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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 December 11, 2006 |
Doyle Administration Building 545 West Dayton Street Madison, Wisconsin |
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Special Meeting of the Board of Education was called to order by President Johnny Winston, Jr. at 7:53 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Carstensen, Lawrie Kobza, Lucy Mathiak, Ruth Robarts, Arlene Silveira, Shwaw Vang, Johnny Winston, Jr.
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE
PRESENT: Joe Carlsmith
STAFF PRESENT: Lisa Black, Lucy Chaffin, Mary Gulbrandsen, Steve Hartley, Pam Nash, Roger Price, Attorney Clarence Sherrod, Lisa Wachtel, Luis Yudice, Barbara Lehman-Recording Secretary
1. Approval of Minutes
It was moved by Carol Carstensen and seconded by Shwaw Vang to approve the minutes of the Special meeting in open session dated November 6, 2006 as distributed. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
2. Announcements
There were no announcements.
3. It was moved by Lawrie Kobza and seconded by Ruth Robarts that an award be made to Dell, Inc., under Wis.State Contract #11-20400-500, in the amount of $293,925 for the purchase of 337 computers, with specifications and pricing per quotes as shown on the attached spreadsheet with funding from the 2006-07 Technology Referendum. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
4. It was moved by Lawrie Kobza and seconded by Carol Carstensen that the Board adopt the salary schedule that was attached as Appendix 1. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
5. It was moved by Lawrie Kobza and seconded by Ruth Robarts that the Board, for the 2006-07 fiscal year, approve an additional salary increase of $38,629.58 which will be divided among certain Non-Represented Professionals as set forth in the salary schedule that was attached as Appendix 1, with the addition that the cost of moving to the new salaries be offset by the cost savings from changing insurance plans. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
6. It was moved by Lawrie Kobza and seconded by Ruth Robarts that the Board approve a 2.18% salary increase for each Non-Represented Professional for the 2006-07 fiscal year. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
Clarified that the cost of the 2.18% increase is $46,230.60.
7. Increase in MMSDBuildingPermit Fees
(Packets included answers to Board member questions on building permit facility renters (12/4/06). Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
DISCUSSION:
o Lists everyone who does not pay the fees.
o Does state that nonprofits get a discount but there are ten different categories.
o Balance is to date.
o Many have long-term contracts.
It was moved by Arlene Silveira and seconded by Carol Carstensen to increase the Madison Metropolitan School District Building Permit Facility Rental Fees as described in Attachments A‑B in the memorandum dated November 29, 2006.
DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION:
· Can take affect January 1, 2007.
· Could support raising the fee by increments of 5-10% this year then 20% next year if need be.
· Does not involve any child care or Wisconsin Youth Company renters.
· Does affect Badger Aquatics, churches, etc.
· Renters have to cancel ahead of time; no one is behind.
· These fees have not been raised since 2002; divided the 20% over that amount of time; results in $5-$6 increases.
Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion carried 6-1 with Shwaw Vang voting no.
Items 8 and 9 were taken up together.
8. Positive Student Behavior in Safe and Secure Schools
9. Board of Education Policy #4502 - Student Code of Conduct
(Packets included PowerPoint presentation and chart showing prevention practices and programs, response to significant behavior incident recommendations, and responses to serious behavior incidents and crises. Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
Administration was seeking information from the Board as to their philosophical position and with regard to the questions posed in the memorandum included in the packet. A chart was sent a while ago that talked about all the components that the District is currently working on. The focus tonight was the Code of Conduct. Ms. Gulbrandsen briefly went through the presentation.
DISCUSSION:
§ Mirrors special education in terms of race and ethnicity.
§ Plan does offer staff something on de-escalation.
§ Restorative practices - looking at social confidence very broadly. DPI document offers learning opportunities for students who have been suspended.
§ Dealing with systematic bullying before things become violent and scary.
