Today, HCSD took a giant step toward transparency when it announced that, starting with the one scheduled for Tuesday, December 12, meetings of the Board of Education will be broadcast live on the district's YouTube channel. Of course, "broadcast live" just means you can watch what's happening. It doesn't mean you can ask a question or make a comment, as you could if the meeting were available on Zoom. Still, it's a step in the right direction.
Here is the press release that was issued by HCSD this afternoon.
The Hudson City School District Board of Education is pleased to announce that its meetings will be broadcast live on the school district's YouTube channel.
The first broadcast, featuring a special section honoring student-athletes during the fall sport season, will be Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. Visit YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/@hudsoncityschooldistrict182/featured and click "Live" to watch. Visit http://go.boarddocs.com/ny/hudsoncsd/Board.nsf/Public for the agenda; if it is not immediately available, please check again closer to the meeting time. The public also is invited to attend the meeting in person at the Hudson Junior/Senior High School Auditorium.
The decision to broadcast Board of Education meetings is in response to community requests. It's also representative of the Board of Education's commitment to transparency and partnering with the community.
"We know our community greatly cares about actions by the Board of Education, and how those discussions and decisions affect our students, faculty and families," said Superintendent Dr. Juliette Pennyman. "Families have busy schedules and work commitments, sometimes making it difficult to attend Board meetings in person. While in-person attendance is always welcome, broadcasts that are recorded and posted on YouTube provide the ability to watch online, when most convenient, at any time day or night."
Board of Education President Willette Jones said, "Broadcasting the Board's meetings is another way to engage with our community--and for our community to engage with the Board. Now, families will have the ability to watch meetings whenever most convenient, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That's very important for families that are constantly on the go."
Public Comment segments of Board of Education meetings provide an opportunity for the community to speak to the Board. Currently, online viewers will not be able to participate. However, comments emailed to the board clerk at gaffney@hudsoncsd.org will receive a written response. The in-person Public Comment session will still occur for those in attendance.
Streaming is not new to the Hudson City School District. The Board of Education broadcast its meetings online during the Covid pandemic, and Hudson Senior High School's graduation ceremonies have been streamed for three years.
Meet members of the Board of Education at http://www.hudsoncsd.org/boe/meet-the-board/. Board meetings typically are held every other Tuesday. View a meeting schedule at http://www.hudsoncsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023-2024-board-meeting-schedule-060623.pdf.
No comments:
Post a Comment