know Where the specific town in Illinois is which I had named just a moment ago You can approach me my pronouns are he he him his and here's my object It's a piece of a birch tree You know the production the Shakespearean production Midsummer night's dream, right? Where's Ethan? Okay, Ethan right Ethan of course, you know that Midsummer night's dream I remember the closing night of Gallaudet at this production at Gallaudet University and On this piece is the word dream written there And I always use that as a reminder that as an artist you should be a dreamer But we are already dreamers not should be a dreamer. It's not an aspiration. We are here We're in the dream. So being here is a part of a dream fulfilled hello and My name is Albert Joseph You can call me EJ my pronouns are he him his and I'm local. I'm from Boston. Welcome everyone Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. I brought this Boot why am I bringing a boot? first of all There is a production called the where trilogy if you're unfamiliar with it Susan Zader was the playwright of the whale where trilogy. Maybe you're familiar with Mother Hicks a taste of sunrise or the edge of peace all three of those productions were produced here in Boston One of the productions was here in the paramount theater space The other and we locked family theater And the third at this central square theater company. I performed the role of Tuck so I'd like to thank the fact that this piece exists and I like to think that character tuck Because the day that I put on that character the character told me To consider which shoe I should wear To do the work. We got a long Journey ahead of us. It's gonna be a long walk And who knows when the journey will end but you keep on walking and that's what we should do in terms of our Legacy put our shoes on every day get up with the right attitude and power others spread the wealth Whether it's a deaf community hearing community or otherwise, I thank you all for being here. Hi everyone I'm Shana and I see all these people bringing their artifacts. How can I compete with that? Well, the object that I brought Is a photo journal With deaf access theater. I was a teenager that was in DC where I grew up and those times I Was a student and I was in a mixed group of teenagers between 20 and 27 I was in deaf theater at the time. I was hanging with other people who were deaf and hearing and At that time a lot of the hearing peers really wanted to learn sign language and that inspired me to become an actor and Then on a teacher and so forth now that theater company unfortunately no longer exists But at that time it was important because I've learned about the importance of education through theater To the youth I'm Amelia Hensley and I'm from God knows where I've been everywhere. I'm such a traveler and migrant My pronouns are she her hers and my object is this It's a button. It says got drama and Right at the very bottom. It says Gallaudet Theater Department Before going to the Gallaudet Theater Department, I was often told that theater was not the way to go in terms of a career There's no prospect out there in terms of theater and arts and It's just a hobby essentially and I believed that for a time until That button I Didn't realize that was actually an academic course a major and That was the moment of shift That's when it changed my life being a part of the Gallaudet Theater Department and seeing faculty and staff Professionals practitioners do the work and get subsidized for it get paid for it. That's when the shift was so that's why this means so much to me Hello, everyone. My name is Natasha and my pronouns are she her and hers and My object is this silver star I was just married three weeks ago and this is part of the decorations for my wedding. It represents many things to me friends and family courage light love And I brought that here to share that among all of you to share my love and my strength with each and every one of you Thank you. Hi everyone My name is Brian Brian Chelsea, I'm in Austin, Texas and I'm in theater. I'm a co-director For depth Austin theater I work with a lot of them artistic interpreter for the deaf and I study on deaf studies and I focus on a minor in theater as well and I'm pursuing currently my PhD and what I brought with me is Something from my high school year when I was mainstreamed At that time I was involved in theater. I was meeting people Making friends and I was growing my artistic director Passed away 13 years ago and I always remember him Because when I entered his program He had so much patience to work with me because I was the only deaf student in his class And he accommodated me and he gave me the opportunity And he gave me a lead role and this script that I've used back then Was in my graduation year in 1999 out of the blue Gray brown it still you know has its titles it has everything in there and I cherished this script I Learned so many things from my director and today I Teach theater and I use his philosophy and his approach to inspire other students Because what he gives me I pass it forward. My name is Bellamy. I'm from Ohio I'm an actress producer director writer and One of the founders of the deaf Austin theater. Here is my object. It's a mouse on cheese Perhaps you've read who moves my cheese that book Well, the book is unforgettable to me not Exclusive because of the management philosophy that you can glean from the book But also it signifies my journey as an actress writer producer playwright, etc It helped me found the deaf Austin theater It helps you aspire for change and look for change and create change also to accept change to emerge and parrot access Hello, I am Michelle Banks My pronouns are she her hers. I'm from DC and I've brought with me This You may ask what is This my hair my locks. I did a one-woman show Some time ago As an artistic director Onyx theater in New York.  