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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 February 19, 2007 |
Doyle Administration Building 545 West Dayton Street, Room 103 and Auditorium Madison, Wisconsin |
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Special Meeting of the Board of Education was called to order by President Johnny Winston, Jr. at 6:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Carstensen, Lawrie Kobza, Lucy Mathiak, Ruth Robarts, Arlene Silveira, Shwaw Vang, Johnny Winston, Jr.
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
OPEN SESSION - Auditorium
3. Approval of Minutes
It was moved by Arlene Silveira and seconded by Ruth Robarts to approve the minutes of the Special meeting in open session dated January 29, 2007 as distributed. Motion unanimously carried.
4. Public Appearances
There were no public appearances.
5. Announcements
There were no announcements.
6. Regular Education Transportation Contracts
(Packets included two e-mails from June Wilson clarifying the contract provisions with regard to route changes and background checks of all drivers and attendants (2/15/07), the fact sheet from Administrative Services (1/31/07), and Extension/Amendments to Pupil Transportation Contract t(September 2004-June 2007). Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
It was moved by Lawrie Kobza and seconded by Arlene Silveira that the Board approve entering into a two-year extension, for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years, of each regular education transportation contract with, respectively, First Student, Riteway, Durham School Service, and Badger Bus. Motion unanimously carried.
7. Professional Development for MMSD Staff Members
(Packets included a PowerPoint presentation. A copy is attached to the original of these minutes.)
A videotape was shown demonstrating interactions of teachers and students in the classrooms. Lisa Wachtel, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, gave a presentation on professional development as a means of support for teachers overviewing the Teaching and Learning Department, the importance of highly skilled teachers, effective professional development, organization and funding, examples, and future directions.
DISCUSSION:
§ Data used to inform the district about the effectiveness of programs and student gains. Role of Instructional Resource Teachers in looking at the data and working with principals to develop School Improvement Plans. Data can be used for individual students up to entire grade levels within a building.
§ How additional on-line courses and instructional coaches tie in with current staffing levels. Coaches are trained one day per week at Central Administration.
§ On-line learning - teachers receive remuneration, advancement on the salary schedule, WIN-based. Teachers can participate whenever they want.
§ Percentage of time spent and what people are doing with regard to the five areas: research best practices, develop materials to support best practices, provide professional development, support implementation of best practices, evaluate effectiveness by measuring gains in student achievement. Research and best practices (depends on content area and where people are at a particular spot) - about 10 percent. Developing materials very time intensive. Providing professional development depends on the mode (face-to-face or building leadership in the buildings, building-based coaching role). Areas 2, 3 and 4 compromise the bulk of time; varies by content and from year to year.
§ Notebook development (80 percent of time while the project is going on) then move into teaching with the master teachers in their classrooms while another team might be starting on another redesign. Four elementary teachers developed the latest teaching binder. Information synthesized in a unique way that addresses a particular curriculum. Requires supplements to material. All large districts are structured similarly.
§ MMSD sells its notebooks to other districts (currently sell literacy notebooks, not at that point with math yet). Price only covers printing costs. District does not support the materials. Could develop training materials to sell.
§ Various presentations have been shared with the Minority Student Achievement Network.
§ Site visits just completed in November for SCALE project.
§ District's congressional delegation has been made aware of the district's interest in recouping loss of federal funds with the U.S. Department of Education's literacy program.
§ Some districts use vendor texts and supplemental materials.
§ Madison draws strengths from a variety of materials and puts together in a fashion that meets the needs of students - what teachers need to know and assess - how new teachers are integrated into the system. There are innumerable approaches to teaching and each district adopts their own but the majority probably use standard materials.
§ District teaches to the standards. Those students who transfer out of the district can take that with them wherever they go. Whole idea is how the students learn the standards. Skills are a major part of the standards.
§ Teachers do earn continuing educational credit to renew their licenses and to move on the pay scale. District training does fit those criteria. New teachers can map out what they need to do with the professional development plan, which is reviewed by a committee, and can include college courses or district courses if appropriate.
§ Instructional Resource Teachers (IRTs) continually work with principals identifying their needs to move forward with their SIPs, particularly around the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations. They also work with teachers on the analysis of the tests to improve instruction and the learning process. They also work during summers to develop SIP plans - sum total about 10 percent.
