July 21, 2022 Board Meeting Minutes (Draft)

Horace Mann League Board Meeting
July 21, 2022 via Zoom (recorded)

 Members attending: Ruben Alejandro, Jeanne Collins, Kevin Riley, Virginia Cardenas, Bill Mathis, Martha Bruckner, Gregg Furstenau, Joshua Starr, James Harvey, Martin Brooks, Jack McKay

Reports;

  1. Reviewed Membership data.
  • Regular Members 242
  • Retired or Grad 97
  • Lifetime/past Pres. 39
  • Total 378
  1. Reviewed bank reconciliation, revenues, and expenditures. On track to meet budget for the year. Jack noted the discrepancy in costs from anticipated for the annual meeting was it was budgeted to be remote but was held in person
  1. Reviewed Podcast Proposed Schedule for 2022-2023.
  • September – “The Purpose of Education in a Democratic Society” – Joel Westheimer
  • October- Public Education is Our Only Political Safety – Jim Harvey (his book chapter) –
  • November –As Good as it Gets” – Larry Cuban
  • December – open
  • January -The Commonwealth — The Necessity for Equality of all Groups – Julian Vanquez Heilig and Patricia Gandara
  • February – Lies and Myths: Obstructions to Democracy and Education – David Berliner and Christopher Lubienski
  • March -Opportunities and Dangers – Artificial Intelligence – Ben Williamson
  • Other possibilities:
  • Implications of Supreme Court Decisions- Gordon Black
  • Carol Burris, Executive Director, The Network for Public Education
  • Samuel E. Abrams, Study of Privatization in Education at Teachers College
  • Ken Zeichner, Teacher education at the University of Washington
  • Peter Smagorinsky focuses on Pedagogy, Mathematics education, Teaching method, Literacy
  • Jennifer King Rice – U of Maryland – Research on Horace Mann
  • Tina Trujillo – educational consultant, and program evaluator.

Concern about maintaining the diversity of the panels

Concern about multiple topics in one podcast

Schedule approved by consent.

  1. Reviewed Assistant Director’s Activities
    1. Utilization of social media exposure of the HML Post
    2. Understanding the website design and maintenance
    3. Reviewing procedures for Annual and Winter Meeting
    4. Reviewing the daily routine and Annual calendar
  • Concern was expressed about the need for understanding database management and banking protocols.
  • Concern about merging the Job Description and transition activities designed by the board in the winter meeting with these activities
  • Concern about the review of the policies and by-laws
  • Request to have board members review by-laws and send suggestions and ideas to Jeanne Collins by August 30th
  1. Recruitment of Members.

Reviewed strategies to recruit new members.
What are the membership benefits?
What do we have to offer new members?

Agreed that each officer and director provide five (5) names of potential members each year.  Those who accept nominations have the first-year dues waived.

  1. Table the discussion on Position Statements of the League.

Motion by James Harvey seconded by Bill Mathis to request a special meeting of the Board to discuss in use of position statements on issues, to be held in September 2022. 

Issues might include privatization, assault rifles, vouchers and charters, religion and the Separation of Church and State.

  1. Fall Meeting in Austin, TX on Friday, October 21st.

Arrangements to meet with the principal of an elementary school
The arrangements were made for board meeting space and hotel.

Motion by James Harvey, seconded by Virginia Cardenas to have the Executive Director contact each officer and director about attending the fall meeting for confirmed in person attendance count.  As of July 20th, four are planning to attend in person.

  1. Annual Meeting Awardees Suggestions

Executive Director to solicit suggestions from officers and directors for awards.  Also, to send Board members a list of past awardees.

  1. Resignation letter by Bill Mathis, President-elect

Motion by James Harvey, seconded by Virginia Cardenas to direct the Executive Director to send a letter to Bill Mathis indicating that the Board desires he remain as president elect and then president, noting accommodations will be made to alleviate travel of other issues as needed.  Passed

  1. Meeting adjourned at 10:30 am

Assignments:

  1. Jeanne: Send a copy of by-laws to board members for review with a reminder to board members to make suggestions for By-Law revisions by August 30th.
  2. Jeanne / Jack: Schedule a virtual meeting of officers to review suggestions and prepare draft revisions in September.
  3. Jack: Schedule a virtual board meeting in September to discuss the idea of developing position statements for the League.
  4. Bill: Follow-up on developing plans for the next series of podcasts, e.g., dates, panelists, format, questions, introductions, moderator, Zoom arrangements, etc.
  5. Jack: Contact all board members about attending, or not attending, the fall board meeting in Austin.
  6. Jack: Send a letter to Bill Mathis about making accommodations
  7. Jack: Send a note to Board about suggestions for 2023 Awardees, along with a description of awards and a list of past honored
  8. Jack: Send a note to board members about nominating a minimum of five potential new members
  9. Jack and Jeanne: Develop the agenda for a fall board meeting
    1. Follow-up on By-law suggestions and rewrites
    2. Follow-up on the League’s position on making statements
    3. Follow-up on the suggestion for 2023 awardees
    4. Progress report on blog panelists for new series
    5. Follow-up on recruitment nominations by board members
    6. Approve the board meeting minutes of April 14, 2022, and July 21, 2022.