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| Madison Metropolitan School District Madison, Wisconsin Art Rainwater, Superintendent | ||
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| BOARD OF EDUCATION Minutes for Special Meeting - Open Session May 9, 2006 |
Memorial High School 201 South Gammon Road, Auditorium Madison, Wisconsin |
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Special Meeting of the Board of Education was called to order by President Johnny Winston at 6:34 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Carstensen, Lawrie Kobza, Lucy Mathiak, Ruth Robarts, Arlene Silveira, Shwaw Vang, Johnny Winston, Jr.
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT: None
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Sue Abplanalp, Mary Gulbrandsen, Pam Nash, Roger Price, Art Rainwater, Ken Syke, Ann Wilson-Recording Secretary
1. 2006-07 Budget Hearing
Don Severson - Read the recommendations of Active Citizens for Education for allocation of funds for the 2006-07 budget (attached to the original of these minutes). Following the completion of the budget, there will also be recommendations for the next budget cycle.
Shwaw Vang - Clarified the reasons for his action at a previous meeting and voiced his displeasure with a Letter to the Editor written by Mr. Severson.
Jodee Hoffland - told the story of her experiences in alternative programs and post-high school success. She submitted written alternatives to the proposed budget cuts (attached to the original of these minutes).
Lucy Mathiak and Lawrie Kobza - Thanks for taking the time to write and submit recommendations. Some may have already been implemented.
Johnny Winston - Plan to discuss alternative program cuts at the Board meeting on May 15.
Nick Fisher - Encouraged Board members to keep the school store open.
Robert Tweed, Kern Family Foundation - Spoke in support of middle school technology education and noted their Project Lead the Way. Research shows middle school is the primary age for students to make selections. They need to learn skills in math and science to be eligible for technical jobs. Technology education has changed and is not like traditional shop or vocational classes. Urged reconsideration of cutting tech ed classes in middle school.
Lawrie Kobza - Noted reductions are the result of implementation of the Middle School Design, not budget cuts. Pam Nash - The Middle School Design did not specifically call for the elimination of tech education classes. It did require middle schools to look at reallocation within buildings to consider increased foreign language offerings and consistency across the district. This year there were six teachers at the middle school level. Next year there will be four.
Ruth Robarts - Does the reduction in teachers affect whether classes are available for students? Pam Nash - There are still some courses available during the day in the schools without a teacher, but not in special technical education.
Lucy Mathiak - Care about offering skilled trades opportunities for high school students. Beyond the Middle School Design, will there be a review focusing on technical education? Pam Nash - Yes, there will be a review of the comprehensive high school. Are working with the Kern Foundation on Project Lead the Way. Are many exciting models; the work of the Middle School Design Team is far from over.
Ruth Robarts - Six of 11 teachers were cut from the last budget and three from the next. Discussion of areas that they taught (computer, design).
FOLLOW-UP:
Carol Carstensen felt it would be beneficial to have a presentation about curriculum in the technical, vocational area.
Bill Rettig - Oppose cuts to EEN, SEA staff and libraries. EEN and SEA staff services allow teachers to focus on academics. Already short staffed; don't have any "luxurious" quotas. As librarian, can't address questions from students and teachers or provide services as it is; not professional librarians but glorified clerks. Not performing the professional activities he thought he would when he received his master's degree. Might make more sense to have a half-time professional librarian and a half-time EA to do the work he has been overpaid to do.
Ken Bremer - Surrounding area school districts are building their tech education programs with less students at the high school and middle school levels. Examples of what his sixth, seventh and eighth graders are doing. Students lack exposure to careers and occupations in non-traditional fields. Are we preparing students for the many jobs that will not require a four-year degree? Need math and science. Wonder if there is a better way. Provided written material (attached to the original of these minutes) Preparing Young Women for Work and Citizenship in a Technological Society published by DPI.
Kenneth Starkman - Urged keeping technology education as part of the curriculum in every school and spoke about technology education internationally. He provided written material - An Educational Imperative by the International Technology Education Association (attached to the original of these minutes).
Kristi Slovik - Spoke about the negative impact that the Middle School Design has had on technology education in MMSD. Deeply concerned about the learning opportunities for students. Design Team had little information about what is happening in classrooms and did not seek input from teachers. The final document did not need the approval of the Board of Education, so the administration was able to reduce a program without the input of the Board and community. Questioned the research that was used and the decision making process. Great concern that the decision lacks exposure to vocational interests. Not offering hands-on activities. Computer literacy is such a small part.
Ruth Robarts - Agree with the Board's role in decision making and concern that teachers were not part of the process. Will review concerns as the curriculum is reviewed again.
Lucy Mathiak - Concerned about what schools are doing to prepare students. Need to consider these comments.
Greg Cranberg - Support for technology education. Integrating design, problem solving. Working with the university on a grant; see the possibilities. Shared statistics about areas where jobs are available and connecting with courses taught in high schools. Hands-on courses are disappearing in the middle schools. Middle school provides the opportunity to guide further education in high school.