I've also produced a production about Tucson Louverture in those experience I reflect on My journey as a writer and producer of a one-woman show and those pieces inspired me to Adapt my journey and adapt my vision To be more considerate of the ebony vision So I decided to bring this piece To represent my love my ebony journey Bob Marley and I've told the individuals who have inspired me in fact the playwright who I just mentioned earlier I'd met and I'd mentioned that she had inspired me So all of those pieces are Significant tokens of inspiration that have inspired me and brought me here today and I bring it to you notaki shun gay Okay, I think I'm ready. Hmm. I'm so nervous. Oh my god my name is Irvin and My pronouns are he his and him duly noted and The thing that I brought with me today Was this old shoe It was a shoe that was given to me from my grandfather. He was a dancer And I used that shoe because it reminds me of my grandfather Who passed away and through my journey in DC? I got into a scholarship program and at that time in DC I Was coming in from Louisiana And I then lived in Maryland and I danced my way all the way through Until I met Tim from a traveling theater company that traveled all across the United States Now this individual Tim it says Why don't you do a one-man show and I said me I'm a dancer and he said well, that doesn't matter Why don't you at least think about it? So I thought about it and I said why not so Michelle my director Michael my director had some dialogue with me We discussed it and the ballet shoe had no identity until I Used the white shirt So in my work, I started to consider how can I use dance these objects to represent not Exclusively dance, but multimedia or multiple objects of art How do I use what things can be seen? How can I use my smile? How can I use icons such as a butterfly and freedom my identity of being open and out? How can I change everyone's life to be fabulous and representative? I bring all kinds of pieces together not just one Hello, everyone. I'm Jill Bradbury from Gallaudet. I'm a faculty member there I've brought this This brochure is from the visual Shakespeare Festival that was produced last year as a part of the national tour Shakespeare Celebration and recognition of the 400th anniversary of his passing I Look at that piece as the first time that I really immersed myself into deaf theater let alone Shakespeare in American sign language and that Was revolutionary to me historical to me significant to me especially in Relation to all that we've lost in the deaf theater community that goes Undocumented that goes without being passed on so within this piece. I'd like to honor Steve Baldwin Steve Baldwin There's an actor historian a person who had not published a book about deaf theater history But always had images of him and NTD publications of course So there's such a legacy there and we were accountable to Continue the legacy in that history and pass it on Literally within our bodies over the years I want to honor his work in the way that he honored the legacy of deaf theater and deaf history to maintain that history and sustain it So thank you. Hi everyone My name is Josh Romulus Romulus Born in Pennsylvania. I currently live in Oregon. I'm one of the co-founders of the theater's group Protactal theater my colleague here to my right Also helped me co-found that theater Hi, my name is Jasper and I am from New York City And I also am the co-founder of Protactile theater and the object that I brought is a metal star made by an artist from the Protactile theater and In this star we've carried throughout our productions It was handmade and it represents the community that is in within us Regardless of our background Regardless of what community we come from Because we are all in one community the theatrical community and my personal object is a pocket watch this old pocket watch has braille on it and it is Very rich and symbolic for me from my own personal experience. Why? Because it teaches me a lot not only about being deaf-blind But also for me on a personal level when I Do my self-assessment of who I am and how I could come across to other people that I meet I never thought that I would be where I am today in the deaf protactile theater After my graduation from college I knew that I wanted to have fun in my work and being deaf-blind People said that I couldn't do these things And I was frustrated, but yet I had dreams like everyone else And my dream was to be in theater and to have people say that I couldn't and I figured that I Would be able to find a way and so I needed to found allies Partners who would buy into my dream and To share this vision that I had through protactile and to braille and Once I collaborated with my peers It was just the same way that you tell time on a watch This tells us story of us who are deaf-blind that our way of communication can be utilized in theater Through tactile and protactile That is the philosophy we use as we bring it to theater to adapt scripts in protactile and Braille and once people started to realize that they can access to our play through Braille protactile We would see the people's reaction. They were all inspired and they were Pleasantly happy that they can access theater directly through our language Hi everyone. I'm Robert I prefer he with a small not capital he H Very humble about it. So His is also okay to identify me. I am so thrilled to join all of you I don't have a lot of background in theater training, but I was involved as an actor often And I had different majors But I got so involved with SSP work And I decide and how I utilized space in that setting The architectural design is Something I got totally immersed in I wanted to make sure it was fully accessible and deaf and deaf-blind friendly I wanted to make sure there was meaning to everything that happened on that stage People understood what the goal Was what we were representing and what we wanted them to see We wanted people to understand our deaf space and through the experience that we shared in the theater with the real world we found that This was both interchangeably what uses what's used in the real world is used on theater And what's used on theater can be utilized in the real world We bring this to the stage and I extrapolated that from where I grew up as a kid on a farm Now for 200 years my family were farmers and unfortunately The farming is gone and we no longer have that farm And I remember where my father used to work on a farm and I would work on the farm alongside my father And we would sell our crops and the one item that I kept connected to my family's history From working on that farm was one item of all the things of that farm. I only have one item in my possession This you probably don't know what it is It's an inkwell for writing My great-grandfather who was deaf. He was an educator and Then there were priests in my family who were also educators and they valued the importance of reading and writing And he explained to me that this inkwell Was handmade he would go to the farm and he would make that inkwell from pottery Welled it mold it and then put the ink in there And I thought wow The meaning behind us It gave me a new meaning tools Tools have a new meaning for me. So I brought this here tools of the trade Hello everyone I'm Ethan Senate. I've been a deaf theater artists worn mini hats Primarily in directing and design The head of the artistic theater department at Gallaudet University. I was initially mainstreamed as The only deaf student in the