Froggatt: Montgomery board chair overreach limits public debate on school reopening plan | Commentary

The special meeting policy is intended for two purposes. The first is to schedule emergency meetings to address immediate issues that cannot wait until the next regularly scheduled meeting. The special session on Dec. 11 that moved students in grades seven through 12 to all-remote instruction due to a shortage of healthy teachers and substitutes was a clear and appropriate example of an emergency meeting.

The special session called by Chair Graham in no way meets this criterion, although she has tried to claim it does in emails to constituents, giving “the need to have more than 4 days to prepare for the move to Phase 3, Level 3” as justification. The date of March 8 to implement the change could easily be delayed as stated by board member Gunin Kiran.

The second purpose is to schedule additional meetings beyond the semi-monthly regular meetings to address ongoing issues that require more discussion, such as the budget or COVID-related issues. The board used this provision appropriately for the Dec. 8 special session which was introduced publicly on Nov. 16, three weeks before the meeting. Although the one-week notice for the Feb. 23 special session complies with the meeting notification requirement laid out in the policy, I do not believe it complies with the “intent” of the policy which is to allow for additional discussion, not limit it.

My third and deepest concern is that limitation on speech. Chair Graham is not allowing public address at this special session. The special meeting policy does not prohibit public address and public address was included in the Dec. 8 special session.