WATERBURY-DUXBURY
SCHOOL BOARD
“APPROVED” MINUTES
FOR FEBRUARY 9, 2010
Meeting Held in the Crossett Brook Library
IN ATTENDANCE
BOARD: Reed McCracken,
Scott Rathke, Dale Smeltzer, Ben Smith, and Sherry Knudsen
ADMINISTRATORS: Tom Drake, Brigid Scheffert,
and Don Schneider, Barbara Tomasi-Gay, Cathy Knight
STAFF: Roy Bishop
PUBLIC: Georgeanne
Baker, Nathan Burgess, Diane Greelee, Marcy Pelkey, and Torrey Smith
1.
Ms. Smeltzer
called the meeting to order at 6:07 p.m.
Ms. Smeltzer confirmed the agenda.
2.
Comments
from the Public – There were no comments from the public made.
3.
DISCUSSION
A.
Debriefing
About the Budget Process – Individuals shared the following insights about
the budget process this year and how to improve the process in the future.
i. More parent and community communication prior to the Board level would be beneficial in making the process transparent.
ii. Administrator collaboration and evaluation line-by-line of the budget is a very helpful process for development of the budget.
iii. When using the terminology of the process, be sure all stake-holders have the same understanding.
iv. Better measures of the programs we have in order to effectively evaluate them and for educated decisions to be made are paramount.
v. There is a need for a process to be developed for making difficult choices, with a timeline that identifies them before December. Difficult choices can cause concerns amongst staff and public while they’re being discussed, but it is necessary to take the time to be able to understand them, and the benefits they could provide, compared to the status quo.
B.
HUMS/CBMS
Exchange Program – The Central Office is investigating the past operation
and use of this exchange program to identify a better way of monitoring any
needed payments to and from the two schools.
The new agreement states there will be no limit on the number of
students except that each administrator will determine how many students can be
accepted without negatively impacting their own students, it is the
administration’s decision to determine who will participate, and transportation
is up to each family. The program will
be evaluated annually.
C.
PTO –
TBPS/CBMS – The parents who represented both groups presented the work they
do to support the W-D School District.
The TBPS PTO raises +/- $7,000 a year.
There is teacher participation at the meetings. The TBPS PTO has worked on decentralizing the
work so there is a chance to involve more people. The group is working hard
to find ways to involve as many people as possible in the process. CBMS PTO meets every month with parent
representation from each team. The
parent communicates between the group and the teachers of the teams. The CBMS PTO sponsors clubs, events, and
parent events through its fundraising efforts.
Parents want to be a part of the process before, during, and after important “conversations” at the school level. Parents have high expectations for their students as learners and as thinkers. Finishing the strategic plan is a great first step. Times need to be made for parent/teacher/administration/Board conversations to take place.
D.
BOARD/ADMINISTRATION
RETREAT – The Board and administration decided to hold their retreat on
March 24, 2010, in the Coffee Roasters Meeting Room, from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30
p.m. In preparation for the retreat, everyone should review the document dated
February 9, 2010, Board Goal A: Complete
and Implement the Strategic Plan.
E.
PROJECT
EVOLVE PLUS – Mr. Schneider provided a one page summary of Project EVOLVE
Plus, its mission, what the main topical areas available to be addressed, and
what services will be provided. Project
EVOLVE Plus offers school-based research, training, technical assistance, and
collaborative consultation on fee-for-service basis through the Center on
Disability & Community Inclusion at UVM.
The District’s work with Project EVOLVE will help identify ways the
needs of students with disabilities can be addressed in the classroom.
F.
NECAP
SUMMARY – Ms. Knight and Ms. Tomasi-Gay presented a preliminary overview of
the NECAP summary. The results are
showing a forward progression (see NECAP 2009-10 Overview of Test Scores, W-D
Grades 3-8). The District will be
holding a parent information night after student scores are mailed to parents.
G.
AYP – Mr.
Drake attended a recent meeting of identified schools. He shared the types of topics discussed at
these regular meetings. Ms. Abele-Austin
is working with CBMS to identify what is needed by the middle school to
continue progress. Thus far, the group
has identified scheduling, future analysis of data, a longer student day, and
money for tutoring as needs. At TBPS,
time for meeting, looking at student needs, scheduling, training for the new
math program, Investigations, are key hot spots that have been identified to
this point. Mr. Drake informed the group
that the money usually received for being identified as an AYP school will not
be available in the future.
4. REPORTS
A.
Principals’
Report – A lengthy discussion ensued regarding a request from the administrators to approve an agreement with grade
5/6 teacher Eric Eley that would provide an advance on his professional
development benefit in order that he might participate in the Vermont
Mathematics Institute (VMI) for the next three years taking 12 credits a
year. Some felt that the Board would be
setting a precedent allowing others to borrow from future professional
development funds and by granting his request there could be an appearance of
inequity among the professional staff eligible for professional development
funds. The superintendent and administration highly supported this request and
recommended the Board approve the agreement for the following reasons: the work
Mr. Eley will be engaged in fits the W-D and WWSU priorities and ties to the
action plan; and the only way this can be done is by taking 12 credits a year,
there is no option for participating in the VMI and taking only 6 credits a
year. Questions regarding the program, past practice, and practice around the
State were asked and answered.
B.
WWSU Report
and Executive Committee – Dale Smeltzer and Ben Smith reported on the
recent WWEC meeting, to get board feedback on the idea to empower an SU
committee to begin exploratory conversations on what makes sense for all of our
students in WWSU, looking at the middle level grades first. There was support from the other board members
for moving forward with these conversations.
Brigid spoke about her Montpelier VSA legislative work on redistricting with multiple models being discussed and funding for special education at the state level. She also provided board members with handouts on: Math programming in the WWSU, Early Release Days, and Administrative Team Work Groups.
5. ACTION ITEMS
Sherry Knudsen moved to accept Board minutes as corrected in the list of people attending, dated January 26, 2010. Ben Smith seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
On the recommendation of Sherry Ziemke, Reed McCracken moved to confirm the Board orders dated January 29, 2010 for $157,342.54. Ben Smith seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
Reed McCracken moved to approve the recommendations from the Principals Report to:
· approve letters of agreement with Sarah Adelman for her long-term subbing in the position of Titan Social Studies
· accept the resignation of Mary Maloney, IA, TBPS, effective 2/19/10; who will be replaced by current IA Chris Maclean whose 1:1 student has moved out of the district.
· Approve the agreement with Eric Eley for advanced Professional Development, with minor changes as discussed.
Ben Smith seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Ben Smith moved to authorize the chair to approve the agreement as discussed, pending minor modifications that the Harwood Board might make. Scott Rathke seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
6. EXECUTIVE SESSION
Reed McCracken made a motion to go into executive session, with administrators invited to be present, to discuss a matter of personnel employment at 9:15 p.m. Ben Smith seconded the motion which passed unanimously. It was agreed to come out of executive session at 9:28 p.m. with no action taken.
ADJOURNMENT: Reed McCracken moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:29 p.m.
Ben Smith seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
These
minutes are unofficial until approved by the Board of School Directors. They are, in my opinion, substantively
correct. Minutes completed by: Georgeanne Baker