program In some odd spaces you might say Spaces in which I was not necessarily Accepted by either group in that I had been educated in deaf space as well as mainstream space always looking for a place to fit a common space and when I didn't find that fit in One space that I had an identity of I would go to another so I've brought to you a bit of both of those spaces the first space Exhibit from one space is from a competition a speaking competition Was a poetry speaking lecture competition That I discovered through an English class that was posted on a board in the hallway and as I passed by I saw this bit of marketing material for This speaking poet free Shakespeare at competition And I thought to myself well What am I gonna do you know who am I gonna call and if I were to call somebody they're gonna hang up on me because obviously I'm gonna call through the TTY and Would they permit signing in this competition? Would they purse? Allow ASL. I mean who were who was the audience going to be and how would I fit and make this piece work? So I asked if I could call in and sign my piece. I Got no resistance So there was an opportunity I won for that region I Went to New York City Competed there in front of a large audience of significant people from across the country and I Got the second place to the top level and that for me told me of the possibilities of the initial vision that I had about being an actor and The ability to continue to progress toward that goal which leads me to talk about my second artifact This experimental piece that I worked on at La Jolla Playhouse in LA. It was an apprenticeship That was associated with there that program at the time Was an association with Steppenwolf Theatre Company So I worked with that cohort quite a bit for several weeks. It was an intensive program And there were circumstances in that intensive program that came up in which there was a need for a deaf artist a young deaf artist an emerging early career artist So looking back I see all of those Points those milestones as the reason why I'm here today In which I had opportunities to be pushed to Articulate Shakespeare in sign language and not necessarily through traditional means such as speech But if I wanted a role Some folks said I have to do the traditional way and I just didn't find that acceptable But I'm proud to be who I am and that I've never conceded to the expectations of others To certain speech coaches who wanted me to do things a certain way and to present a certain way a large verbose text Which was not necessarily my dream or the way that I wanted to represent myself in front of a large audiences The end result Was that general audiences thought that this was great work even though I Was using my voice and Compromise there for a moment and people thought that I was articulate. It still didn't sit well with me I wanted autonomy. I want to create a control I wanted to design and produce things in my way that set well with my intentions So I did not compromise. So these objects represent that journey represents Why I'm here and how I got here as a deaf artist as an art maker who Creates opportunities To do it the natural way of the way that people want the way people want to be represented. I want to support that Wow Amazing so inspiring just watching all of you I'm gonna take a bit of a break right now Get up stretch take a bathroom break get some food nourishment At 240 Remember that time Well, three o'clock because it's about 240 now at three o'clock. We're gonna go get together for a group picture So go fret refresh yourself, and we'll take the picture in the lobby Then we're gonna come back here and continue with our plan for this afternoon Okay, so right now We're gonna keep moving all the artifacts are right here. We're gonna put them We're gonna move them aside for now. So you have a 20-minute break right now And we've course we do have a question So our staff will lead you and guide you to wherever you need to go Okay, to the late rest rooms to the lobby area you can ask staff and they'll lead you a question from the audience Is it okay to leave our things in the room while we go out for break and the answer is absolutely yes Okay All right, take a break. We're good See you in the lobby at what time three o'clock. That's right. Thank you You


Seeing a presence of a quorum call this meeting the Amherst school committee to order at 6 23 p.m This is a very brief meeting tonight Prior to our regional school committee meeting and the purpose of this meeting is to vote to approve warrants Which is part of our new process that the Amherst school committee just recently adopted and it's a slightly different process than we've had previously and Just as a reminder this meeting is recorded and live broadcast by Amherst media I'm going to hand out right now to our school committee members The warrant report that was submitted by our finance director Shah Mungano just a short while ago And mr. Mungano, I'm going to ask if you don't mind just walking us quickly through this So it's a very first time that we're reviewing this in public It doesn't sound like it's on Amherst media is the public comments All right, so this is Motion for each warrant that needs to be approved. So there's three warrants And it's structured based on the wording that we received from Mark Terry from Eric And it's similar to what you're signing or the one person assigned at the region But sort of turn into a motion for Amherst So just to walk you through how this works for one of these so the first one the warrant number is s 12 1 1 1 9 which lines up with the date that the warrant was generated and The motions to authorize tables and the amount of the total amount of the warrant and for the warrant dated 12 11 2019 and then it breaks the warrant down into the funding sources or where the money is coming from to pay the Expenditures in that warrant. So in this particular case the general fund expenses of 25,000 247 54 Revolving fund expenses of 225 dollars and withholding payments of 3350 with only payments are When we withhold stuff from people's paychecks, that is not our money But their money that's withheld and then we cut the check to actually pay whether it's health insurance or Life insurance or anything like that So that's how all three of these are structured There was discussion about maybe some other type of report as well to kind of give maybe a little more besides the warrant some other breakdown and so there is a Put these together I put these together. These are a page from the warrant That breaks down the total amount by cost center And so cost centers for us are basically the first part of our chart of accounts And so like the general fund if you look