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WHEREAS: The public comment portion of regular Cambridge School Committee meetings is an important opportunity for speakers to share their views with the School Committee in a format that is accessible to the public; and

WHEREAS: Each speaker is allotted three minutes to speak during public comment, and past practice of the Cambridge School Committee has been to allot six minutes of speaking time to the president of the Cambridge Education Association (CEA); and

WHEREAS: This practice of allotting six minutes to the president of the CEA has not been formally established in the School Committees rules or procedures; and

WHEREAS: The president of the CEA, when speaking in their capacity in that role, is representing 1,500 Cambridge Public Schools educators and is elected to serve as their representative; and

WHEREAS: Hearing the perspectives, priorities, concerns, recommendations and feedback of those educators is valuable to the work of the School Committee; now therefore be it 

RESOLVED: That the president of the CEA is allotted either six minutes of speaking time to deliver public comment at regular Cambridge School Committee meetings when the regular time limit is three minutes or they are allotted four minutes when the time limit is reduced to two minutes by the Chair based on the number of individuals signed up to speak; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the president or similar designated representative of any bargaining unit that has a contract with the Cambridge Public School District also be allotted the same minutes of speaking time as the president of the CEA to deliver public comment at regular Cambridge School Committee meetings.