JPS to host open mic night Monday

Talk about it

Jamestown Public Schools is hosting an event for stakeholders to express comments and concerns, because if nothing gets said, School Board President Roy Musland said, nothing gets done.

The Jamestown Public Schools Open Mic Night Forum is set for 5:15 p.m. Monday in the Thompson Community Room at Jamestown Middle School.

The meeting has no agenda, but rather it’s an open forum for parents, teachers and students to address the full board. School boards are required to do an open forum once every two years, but this isn’t the required year, Musland said. The board is hosting the event because it wants to hear from the public. It also hosted smaller open forums at coffee shops earlier this winter.

“We want people to feel welcome,” Musland said.

Musland said he’s always interested in hearing from parents and students. It can be intimidating sometimes, he said, but he’s concerned that some members of the public have thoughts they never share.

“If they don’t say anything, then I guarantee that they’ll be right,” he said.

Open Mic events like this have resulted in changes in how the district operates, said Bob Toso, superintendent.

Last year, an employee suggested the district implement a mentoring program for new teachers. And so the school did, Toso said. Also, parents urged the inception of a gifted and talented program for students who need more enrichment. The school board approved moving forward with the proposed gifted and talented plan at its regular meeting March 15.

For the most part, Toso said, “The things that were talked about last year… we’re doing.”

Typically, the public asks questions or expresses interest in programs the district doesn’t have or things it isn’t doing, Toso said. Musland said a lot of times, talk at board meetings revolves around money. Money is important, but Musland said he’d like to hear other issues too.

Toso and Musland weren’t sure what the public would want to address Monday, but Toso said he was looking forward to it.

“I’m kind of anxiously waiting to see what will come out of it this year,” he said.

Sun reporter Katie Ryan can be reached at 701-952-8454

or by e-mail at kryan@jamestownsun.com

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