Lawrie Kobza - Clearly there are programs in the schools - La Follette Construction, for example - not doing anything to eliminate them. Have to balance with a variety of other needs.
Brian Bottge - Referenced UW-Madison research studies measuring math and science skills and motivation of students relative to technology education. Support technology education classes in middle schools and hands-on experiences for students. Need the opportunity to explore interests, solve problems of interest to them, look at solutions to complex pre-engineering problems. Highest among the list of competencies employers are looking for. Shared CDs and written material and Teaching Enhanced Anchored Mathematics (attached to the original of these minutes).
James Buchanan - Takes many skills to make our city the best place to live. Can't allow No Child Left Behind to rob our students of a good public education. Need diverse occupations. When you raise the expectations of principals to include more exposure to foreign languages, something has to give. Middle school technology education represents a common sense approach to public education.
Angela Tocci - Submitted a written statement (attached to the original of these minutes) and the signature of concerned citizens who agree that eliminating fourth and fifth grade strings will have a devastating effect on our children (attached to the original of these minutes). She spoke of the benefits of the program, especially for raising self-esteem, learning respect for self and others, and self-discipline.
Steve Munson - Support reinstating middle school tech ed and maintaining high school tech ed. Eliminating these programs would be wiping out students' exposure to comprehensive programs. Spoke about the importance of careers in industry - there is a constant call in the labor force for skilled workers. Need to start at a young age to build personal and behavioral skills, build confidence. Need supportive administrators and directors. Need to mentor and help students find career directions. Students need hands-on experiences and need to be able to see the fruits of their labors.
Jim Sainsbury - Students cannot explore career ideas if the option is taken away from them. Need exposure at the middle school level. There is a comprehensive program at Memorial. Students get interested in middle school. Urge keeping technology education programs at the middle school level.
Shwaw Vang: In which schools is there tech education? (Pam Nash: Next year, it will be Hamilton, Toki, and Whitehorse.) Would like to schedule for discussion by the Performance and Achievement Committee.
Johnny Winston: Will look at needs on June 19 and relegate to committees.
Shwaw Vang: Will talk with Performance and Achievement members and ask if they would like to look at middle school changes on June 12 instead of the scheduled item.
Charles James Mitchell - Urged Board not to succumb to legislature and cut back on funds. Citizens like him are willing to pay so children have a school to go to. One of the best school districts in the country and want to keep it that way. Give citizens the chance to pay extra to maintain excellent programs in our district. Math programs in New York City are integrated, not separated out. Keep up struggle. Willing to pay for a fantastic school district.
There was a break from 8 to 8:20 p.m.
D'neece Hettrick - Need to work on accessing funding from the federal government for schools. Lack is causing us to shortchange our students.
Carol Carstensen: Some states are suing the federal government. Will continue to look at those suits; will have an impact on us as well.
Cal Morrow - Does not wish to miss programs next year at Toki. Classes at Toki were cut last year. Told about what he learns at home. He is able to learn so much more than his friends without computers at home. They will not have the same amount of practice. Important for everyone to have the opportunity to learn.
Mary Rasmussen - Maintain strong general music curriculum. No strings teachers were involved in preparing a report of options for strings and general music delivery. There is no support for the second option in any meeting that she has attended. No teacher or principal would support the second option. No idea why it is surfacing again; not best practice for either strings or general music. Need equal access for all students in general music.
Carol Carstensen asked about the types of instruments students learn about in general music and whether they learn to read music (yes).
Lawrie Kobza: What would be your choice - a general music program incorporating instruments or pull-out strings. Mary Rasmussen - Strings doesn't cost that much and kids don't suffer because of pull-out. They don't miss anything and the students left behind have an enhanced experience with their teacher. Strings helps students move into what they want to do.
Sandy Meuer - Concerned about another year of budget cuts. Challenge to find the law that states administrative contracts have to be finished in January. Why are administrative cuts not considered at the same time as the rest of the budget? Is there really such a law? It is a challenge to get the budget from the administration. Never got a line-by-line answer. Got no information from this budget. How can I tell the Board where to cut when I don't know? An example is transportation - do not know where it is spent. Look at a second late bus, busing to private and parochial schools, Leopold addition should not be in the operational budget, look at cost effectiveness of coordinators and administrators. TAG does not trickle down to teachers.
FOLLOW-UP:
Roger Price explained the second morning bus for Allied Drive students. He will provide cost information. He explained transportation for homeless students. Will provide information about mobility and the number of students.
Ruth Robarts cited state law as the requirement for administrative contracts.
Carol Carstensen stated the district is required to provide transportation to private school students and others, including students who live more than 1.5 miles from school.
Jennifer McFarland - Thanked for providing phonology program. Very excited about elementary strings - shared benefits to her from her own experience in the strings program. Important for students to have a wide variety of opportunities - academic and other. Helps with attendance. Ask consideration of the children and families without opportunities. Programs at every age that bring something special to students; all are very important. Thank you for considering strings.
