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Madison Metropolitan School District
Madison, Wisconsin
 
Art Rainwater, Superintendent
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Minutes for Special Meeting - Open Session
December 3, 2007		   La Follette High School
702 Pflaum Road, Room C17
Madison, Wisconsin

Special Meeting of the Board of Education was called to order by President Arlene Silveira at 6:12 p.m. in Room C17.  She noted that Lucy Mathiak was ill and not able to attend.

MEMBERS PRESENT:                             Carol Carstensen, Maya Cole, Lawrie Kobza, Beth Moss, Arlene Silveira, Johnny Winston, Jr.   

MEMBERS ABSENT:                               Lucy Mathiak

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE PRESENT:   None

STAFF PRESENT:                                  Steve Hartley, Pam Nash, Art Rainwater, Lisa Wachtel, Ann Wilson-Recording Secretary

1.         Announcements

                There were no announcements.

2.         Federal Title I Funds in the District - Availability, Allocation, and Use

            (Written materials provided in advance- memorandum dated 11/29/07 re: 2007-08 Title I Budget Summary.  A copy is attached to the original of these minutes.)

            Art Rainwater noted the purpose of his presentation (PowerPoint titled, 2007-08 Title I Budget Summary is attached to the original of these minutes.)  was to provide an update and review the budget for Title I for 2007‑08.  He reviewed written information about the amount of funding, how much is allocated to school programs and staff, and how much is allocated to program support salaries and resources.  Jennifer Allen and Susan Abplanalp administer the Title I program in the district.

            DISCUSSION:

· Cannot supplant and is not a source of funding for anything other than Title I.

· When school-wide, could use funds for reduced class size at grades 4-5.

· Specific limitations for use of funds (e.g., literacy, math).

· Audited regularly - federal funds.

· Historically, funds have been used for elementary level, young children.

            FOLLOW-UP:

            Provide clarification about limitations on the use of funds.

           

3.         Student-Focused and School-Focused Equity Issues and Initiatives within the District

            (Written materials provided in advance:  cover memorandum dated 11/29/07 re: December 3 Board Workshop, an excerpt from the MMSD Board of Education Equity Task Force Final Report, a list of fundamental equity issues, the final report of the Equity Task Force, a memo from Legal Counsel addressing amendments to the proposed equity policy, and a draft equity policy.  Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)

            Arlene Silveira noted this meeting is the first in a series of discussions about equity.  The purpose was to identify issues and chart a path for future meetings.  The Superintendent noted that his Instructional Council took excerpts from the Equity Task Force's final report related to the definition of equity and added to that work.  They developed three categories of fundamental equity issues:  1) the child comes to school with experiences and characteristics; 2) the adult reacts to the child; and 3) the organization responds by providing....   The original plan was to prioritize the issues listed and then talk about how to use them to revise or rewrite policy.

            Board members felt more categories needed to be added but first submitted issues on individual post-its.   The task was to identify factors or barriers that cause disparity in schools or between schools.  The responses were then briefly described and sorted with these categories emerging:  a) what the child brings; b) what the school/class comes with; c) student support; d) funding; e) after school; f) family involvement; g) PTOs; h) facilities; i) behavior; j) over-representation; k) access; l) curriculum-how; m) curriculum-what; n) leadership; and o) staff.

            It was requested that the Administration first prepare a document that exactly records the responses, and then provide an edited version, which also includes information about what is current practice in the district to address these issues.  It was recommended that Lucy Mathiak have an opportunity to add to the first draft (as she was absent from this exercise).

            There was a question about whether input from the Equity Task Force should be considered during these exercises.  The general response was that individual Board members can consult with Task Force members during the process if they wish.  Others noted that they had incorporated information from the Task Force report in their own work.

4.         Other Business

            There was no other business.                                                                                                                                     

5.         Adjournment

            It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr.  And seconded by Beth Moss to adjourn the meeting at 7:55 p.m.   Motion unanimously carried by those present.

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Previous: 2007-11-26 || Special Meeting - Open Session || Next: 2007-12-17