at the first page There's a general fund section and then within that general fund section. It will show you How much was paid from each of those cost centers and so you kind of have to learn the cost centers Which once you learn them, they're not too hard But you have to learn the cost centers, but that's a report that's already part of the warrants And so for example what that would tell you is if you wanted to know how much we spent from utilities That would tell you how much we spent from utilities if you want to know a special ed It would tell you special ed And so on so on so at some point You know we could send out a guide of the cost centers And that maybe that would be a helpful tool for you to look at and then that combined with that summary Could be you know some more backup for the votes that you're going to take I see some nodding heads for the the guide I think that you know as much information as we can provide to the committee and the community is Very helpful with that and I think that you know the printout that we're looking at here Looks very similar to the previous warrants that we used to sign. Yeah, it's a page that you see part of that Right, so this is coming from the munis system. Yeah, and just as a reminder for the committee and anyone who may be watching That typically these warrants all of the expenses from the district go through a very intense Internal review process. So, you know the school committee is basically just signing off on these expenses But it does not mean that this is the only point of review for these right absolutely We have a purchase order system So everything that gets there has a purchase order that has to be first completed by the department and signed by the department head And then comes to me and reviewed by me and signed by me and if it's over a thousand dollars It's also reviewed and signed by the superintendent So for some things that may be reviewed as many as three or four times before The authorization to purchase happens and that has to be in place first before the expenditure can even take place Great. So this war review process is really just for you know public information Just to keep track of the things that are moving through and it allows us to actually release the checks So we hold the checks until you vote to approve In the new system vote to approve the warrants and once you do that then we release the checks I'm just gonna pause for a second to see if the committee has any questions or comments. Mr. Demling. Yeah Does the motion require the reading of all the details as itemized all the stuff under this includes I think so I'd not positive, but I think for tonight to be safe. Probably should just read the details I think we could get confirmation that's right future that would help and Do any of these warrants include payroll? Not tonight. Okay If there are no further questions or comments for either mr. Montano or the superintendent I will take a motion and we have three different motions. We want to make mr. Nakajima. I Move that the Amherst school committee approve S1 2 1 1 1 9 Move to authorize payables in the amount of 20,000 820 20 for cents for the warrant dated 12 11 2019 this includes general fund expenses of twenty five thousand two forty seven dollars and fifty four cents Revolving fund expenses of 225 dollars Grant fund expenses, which in this case are not applicable and withholding of payments of three thousand three hundred fifty dollars Okay, we have a motion. Do I have a second second? Thank You miss McDonald So it's been moved and approved and seconded and all those in favor Okay, that warrant has been approved. I will take a motion for the second warrant Mr. Demling I moved to authorize a warrant s 12 13 19 to authorize payables in the amount of 124,245 dollars and eighty cents for the warrant dated 12 13 19 This includes general fund expenses of seventy one thousand eight hundred seventy four thousand forty and forty three cents revolving fund expenses of 24,000 six hundred fifty three thousand and one cent grant fund expenses of six thousand two hundred thirteen dollars and forty seven cents withholding payments Not applicable capital fund payments of nineteen thousand nine hundred and four dollars ninety one cents and student activities of one thousand six hundred dollars Demling I'm sorry. I'm wondering if you might want to reread the first two lines. I believe you said Thousand twice Just to be sure we're being clear So can I withdraw my motion and Richard's we say the whole motion. Yes, okay. I'll throw my motion and I move to approve I'm going to authorize tables in the amount of one hundred one hundred and twenty four thousand two hundred and forty five Dollars and eighty two cents for the warrant dated 12 13 19 This includes general fund expenses in the amount of seventy one thousand eight hundred and seventy four dollars and forty three cents Revolving fund expenses of twenty four thousand six hundred and fifty three dollars and one cent Grant fund expenses of six thousand two hundred and thirteen dollars and forty seven cents withholding payments Not applicable capital fund payments of nineteen thousand nine hundred and four dollars and ninety one cents and student activities of one thousand six hundred dollars Thank you. We have a motion. Do I have a second second? Thank you miss McDonald. We have a second It's been moved and seconded all those in favor Okay, that motion has been approved and last one I Move to authorize payables in the amount of forty seven thousand dollars seven hundred and twenty five dollars and eleven cents for the warrant dated 12 23 2019 this includes general fund expenses of forty six thousand two hundred and sixty five dollars and eighty seven cents Revolving fund expenses of not applicable grant fund expenses also not applicable withholding payments of one thousand four hundred and forty nine dollars and twenty four cents Capital fund payments of not applicable and student activities also not Thank you. Do we have a second? Thank you. Mr. Nakajima. We have a second all those in favor And that warrant is approved Thank you very much. Mr. Mangano. Thank you. And one last thing and this may not be welcome news I talked to Mark Terry and you also still have to sign the warrant So you still have to sign it, you know, it's voted So everyone who voted In the affirmative should sign it and we'll take those back. So that's what is in this blue. Yeah The warrant all three of those warrants are in those that okay So we can pass this down doesn't have to be signed during open session or can it be signed that I don't think so I think the vote is what has to okay. