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| Madison Metropolitan School District Madison, Wisconsin Art Rainwater, Superintendent | ||
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| BOARD OF EDUCATION Minutes for Community Partnerships April 18, 2005 |
Doyle Administration Building 545 West Dayton Street, Room 103 Madison, Wisconsin |
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Partnerships Committee meeting was called to order by Chair Johnny Winston, Jr. at 7:23 p.m.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Ruth Robarts, Shwaw Vang, Johnny Winston, Jr.
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: None
CITIZEN MEMBERS ABSENT: Mary Ellen Johnson
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Carstensen, Bill Keys, Lawrie Kobza, and Student Representative Oliver Kiefer
STAFF PRESENT: Valencia Douglas, Mary Gulbrandsen, Roger Price, Art Rainwater, Ken Syke, Barbara Lehman-Recording Secretary
1. Approval of Minutes
It was moved by Shwaw Vang and seconded by Ruth Robarts to approve the minutes of the Partnerships Committee meeting dated April 11, 2005 as distributed. Motion unanimously carried.
2. Public Appearances
Abby Potter, three/four teacher at Lincoln, opposed the proposal to eliminate bilingual resource teacher (BRT) support. She was concerned about the increased workload and the impact on students' learning ability. BRT support makes it possible for those who are beginning to learn on a personal level in a smaller setting. BRTs are also well connected to the families.
Yolando Lopez, representing all the Latino parents at this meeting from the Midvale/Lincoln district, indicated that they had a parent meeting several weeks ago to talk about the potential cuts to BRT support. She stated that it is important for their students to receive ELL support so they can continue advancing in English while also using their Spanish. She is extremely proud of her students who are learning both languages and communicating with the community and other teachers. Parents are learning from their children. They are asking the district not to cut ESL support to the bilingual classrooms.
There were no written registrations.
3. Announcements
There are no announcements.
4. Fund Raising Proposals of West High School's Athletic Boosters and Parents of Students in West High School's Drama Club
Paul Soglin, Christopher Bugg, Lisa Gingles, President of Friends of West High Drama; and Javer Moneses, Nicole Schiesser, Student; Cherie Schmiedicke, Joanne Borgwardt, Stephen Borgwardt, Margaret Maroney, Larry Frank, and Elizabeth Katzelnick, all came representing Friends of West High School Drama. Mr. Soglin stated the he was one of 50-70 percent of West High students involved in the drama program which is at a crossroads. They would be talking about what they did last year to make sure there was a production, the financial concerns, and the success of their children because of the drama programs and arts in the schools. They were aware that they could not fund the academic curriculum part of the situation.
Mr. Bugg spoke to the quality of the community coming from the quality of the Madison schools. They wanted to be find out what it would take to keep this program alive now and in future years and what kind of support it would take from the parents. They raised $9,000 for the program for this school year. They know they probably cannot pay the teachers' salaries. Parents have a lack of understanding or a feeling of inequity about what goes into sports and the arts.
Ms. Gingles wanted to create dialogue now so they can have something for the fall. Theater has grown and now runs all year round. The teacher teaches and directs and produces. They have a manpower problem and the mixing of creative and administrative talents is not really good. They want to separate those roles. She talked about how they started the fund raising and communication.
Mr. Bugg added that they wanted to go back to their parents on May 15 and say they have a commitment from the Board that if they can raise so much in funds they can have a teacher.
Discussion: Schools decide how to handle cuts in extra-curricular activities. What drives staffing at the high school level. How drama coaches are compensated. Requirements involving the Teacher Collective Bargaining Agreement. How extra-curricular sports are handled the same way. Drama students are being charged a fee that is not a district fee. Responding equitably districtwide to student accessibility to extra-curricular activities. Conference commitments for athletics. District decisions regarding athletics vs. any one principal. Issues of differing expenses and fees, gate receipts, etc., for different extra-curricular activities. Booster Clubs' ability to raise funds through advertising.
The Superintendent indicated that the issues of staffing and money could be worked out.
It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Shwaw Vang to direct the administration to provide the Friends of the West High Drama Program a cost analysis, minus staff costs per the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and report back to the leadership of the West High Drama Program in the near future and report back to the Board of Education via e‑mail.
Ruth Robarts offered a friendly amendment to make the opportunity more general to apply to this situation across the district for fine arts.
Discussion: The commitment would be the same across the district. The administration and parent group could work the issue out informally.
The motion, as amended, carried unanimously.
5. Other Business
There was no other business.
6. Adjournment
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Shwaw Vang to adjourn the meeting at 8:48 p.m. Motion unanimously carried.
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