Members in attendance: Deirdre Arthen, Jean Baxter, Bob Brick, Stoney Cantler, Beth Graham, Dorie Shallcross, Bailey Jackson, Mary Clare Powell, Paul Wright

Members not in attendance: Frank Sansom, Sarah Sansom, Paul Weinberg, Leslie Fisher-Katz, Lisa Kowalski, Aaron Graham-Horowitz, Lisa Brooks, Austin Joseph, Benny Docter, Molly Welch

Others in attendance: Robert Brainin, Mary Cantler, Louise Kanus, Anna Rossi

Summary of Votes Taken:
The minutes of October 7, 2008 were unanimously approved.

The Board unanimously approved the following Release of Student Directory Information Policy:  “The Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School does not release student directory information to the public.”

Summary of Tasks to be Undertaken:
•    Mary Cantler will e-mail the various levels of contributions to the Board.
•    Mary Cantler will see that there is a press release about PVPA teachers presenting at the Coalition of Essential Schools Fall Forum in Charlotte, N.C.

Summary of Meeting
There was no public comment.

Mary Cantler read the Mission Statement.

The minutes of October 7, 2008 were unanimously approved.

Development Office
•    Mary Cantler reported that the Annual Appeal has been launched. There has been 8-9% participation with a total of $10,000 pledged so far. Parent volunteer Renata Tropeano has been managing the donors’ database.  Every day more pledges have been coming into the Development Office.
•    The next phase of the Annual Appeal Campaign targeting alumni families will be launched next week.
•    In response to outreach for volunteers, we have gotten interested parents offering various skills including grant writing and events planning.
•    Mary reported on grant opportunities including one from the Grammy Foundation.

Financial Report
Robert Brainin, the Business Manager, went over the quarterly report and balance sheet.

Director of Curriculum and Instruction
•    Beth Graham reported on the process that is used to evaluate students’ work and efforts to make the process less arduous.  She gave kudos to teachers and Bob Brick’s administrative staff for working so hard to meet the timelines.
•    There has been significant work around integrating arts and academics. On Monday, November 10 there will be a math and art symposium in the library all morning. Students who are taking geometry this semester, mostly sophomores, are involved in this activity under the direction of math teacher Paul Wright.  
•    Seven PVPA teachers have been invited to present work at the Coalition of Essential Schools Fall Forum in Charlotte. Presenters are Erin Feldman, Louis Goff, Martin Bridge, Tim Brown, Jen Blackburn, Jodi Falk, and Brian Whitehouse.  This represents significant positive national exposure for PVPA.  
•    The Arts in Curriculum Committee has been exploring how performance opportunities may not be equal for all PVPA students.

Executive Director
•    Bob Brick reported that the Admissions Committee recommends no changes in this year’s admissions process. We will accept applications and run the same process while doing our best to communicate honestly about the realities of getting into PVPA.  If an applicant doesn’t get into PVPA by grade seven, he or she will probably not be able to enroll here. The Committee is not asking the Board to take any action at this time. And the Committee will be looking at the long-term process.  
•    The Charter School Office asks every school to have a written policy regarding the release of student directory information.

The Board unanimously approved the following Release of Student Directory Information Policy:  “The Pioneer Valley Performing Arts charter Public School does not release student directory information to the public.”

•    The Business Manager’s duties now include supervision of the Maintenance Supervisor.
•    The Transportation Committee has asked the Business Manager for more information and will make recommendations at the next Board meeting.  If we are going to terminate transportation when it is time to renew our bus contract, we need to let parents know a full year in advance.  We are in the second year of a three-year contract.
•    Robert Brainin, Beth Graham and Bob have been meeting to discuss the economic situation. They will come to the Board with preliminary budget recommendations in January. They expect a significant revenue reduction.  

President’s Report
Because a number of Board members were not present at this meeting, the discussion of reshaping to make the Board more efficient and effective and looking at committee structure was tabled for the next meeting.  It is hoped that these things will be in place by July 1. An annual meeting in May and a retreat in the summer are planned.

Bylaws & Handbook Committee
Jean Baxter reported that the need to pass any bylaw changes for approval by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) by March 1.  She asked that other Board members help with the Committee work. Mary Clare Powell, Deirdre Arthen and Dorie Shallcross will work with her, and Bob Brick will do the necessary contacts with the DESE. A December meeting is needed to have a boilerplate of DESE recommendations of bylaws analyzed and brought back to the Board. We need to submit our recommendations to the DESE in January.  

The meeting closed at &:00 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Anna Rossi