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Mr. Mangano, and we have a final motion Mr. Nakajima and we have a motion to adjourn. Do we have a second second? Thank you. Ms. McDonald all those in favor We are adjourned. Thank you very much Seeing the presence of a quorum I call this meeting the Amherst Polynesian School Committee to order I'm seeing the presence of a quorum I call this meeting of the union 26 school committee and actually this meeting is being recorded It's still recorded, right? Yes, meaning not live broadcast. Oh, no, it's live broadcast. Oh, it's being live broadcast. Go to Ohio, things happen. How wonderful I need Yes. Well, anyway, so it I feel I guess I'm saying this for the benefit of the audience then because if you're watching at home You probably already know that Okay, so we don't have minutes to approve You know what time it is? 6.33 Okay, so we want to do the public comment when public comment period is and so with the with the Acclamation or a scent of the of the committee, I'd like to move the Amherst Polynesian School Committee chairs update forward on the agenda to Item four and then switch it with the announces in public comments Is that amenable? I'm saying nodding and amenable in a sense. So I mean, it'll be brief. It actually won't take the next seven minutes I Just want the for those in the public who have been following our meetings closely they will see that on At least three occasions We have had executive sessions in order which the purpose of the executive session was denoted as being a due to an allegation involving a personnel under the supervision of the school committee namely Michael Morris and I am hereby Publicly announcing on behalf of the school committee that that investigation matter is concluded Entirely and there was an investigation conducted That did not find any Evidence or support whatsoever for the allegations and so the committee voted to accept that report and considers the matter entirely closed And that's that that's the job the other thing. I don't you have any report So I sure no acting chair Because I don't have anything else Separate Buckeye apparently has peanut butter in the middle of chocolate. There's an absolutely delicious Do you know what time is it is 635 are there any announcements from committee members knowing that we can clearly move forward with that I Would love to state that since you're not a committee member. I won't raise your hand like that You can raise it I I think that Both on other committees that which I've served as well as this one I think Anastasia Ardennes has done an extraordinary job and You know, I've worked with a bunch of really great school committee members, but none better than her and Due to my role as chair of the regional committee, I've had more opportunities than either one of us probably cared to have to talk and figure out what we're going to do is as chairs of respective committees and how we were going to move forward with things and Always I have found you to be thoughtful deeply committed to the district savvy And a nice person to work with too And I think in the end since times are often tough Being a nice and decent person is one of the best traits you can have And because it helps it helps make the medicine go down of whatever you're dealing with a little bit better And so I really appreciate your service and have appreciated serving with you And even though I'm looking forward to all future members. I will not look forward to them as much as I enjoyed working with you Maybe as much Thank you, Mr. Nakajima. I really appreciate that. Thank you. What time is it now? By the way, I couldn't keep going on with that. That was embarrassing. Yes. We do have approval of minutes. No, they're no minutes Okay, Dr. Morris stay with that theme, which is tonight is also in addition to Mr. Donis's last meeting It's also Mr. Mangano's last meeting and the role of finance director So I would like to similarly acknowledge his role and contributions to the district I think I'll start with where you ended, which is being a nice person in the kind person which Matters and so in addition to all the financial pieces and Shepherding four towns through multiple conversations of multiple years of assessment methodology And all that goes into community engagement meeting with PGOs Doing new things to engage different communities L pack CPAC in the budget process. I think he's done it my opinion He's done it with incredible grace And also incredible creativity and I think that was acknowledged at the 410 meeting for those of you who are able to attend The 410 meeting and that's not a group that does standing ovations for too many people And they did and it wasn't planned It wasn't you know, I didn't tip anyone off other than Sean who was frustrated with me for Acknowledging him at that at that meeting, but I want to just that's not on camera So I want to publicly acknowledge mr. Mangano's role in the district and we will miss him greatly There any further announcements about awesome Sean is or Anastasia They're welcome at this point What's and also just if anyone knows again what time it is just let me know But 638 You can mystery I can I can't read that the clock that well I could easily say was exported from there I Salute the Amherst high school football team. I was away during their Valiant effort and loss, but it was it was neat to see them get that far What other championships do we have this fall we're near championships. We had Western mass championships of girls cross country and Our boys hockey is off to a really strong start Three one and no, so that's a strong start and what's neat Intentionally extending this a bit, but is that it's a partnership between Amherst Hadley and Palmer so we have students as schools in muster, Massachusetts high schools have gotten smaller When it's sports like hockey which are pretty material intensive in terms of rink time and We've partnered and smaller towns to keep their players Their student athletes having access to sports and this is a neat one We don't have many three town. I think it may be our only three town team and it's worked beautifully with the student athletes from Hadley and Palmer, so just compliments to the coach. Mr. Russo is also a middle school teacher, but to the students for coming together That's great. Yes, we have a similar Granby for football and some other sports. Is that correct? We do we do I'm not sure that we have three towns. I could be wrong on that But I'm also intentionally extending this and just went to 640 my clock I just Okay, so if there are no further announcements from the school committee or from the superintendent We'll move to open public comment if anyone has public comment. They can come forward I am not just for