The Northampton School Committee voted on Jan. 9 to begin briefly highlighting a single committee norm at the start of each meeting, rather than using a numerical scoring system at the meeting close.

Members debated the usefulness of the existing written scoring (a 0–2 scale) and whether it generated useful feedback. Some members said the score encourages private reflection; others said the numbers alone lack context and suggested the committee would benefit more from a short, shared reminder. "I do find the scoring system a little challenging," one member said during discussion.

After discussion, the committee approved a motion to have one member briefly (two sentences) present a single norm at the start of each meeting, rotating through the list. The motion included direction that the brief reminder should not be an extended discussion; the intent is to keep the reminder short and focused. The roll-call result recorded at the meeting was 6 yes, 3 no.

Implementation: Committee members agreed to start in Ward 1 and rotate through wards; the clerk will organize the rotation and volunteers for future meetings. Members clarified the reminder does not require committee discussion and urged brevity to keep meetings on schedule.