How to Make a Public Comment at a School Board Meeting
Q: How and when should I sign up?
A: The School Board adopted a new sign-up procedure to streamline the flow of the board meetings. Moving public comments to the start of the board meeting (5:30PM) gives the public an opportunity to speak at a set time (and even get home early), rather than having to sit through hours of staff presentations, board business, and other public comments. Click here to read the policy on the CCPS web site and to sign up on-line.
Q: Are all board meetings organized the same way? How can I find out what's on the agenda?
A: The two main types of meetings are work sessions (workshops) and board meetings. Work sessions are intended for discussion and public comment, but no votes are taken. Your comments have to address the specific topic of the workshop (e.g. budget, curriculum, etc.).
The agendas are posted on BoardDocs one week before each meeting. You can download pdf files of staff slide presentations, and get copies of documents submitted to the public record. (If the links don't work, try a different browser like Safari or Internet Explorer.) Download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software to read the pdf files by clicking on this button:
Regular board meetings include a Consent Agenda, which is a collection of business items the board has consented to in a prior meeting, which will be discussed and voted on as a package. If you want to speak to an item in the consent agenda, sign up to be a Consent Agenda Speaker, put the number or name of the agenda item on the card.
If you're not speaking on the Consent Agenda, write the name of the agenda item you want to address (for example, on Sept. 8, you could write E2 Blue Zones, then you would speak you would speak during Unfinished Business Public Comment, after General Public Comment).
Give the card to Greg Turchetta, who sits near the entrance. Greg will call the agenda items in order, and bring up speakers three at a time.
If you're not sure which item you want to speak, Greg will help you, or simply sign up for General Public Comments. Here is the email address of the Manager of Communications and Web Services: webmaster@collierschools.com.
Q: When should I arrive? When can I leave?
A: You can sign up on-line up by noon on the day of the board meeting. If you aren't able to sign up on-line, plan to arrive before 5:30PM when public comments begin. If you've signed up early, and know you won't be speaking until later in the meeting, you don't need to sit through the whole meeting. You are welcome to leave after you finish speaking.
Q: What happens if I sign up, but have to leave before my name is called?
A: No problem. Let Greg know on your way out, or if you can't, he'll read your name, and if you're not there, he'll just move onto the next speaker.
Q: How much time can I speak?
A: You can sign up to comment on more than one item on the agenda if you want to, but we recommend you submit as many of your comments in writing as you can, so board meetings don't turn into marathons. Each time you speak, you have 3 minutes. At the start of each meeting, Board Chair Curatolo reminds the public about the board's civility policy. These common-sense rules ensure that discussions stay focused and productive.
Your three minutes will go quickly. At two minutes, a little yellow light on the podium will go on, and at 3 minutes the red light signals your time is up. Greg Turchetta will tell you that if you keep talking. It's an excellent idea to practice your comments before the meeting. It is perfectly fine to read your comments to ensure you stay within the 3 minutes.
If you don't finish, don't worry. When Greg says, "Ma'am/Sir, your time is up," finish your sentence as best you can, then say thank you. When you get home, email your comments to the School Board and Superintendent Patton, so they will be entered into the public record.
Watch some videos of teachers' public comments (click here).
Q: What should I say?
A: The content of your comment will really depend on the issue being discussed. If you want to show your support for the board or school staff, the best way to communicate that is to share a short story about a positive experience with our public schools. Public employees hear complaints day in and day out, so a constructive, uplifting comment can have a big impact. If you're unhappy about something or someone, try your best to focus on issues. Avoid name-calling, blaming, etc., even when others are doing so. Model the behavior you would like your children to use.
A few last tips:
Make sure your cell phones are off because the meetings are televised.
If you agree with a speaker, you may raise your hand after that speaker finishes. Board meetings are business meetings, not town hall meetings. Raising your hand quietly to show approval allows the meetings to proceed smoothly.
If you want, you can go home after you speak, and watch the rest of the meeting on the Education Channel on your computer or TV (schedule here), or, a day or two after the meeting, on video on demand.
Thank you for using your voice to lift up everyone in the community!
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
- The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.