the purposes of people watching live at home. I don't see anyone sitting here Driving through town by the way, I'd say it was actually very very quiet Exceptionally quiet as quiet as I've ever seen it in years So it means there really wasn't any traffic that it's anyone from getting here They're bicycling walking or driving So with that I will close public comment period and remind people again that they can email use snail mail to Correspond with us if they wish so So this down now means at 641 or to that we are significantly ahead of our schedule for those watching at home It's mentioned that the times that are listed are approximate, but in this case The moving up of the business is primarily because you know, we didn't we didn't have minutes to approve. We didn't have any Much announcements in the way of announcements from the committee and we didn't have any public comments so with the Again the approval of the of the committee or general assent. I'm going to move forward with the next item on our agenda And we will Proposed superintendent contract discussion and possible vote contractor superintendent Michael Morris I know there was a robust discussion about this at the last meeting. This is also an item that is noted has been Noted as an item of discussion In planning purposes for executive sections in multiple meetings throughout the fall So I'm hoping there have been multiple opportunities for the public to be able to Follow this engage learn from last week's meeting as well as associated newspaper articles about it As we move forward with our current discussion so The item has been it's in the packet. It's in the packet. That's available online and Is also not Want to say not at all so I want the votes who've been Here in the state to nod their heads that I'm right. It is not at all been changed since the last time was publicly discussed It is not Wonderful, so that means that what you see is what you get in terms of the contract What this does is this? Essentially ratifies That the current contract will run through the end of this fiscal year and that immediate Immediately upon the end of this fiscal or school year Will commence a new three-year contract for dr. Morris That that contract would run through June 30th 2023 And would be automatically renewed for a further period Unless there is notice from the committees by December 31st 2022 the contract That does include a couple obviously that obviously does compensation But in other ways it includes a couple changes from the current track contract. They had but the effective July 1st 2020 the superintendent would be paid a gross salary annual salary of one hundred sixty three thousand one hundred and forty dollars effective July 1st 2021 the superintendent would be paid hundred seventy two hundred seven thousand dollars and then the committees would Meet and confer with the superintendent about any race for the third year if this contract is approved And in addition to that the superintendent would continue to be Eligible and would receive longevity longevity payments as well as a lump sum and recognition of his doctorate And as is also the case in the current contract would receive reimbursement for life insurance premium payments The termination severance clauses largely remain the same with a Change that clarifies The terms under which the superintendent could be removed To say the superintendent is removed as a result of willful misconduct willful dereliction of duty egregious persistent documented performance failures act of investment fraud against the district's or commission of a felonious act or death that the committees could Pursuant to the termination clauses that elsewhere outline how that process would be pursued Could terminate without pay otherwise it defines a term of severance for the superintendent of ten months if they are Terminated without any of the causes Listed in section 4d of the contract the pre the current contract didn't actually provide a level of clarity over these elements by the way, I was just for the sake for the Benefit of the committees. I was told you didn't actually read these literal language last week So I'm hoping that's true because I'm doing it now So the public has clarity over the terms of the contract if I'm repeating something just wave your hands, and I'll stop talking Because I don't mean to chew up clock or something like that The other Clauses in the contract except for the the Dates by which for example later in five renewal the date by which The superintendent has to be notified Are all updated. They're otherwise Similar it also further points out in that section five that though the contract can be extended Once essentially nothing is done by December 31st 2022 that That it only can go once and then Under under all circumstances the contract but after the new contract had been negotiated at that time I reckon my memory is that is that similar to a current term in the contract actually And that is what I recall is new in this contract again except for any minor Date changes Substantibly, I think that's true. Mr. Domen. So there was one other item of note That was added in under section 11 print benefits 11d I'll just read the text in consideration of the extremely high number of night Meetings each year the superintendent may take up to two days per month as compensation leave Said days may be taken in full or half-day increments must be used within 68 calendar days from the month the days Thank you. I forgot about that one and essentially just for the public's benefit If many of you this may be even true the members of the committee may work in an office In which if you work at night, you know, see you work till midnight to get something done Your boss may say Don't worry about it come in at 11 tomorrow and you're fine And as the contract is currently written and actually as it's enforced because mr. Domen I had a conversation with Dr. Morris and said so you don't you don't and the answer was a good answer It was the right answer But it means you don't informally Take any sort of comp time if you're burning the clock really late And his answer was no, I don't do that. It's not my contract And that's just setting aside the practicality of you know kids get on buses every morning So logically you end up meeting and wanting to get up the way But but the point is you also can't take off at three in the afternoon or something in the afternoons So this allows this a allows for that to be done, but also be it Brackets it because as noted by mr. Demling's language It's in a contract. It's time-limited in terms of the expiration of the comp time itself And it also is limited in terms of the amount of comp time that could be taken but