Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Out Of District Coordination topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Subcommittee seeks formal out-of-district program coordinator job description after long-serving staffer retires
Summary
With the current out-of-district team chair retiring, the subcommittee asked administration to proceed with the budgetedOut-of-District Program Coordinator position and to work with labor counsel and unions on a final job description and implementation plan.
The Fall River City Special Education subcommittee discussed May 29 the district’s need for a formalized out-of-district program coordinator after a long-serving team chair announced retirement. Presenters said the incumbent had taken on significant extra responsibilities — coordinating court and DCF involvement, multiple calendars for out-of-district placements, ESY and transportation matters — and that the district’s existing team-chair job description does not reflect the workload.
Administration told the subcommittee it has already included a new position in the approved budget — “Out of District Program Coordinator” — funded through elimination of a teacher liaison line, and recommended moving forward with that position rather than hiring another team chair into a role that lacks required administrative authority and summer coverage. Committee members asked that labor counsel and FREA (the teachers’ union) be involved before any final posting or reclassification.
The subcommittee voted to refer the item to the full committee with the guidance that the administration should: confirm whether the job should be an administrative/coordinator role rather than a team-chair (teacher) role; involve the union and the district attorney/ labor counsel in negotiations; and return with a final, negotiated job description and implementation plan at the next committee meeting.
Why it matters: The out-of-district coordinator handles operationally critical items — transportation, legal processes, and placement coordination — for roughly 50 students placed outside the district. Committee members said the position’s responsibilities have expanded incrementally over time and that accurate classification is needed to ensure consistent representation and oversight for students with the most significant needs.
The subcommittee did not adopt a final job description at the meeting; administration will return with a negotiated description and implementation details.