§ Would be helpful to define again the problems we are trying to solve by having these various approaches. Presentation on security is a key thing. Many environmental things and different in different schools. Would like to know more on a school-by-school and level-by-level basis the range of misconduct. Impressed by research out of police problem solving. Good set of national and international research at all levels. If they are all the same, would want to know more about the decision makers. Want to do reorientation for those incarcerated or expelled for a long time who go straight back to high school. Might be relevant in some cases in terms of police calls per school; the data is being collected. What does it look like to assistant principals and EROs. Administration meets with some important people that the Board does not hear from.
§ School safety money linked to poverty. Would welcome some presentations from people you mentioned to help inform some of our thinking on this.
Administration offered to put together a compendium, including DMC and Student Senate.
DISCUSSION CONTINUED:
§ Administration presented to Student Senate. Student Senate will be looking at Code of Conduct and very interested in looking not just at expulsions but what happens after expulsion. Goal is never to remove a student from learning.
§ Addressing the issue of the disproportionality of students of color having a higher rate of suspensions and changing behavior that is culturally appropriate. Have to train teachers and staff. Some look at the EROs as extensions of the Madison Police Department. Great to be working with Dane County which sometimes becomes an extension of the courts. These entities will be included in the compendium.
§ Biggest challenge is still going to be people in the community and schools who are committed to consequences or punishments.
§ Think there is a misconception about restorative justice in that there is no accountability.
§ Need strategies to find a balance for working with students of high intellectual ability whose needs are not being met while letting people feel safe in their place.
§ Above- and below-the-line takes more staff time at the outset; payoff is that investment in getting proactive pieces in place and not spending as much time putting out fires.
§ Need to improve on different cultural disciplines.
§ Ms. Robarts offered to share some information she had on leaving the parents and elders in positions of authority as opposed to the children learning English and telling the parents how things go. District has come a long way but some of the same issues are still there.
§ Forums on disproportionate confinement (two years ago) - comments from those involved were intense about the things the district is doing in not trying to set children up to fail again. Students' comments were very powerful with regard to their daily cultural experiences.
§ Overarching theme that race does matter.
§ Want to see less paper when we do expulsions and more in the way of success plans.
§ Want to keep kids learning; may sometimes mean not being in school but some place else. Want schools to be safe but have more latitude for staff.
§ The expulsion cases heard by the Board are very serious; it is important what happens to the students earlier.
§ Staff is working on students returning from Corrections.
§ There are on-line learning opportunities to help those coming in at odd times.
§ One absurdity is where children make mistakes that are not major and receive no services but those who commit major crimes get services all the way through.
§ Need policies that apply the Code of Conduct fairly, especially relative to cultural differences.
§ Equity Task Force is surveying people - their results are markedly different depending on the groups they have talked with. They say it makes a difference. See how they are doing it because they were encouraged about collecting data from groups that are represented in the schools.
§ Important to talk with assistant principals who do hands-on work with students and how the Code of Conduct ties their hands or does not.
§ See the need for potentially more or different staff, more social workers, training equipment for keeping students educated who are not in the classroom, in spite of the budget.
§ Only 2/10 of 1% are expelled; need to focus efforts on the big picture.
§ Safety and security are the critical issues. Sense of climate and how to teach positive behaviors and share expectations. Dealing with behaviors vs. dealing with the child.
NEXT STEPS:
ü Please read the entire Code of Conduct and highlight where people have issues. Does not have to be revised or re-written.
ü Administration will provide the data that was requested.
ü Luis Yudice can help us look at some appropriate responses to certain kinds of behaviors.
ü Would like to start at the elementary schools; five simple rules or changes; basic expectations; and work our way up.
ü Elementary is the farthest along getting to a consistent level. Can share with the Board the data and "hot buttons." Administration will meet as an internal group and re-shape it.
ü Administration will try to get feedback for the Board for January.
FOLLOW UP: Please provide a copy of the supplemental data. Economic and race and ethnic make-up of the Alternative Programs. What kind of conduct goes on in the Alternative Programs. What is national difference and why. Different potential for restorative things than regular high schools. Have Alternative Program teachers talk to the Board about the sense of community they create before they send a student back to the high schools.
10. Other Business
There was no other business.
11. Adjournment
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Shwaw Vang to adjourn the meeting at 9:43 p.m. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
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