Mariel Wozniak - Curriculum needs to follow best practice and DPI recommendations. Leading districts have grades 4-5 strings through grade 12. Eliminating strings is one more step along the line to the district's demise. Administration continues to bring forward these same proposals. Ignores public comments. Board needs to get all information and it needs to be open. Our names were on the plans, but they were not our plans. Plan was not best practice.
Bonnie Thomas - Started strings in fourth grade. Music and strings was a necessary part of education. Leads to discipline. Strong correlation with other subjects, responsibility, confidence. Leads to music appreciation for classical music. Can learn self-esteem through music, develops sensitivity. Keep strings.
Lawrie Kobza: Would you prefer the option of general music or strings and what do you think about pull-out? Bonnie Thomas: Both are important. Do pull-out the sooner the better. General music is equally important.
Jennifer Mitchell - When students are pulled out, those remaining have more time with the teacher. Kids pulled out are not missing anything - just a study hall or working on strengthening. Schools do not receive enough money. Cuts are cheating our kids; can't do it anymore. Cut administration from the top down. Save classrooms for kids.
Lendell Alston - Referred to Jonathan Kozal article. Use of property tax is unjust for funding schools - ought to finance equitably from progressive income tax. Believe in equity. Got deep appreciation for budget from going to $100 budget session. Concerned about wages and income statistics since 1979. When we reduce budget, must think about people with no voice and who cannot represent themselves. If not, will have schools with high poverty indexes, and do not like that. A pressing problem; something needs to be done about it.
Lucy Mathiak - Planning more forums like the North Side Planning Council ones and are you planning to invite the Board? L. Alston: They take it seriously and are really committed people who are concerned about equity.
Beth Moss - Thanks for keeping cuts away from regular education but concerned about special education. Special education cannot afford to take more cuts. Her son's IEP was not completed until mid-March. Son would be better off if he were home-schooled but is determined to work within the system to make it better for him and other students with special needs. Did not pursue DPI complaint process, but are willing and able next year if he continues to receive the same level of service. Please do not cut more special education staff. Cuts are disproportionate with other areas; it is not special education's turn again.
Shwaw Vang: How many positions were cut excluding ESL? Art Rainwater: 10 PSTs from central office. Cuts are from unallocated positions - not filled. Will not change initial case loads except in some cases.
Shwaw Vang: How many allocations are generally used during the year? Art Rainwater: depends, not always the same. Schools can also convert allocation.
Lucy Mathiak - How was son's experience different in middle school than in elementary school. Beth Moss - Very different; noted reasons.
Jerry Eykholt - Questioned whether grades 4-5 class size expansion is equitable. Twenty-five percent increase is drastic for low-income schools. Lincoln does a great job with pairing; that is at risk with class size change. If changes need to be made, do it over several years. Need to look at overall effects on educational environment. Schools that serve the at-risk community have a passion for each other. Need to look at how to serve at-risk needs equitably.
Lawrie Kobza: Very concerned about schools with high low-income level, but about all of those schools - need to look at the whole district.
Robert Howard - At school meeting today looked at the impact of support staff cuts at Jefferson. Losing assistant principal and part of other staff - who will pick up the pieces? Spread out services and responsibilities - don't see where some of it can be picked up. In a tough situation. District being gutted. Need more aggressive partnership with the city. Encouraged asking for donations. Get as much financial support from partnerships as possible without compromising education.
Elise Rose - Objects to cutting computer science classes at Memorial. Why is the district using a reading program, whole language, which has proven less effective than phonics in over 25 separate studies? Found through her work at UW that whole language costs much more than phonics. Why not use research? Taxes pay for research and then it is ignored. For effectiveness alone, should switch methods.
Art Rainwater - District uses a balanced instruction program developed by the district and the University of Wisconsin which does include a substantial amount of phonics and other methods.
Lucy Mathiak - Noted issues with Reading Recovery.
Marisue Horton - Families of middle school students (girls) are deciding to move. Need to increase motivation, self-esteem, and safety and confidence in classrooms. Need to define effectiveness and efficiency of instructional coordinators. Impressed with the committee chairs selected by the Board President. Need improvement. Hearing too many things of concern. Concerned parent.
Written Registrations:
15 registrations supported keeping elementary strings
6 registrations opposed cuts for library pages
4 registrations opposed cuts in middle school technology education
1 registration opposed budget cuts for special education
1 registration to cut the large teaching staff in Teaching and Learning rather than cuts to the classroom
1 registration in support of full funding for education and asking that the superintendent resign because he does not support the public's wish for elementary strings
2. Adjournment
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Lucy Mathiak to adjourn the meeting at 9:56 p.m. Motion unanimously carried by those present.
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Previous: 2006-05-08 || Special Meeting - Open Session || Next: 2006-05-15