Q+A With RPS Board of Education Chair
On the day after graduation, when RPS Board of Education Chair Tina Malhotra had been out helping at the Grad Party until 2 am, she sat down with RPS Update to talk about some of the district's achievements, challenges, and FAQs this year.
What are some of the BOE accomplishments you are proud of this year?
I think the accomplishment I'm most proud of is the productive relationship within the board and with the administration and families. Yes, we had moments of disagreement but we worked through them and tried to make transparency, respect, and trust central to our district. We accomplished so much. We passed a responsible and innovative budget that supports teachers and students. We made our schools more secure. We added classes to the high school to make student choice and inclusivity a priority. The purchasing of vans supported rising costs of out-of-district transportation and reflected innovative cost-cutting that had no impact on service. The tri-board (Board of Finance, Board of Selectmen, and Board of Education) tours of schools were important to putting a Facility plan in place. The development of a committee to recruit and retain a diverse workforce of excellent educators will be essential as fewer students go into teaching. Thoughtful selection of curriculum resources and streamlining the STEAM pathways have been important work. We considered 70 policies—which is an epic leap from past RPS boards of education. I think our District communication is improving.
What were some of the challenges?
Communications. From my vantage point as a volunteer, parent, and community member along with being on the board, I think sometimes people don't realize that BOE members are constrained by rules about talking about BOE business outside of a meeting. We each have one vote and our meetings are board meetings in public governed by Roberts Rules and our bylaws plus agendas. That means our meeting structure has limits, which I know can be sometimes frustrating to our parents. On another level, I hear from a lot of families struggling with mental health concerns and learning loss from the pandemic. I'm concerned about PTAs' abilities to fill leadership roles and volunteering requests.
What questions do families frequently ask?
Dr. Da Silva, select BOE members, and I met with some groups of families earlier this month. Parents expressed interest in World Language and STEM at the Elementary school, class size, the schedule (start times, length of the school day, etc), concerns about safety especially on the school bus, and requests for improved college counseling. They expressed anxiety during the transitions from Elementary to Middle and Middle to High School. Some were surprised to hear that Board of Education members are unpaid. I would love to hear from more families.
What is the best way families can support the schools?
Parents and community are our stakeholders. I want to make sure all stakeholders feel heard and valued.The bottom line is we all want to do best for our kids and our community.The board are elected representatives to all and we need to hear from stakeholders. Please communicate directly to the board. It is our town, our schools and our kids. It’s a great district.
How was the Grad Party?
It was so fun to see the smiles on the seniors' faces. Definitely one of my favorite nights in the school year. Going back to my earlier point, this is another event that needs our community to be involved so that we can always offer this to our graduating seniors. Please consider volunteering.
Information courtesy RPS weekly newsletter. Learn more https://www.ridgefield.org/