what this essentially does is if the superintendent burns the clock really late and really And based on his duties has the ability to leave at two in the afternoon on a Friday He's now going to be free to be able to do that and not have to stay and work because we didn't let him I Know the committee knows this because you already reviewed the contract public doesn't anything else Thank you Are there other other comments from the committee? I know you did have a discussion about this last week There are any a further comments. Otherwise. I would entertain a motion If that were forthcoming No, in this case by the way to be clear that would be for the regional committee not for the not for the union I just wanted to state again for the record for you know Folks who may not have been watching our last meeting but are watching tonight or will be watching in the future that this contract was discussed At length and in great detail both in executive session and then we also made our statements Last at our last meeting regarding our impressions of this contract And so I think you know, I still everything is exactly what we discussed and how I remember this So I would like to move to prove the superintendent's contract of employment for the Amherst Pollen regional schools and I don't know if I need to say for the period of time. Where's that enough? I think it's enough, okay as presented As presented is there a second Second been moved by or done a second by McDonald any further discussion for the regional committee Seeing no seeing none All those members of the regional committee who approve the contract signify by raising your hand I That's one two three One two three four five six are there nays any nays one day So great the contract is approved And I would take a motion for union 26 Anyone would like to make a motion I moved So I moved to approve the contract for superintendent Michael Morris for the as As reviewed As emotions are a second second Any discussion on the motion seeing none all those in favor, please raise your hand signifying I And it is unanimous 5-0 Thank You dr. Morris. Do you have anything you want to say I do. Thank you. I'll be brief So I want to start by saying I've truly enjoyed my tenure over the last Three-plus years in the role and I'm honored and humbled by your vote to allow me to continue in the role until 2023 as I was by many of your kind words at the previous meeting I Chose not to speak at that meeting. I thought it was more appropriate to speak at this point With your active support and guidance I believe that the talented staff members in our districts are doing incredibly impactful work to benefit our students And that's consistent with your mission, you know, the school committee policy ad And I'll read an excerpt to seek to seek to create an environment that achieves equity for all students It ensures that each student is a successful learner is fully respected and learns to respect others Each of our schools is wonderfully dynamic in our three districts And now has a developed articulated plan to realize their potential to support every student We have record high wait lists for families wanting to enter our schools via school choice strong support from our member communities Exciting new programs such as coming on days at Fort River and restorative practices at both the middle school and high school We're back in the MSBA pipeline to hopefully To transform the infrastructure of our elementary schools in Amherst We've removed ourselves from the financial cliff stemming from an over-reliance of school choice funds in Pelham We have seeked and successfully applied for grants to supplement our budgets to support our initiatives We have significantly increased the diversity of our staff at all levels and we have an even brighter future ahead of us Along with a tremendous amount of thoughtful planning and hard work None of that would be possible without the strong leadership of the school committees a Dedicated and talented administrative team and an outstanding staff working with our students I'm very proud to be a member of this district and to be a steward of the process to ensure that our schools Benefit every single student who walks their halls Thank you Thank you So we have another item item 6b finance director discussion and possible vote on the appointment of Finance director you want to introduce this talk tomorrow sure I think for the public's even though it was in the packet I'm just going to read the memo that's on the back page. I know it's lengthy, but I do think it's important Sure to read verbatim or as close as I can successfully do that So as you know Sean Mangano was departing from the district Next week December 31st 2019 This fall the district initiated and we want to thank mr. Mangano for giving the lead time for us to complete a search. It's important to note Frankly, that hasn't happened in every community when finance directors leave. So I appreciate that The district initiated surf and search and during Cunningham facilitated this in the fall She posted the position on school spring dot-com indeed dot-com We reached out to the messages Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials or masbo listserv and Currently there's a shortage of individuals going into this field across the Commonwealth So average phone calls were also made to several candidates in the area to express initial interest and to others were listed as being Licensed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts In total six candidates completed applications for the position They were screening and interview committees assembled to review applications and interview candidates the interview committee which consisted of six individuals unanimously recommended dr. Douglas slaughter for the position the recommendation is being supported by the administration and we're bringing this Recommendation appointment for you for approval as per school committee policy BDC Dr. Slaughter is in his 13th year of the district having worked in the information systems as database and analyst and its current role as Assistant director in this role He worked closely with the human resources and business offices to implement and maintain personnel and payroll software in addition to his work with Our student information software and database systems Through his work He has been integral in aiding the preparation of financial and personnel reports for use by all levels of the organization Including the many required by desi for all three of our districts Augmenting that experience has been his long-standing commitment to community service through his membership on Amherst finance committee Joint capital planning committee