§ There is a period of time in the year when WKCE results come in -- this may spend 90 percent of the time of the IRTs.
§ Math - state standards have not changed much but grade level standards have been developed.
§ Staff development process seems justifiable progress of students are shared with the board and public. Board does not have the expertise to decide on one curriculum over another but has difficulty explaining unless they can point to data that shows these investments are paying off for children.
§ Title IIA and Title IIB funds are for teacher quality improvement. Title 1 can be used in the classroom.
§ Professional development is highly valued in this district. Teachers appreciate it. Has had significant role in improving the ability of students to perform well in a variety of ways.
§ All IRTs work on research and best practices and developing materials and they present courses.
§ Teaching and Learning does not provide for 100 percent of the professional development of the district's teachers. There are some building based groups and within other departments. Classroom presenters are mostly Teaching and Learning staff, some are district partners, and a very small percentage are outside consultants and would generally be on grant.
§ Time spent in the schools - 75 percent; working on materials in the schools 35-50 percent.
§ District is successful because of its ability to keep teacher-to-student ratios low and provide level of classroom support by way of professional development.
§ Changes in FTEs over past five years in Teaching and Learning; a few positions have been eliminated, some have moved to grants, operating budget positions probably consistent. Administrative positions have been cut from here. Instructional Resource Teachers are at about the same level.
§ Administration has tried to protect class size and those who work with classroom teachers. Best possible situation is small class sizes and highly trained teachers. Second are highly trained teachers in big classrooms. Structure is not very different from other districts of our size.
§ Next week special education, March 5 alternative programs and student services.
FOLLOW UP: Ms. Robarts will follow up with administration separately on districtwide data issues. Provide SCALE report to the Board. Provide holistic picture of professional development at different levels; how it all works together both people and resources and what results are being seen. Show change in FTEs in Teaching and Learning over the past five years.
8. Request for Proposals/Request for Qualifications for Consultants to Conduct Superintendent Search
(Packets included a cover memorandum and two Request for Proposal model documents outlining options for approaching the superintendent search. Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
DISCUSSION:
· Option 1 - easily defined criteria. Fill in evaluation criteria. Like to invite creativity for openness into the process. Concern - leaving it open-ended very difficult to evaluate the group and come to a true consensus. Keep criteria as is but add another section that allows for things not asked for; more about their approach.
· Prefer #1 with some differences - concerned about being bound by the evaluation criteria. May want to change after seeing some proposals. Request for Qualification - can give some of that later on. Section 5.1 - understanding the organization - need an item on understanding the community and need to have a new section for community meetings and community input sessions early on before the position is defined. Section 5.3 - managing the search -would like description of their referral network. Need another step in the interview part with the community. Expect the vendor to organize community interviews or meetings.
· Prefer Option 2 - want to hear from the organizations as to their comfort level with Board structure. Want a chance to hear from the organizations how they function without them trying to fit into the Board's mold. Keep criteria more general. Working style and creativity will be critical in that relationship.
· Organizations can submit 2-3 proposals. May want to give them both options. Include criteria measurement and cost. And, if they had control of the situation, how would they advise the Board approach this - break down into levels and pricing.
· The Superintendent suggested taking language out of #2 and asking the firms for their approach to the search, including understanding the community. The organization should define the position, manage the search (keep those headings), etc., but not be limited to addressing those things or those examples.
· Agree with Superintendent's approach. Include in the cover memo the part about deliverables, including prior searches and strategies. Want them to have practical hands-on experience for districts that are similar to ours and outcomes.
· Agree with Superintendent's approach - tie in with specific criteria then subjective criteria.
· Fairly similar to 1992 - prior searches will be good. Follow up on references. Superintendent's suggestion is good.
· Superintendent asked that Board members call if they have suggestions or changes.
· Schedule includes Board interviews with vendors.
· List of vendors should include plenty of national firms. Contact other districts nationwide who have gone through this recently.
FOLLOW UP: Ms. Teppo will try to bring back the documents for this Thursday's Board packet. Next meeting can vote. Review timeline at next meeting.
9. Other Business
There was no other business.
10. Adjournment
It was moved by Ruth Robarts and seconded by Arlene Silveira to adjourn the meeting at 9 p.m. Motion unanimously carried.
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