Macomb Today

A facilitator is set to appraise how effective the Eastpointe School District is when it comes to their initiatives.

At a recent board meeting, district officials decided that they will initially meet with the facilitator on May 22.

Board President Jon Gruenberg broached the topic with the board after a summary of the recent ISD meeting and budget because they are close to being a master board. The designation reflects that all members of the board have their certifications, a rare achievement among school boards in the state.

“I want to tap into the knowledge of this board to improve how we do our business,” he said.

Gruenberg has already outlined new board member orientation as an area of improvement.

“(I’ve been) looking at our committee structure because we really have no standing committees other than reinstatement committee,” said Gruenberg.

He added that this is not the normal structure of boards in Michigan, who often have several specialized committees, along with a code of ethics.

In the background information of the board policy, there is an expectation to draft and sign a code of ethics at each new board term, which the board has not. They have also not set individual or group goals and objectives.

To have some of these big restructuring conversations, Gruenberg suggested having a facilitator known for her work with boards in the state, Deb Macron.

Macon has a long history in public service and education, and when she was contacted by Superintendent Christina Gibson, they agreed that that next board meeting, May 22, was the ideal time to discuss board improvement.

Before the board meeting all members will take the Michigan Assessment of School Boards (MASB) self-assessment tool.

According to MASB, the assessment provides boards with the ability to examine and enhance their rules in order for board members to continue to evolve.