select board audit committee and advisory board representative to the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Dr. Slaughter holds bachelor's or master's degree from University of Missouri and a doctoral degree in chemical engineering from the University of Massachusetts He holds multiple licenses from desi including superintendent assistant superintendent He's been granted a waiver from desi for the role of school business administrator that lasts until June 30th 29th That should be 2020. I apologize. I still can never really get used to the when the year transitions So I apologize Dr. Slaughter slated to complete the requirements for licensure well ahead of the expiration of the current waiver and we would expect that license to be Achieved at the end of next month at the end of January 2020 Mr. Mangano has graciously agreed to continue to support dr. Slaughter if the appointment is approved in conclusion I recommend Dr. Slaughter for the position of finance director for the districts given his background experience and dedication I believe his appointment will be a benefit to our districts Okay, do you have anything further? I mean it's rather complete statement No, I think both mr. Mangano and dr. Slaughter are both here in case there are questions from the committee So thank you both for coming out on on the 23rd of December, but I think that's as much as I'll share so What I think we'd welcome right now is any questions from the committee Mr. Dunlin, it's not really a question just a just a comment that from having Seeing dr. Slaughter engaging public service in Amherst. He has a I think a really well-earned reputation is as hard-working knowledgeable and kind person who really deeply cares about public service So I was very pleased to see and put forward this position Maybe perhaps the only other thing I'd add is that there was a school can remember on the Interview committee as well Not that I need to get into that But I did want to note that when we when we have interviews for these types of positions We always encourage and try to solicit school committee members to be on the front end of it as well So I guess one question I have is you mentioned that He should be fully certified Very soon as early as late January, but certainly no later than June 30th I Guess we I'm assuming you'll be monitoring that and giving us an update at the earliest convenient Opportunity in terms of that occurring and if there's any hitch that comes in terms of I mean my assumption would be for some reason that didn't happen you have to either Do another search or Extend and I think you'd want to know that as soon as possible That's right, and it will be in frequent communication with the committee on that topic. Okay, it sounds great I've got a couple of questions from mr. Mangano Just curious how how our electric bus is doing I have to ask one more time Is it still running like it should the electric bus? The electric bus is doing well last I Heard we actually I did hear about it recently because we're doing a bus contract And we are a vendors meeting where all the different bus vendors came in and so we talked about the electric bus But last I knew it's doing pretty well and the second question is girls locker room is in the capital plan Yes, I'm just playing with that Next one the third one is how are we doing with electricity and the solar panels in cell dearfielder? Really were they so we've been getting the so Mr.. Sullivan's referring to the off-taker agreement that we signed with a solar array that went up into your field We actually signed it like five years ago, but it did go on. Yeah. Yeah, it's been in effect since the beginning of 2019 or sometimes 2018, but we haven't get in the net metering credits So we get about thirty thousand dollars Each year off of our electric bill because of that And in terms of overall electricity get part of our capital plan is to if approved See what else we can do in the district on the middle school roof and the parking lot Maybe other ground-mounted areas To see what other potentials out there for electricity right now We get about half of our electricity consumption covered by the solar array in dearfield Which leaves another half that we could look at Thank you very much and so by implication I Assumed that dr. Slaver Is comfortable to answer any such questions in the future when the moment arises? Say think on your feet moment you come in with one thing and you never know what you're going to get from the committee And actually and actually just regarding you've done a very we've done a wonderful job of answering those impromptu questions And also making sure that the girl's locker room is finally being renovated But all seriousness of it if there are other questions or comments if If not, I would entertain a motion If one is forthcoming So moved I Entertain a actually full motion I move that we accept the appointment of dr. Slaughter for the position of Finance director for the district. It's been moved. These are a second second second by salon Any further comment And this by the way again, so we have to do for this of the region not for the union Okay, all those in favor Carries okay, it is one two three four five six any nays any Extensions one abstention, so it carries seven zero one abstention Yes, I just want to state for the record that dr. Slaughter is actually my neighbor and We share a lawn together, you know great neighbor I'm happy that he has been Appointed to this, but I just didn't feel that it was correct for me to vote for him Fair enough I don't entertain a similar motion for union 26 I move to accept the recommended Appointment of dr. Slaughter in the position of finance director for union 26 As emotions are a second second Any discussion on the motion seeing none all those in favor, please raise your hand signifying I proposed Abstain it passes for zero one with sir. Dany is abstaining Congratulations Do you have anything to say you can you do not need to? I'll be more brief than Mike Thank you all I appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve the district in this new way and hopefully I'll Be able to support both you and the superintendent in the mission that we're seeking to to To exemplify thank you. Thank you With that I'm gonna go first Is there a motion to adjourn union 20 some moved mr. Jones moves to adjourn is there a second? Second second by miss mcdonald all those in favor of the motion that cannot be debated Please raise your hand and it passes five zero. We are adjourned. Thank you. We have a motion for the region So moved It's moved to adjourn is there a second second Moved in second and also it isn't a sort of a not debatable We are adjourned happy