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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 17, 2007 |
Doyle Administration Building 545 West Dayton Street, Auditorium Madison, Wisconsin |
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Meeting reconvened at 8:37 p.m. in open session
MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Carstensen, Maya Cole, Lawrie Kobza, Lucy Mathiak, Beth Moss, Arlene Silveira, Johnny Winston, Jr.
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE
PRESENT: Joe Carlsmith
STAFF PRESENT: Sue Abplanalp, Steve Hartley, Attorney Joseph Hill, Attorney Dan Mallin, Pam Nash, Art Rainwater, Attorney June Wilson, Barbara Lehman-Recording Secretary, several Principals and Assistant Principals
OPEN SESSION WORKSHOP - Auditorium
2. Approval of Minutes
It was moved by Carol Carstensen and seconded by Lawrie Kobza to approve the minutes from the Special meetings dated November 26 and December 3, 2007as distributed. Motion unanimously carried.
3. Announcements
There were no announcements.
4. It was moved by Arlene Silveira and seconded by Carol Carstensen to change the date of the monthly Regular Board of Education meeting from January 7 to January 14, 2008. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
5. It was moved by Carol Carstensen and seconded by Lawrie Kobza that the Board approve a contract in the amount of $24,500 between Atwood Community Center (Atwood) and Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) to continue an existing arrangement under which Atwood will provide the part-time services of a Youth Resource Center Manager who will staff the O'Keeffe Youth Resource Center for the period from September 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 with funding allocated within MSCR's 2007-08 operating budget. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
6. Safety and Security Proposal
(Packets included an analysis of the students' feeling of safety in their school from the student climate survey; an analysis of the per student FTE impact of the additional support staff resulting from the new proposal; the middle school principals' proposal for safety and security; charts outlining the items, cost, comments, first priority, second priority, and school-based and district support activities and funding sources of the proposal; and a spreadsheet detailing the middle and high school enrollment and FTE data. Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
The Superintendent believed this proposal, particularly the staffing, was critically needed to ensure that the schools continue to be safe. Administration took the approach to continually analyze and be in a preventive mode rather than reactive mode. This is an opportunity to increase staffing because of an increase in the special education reimbursement. The middle school principals developed a proposal that they unanimously believe is critical for them to have the safest possible schools over the next several years.
Karen Seno, principal of Cherokee Middle School, gave the perspective of the middle school principals on how they came to recommend these proposals and what the benefits would be should the proposal be funded. Within five minutes of talking about the potential funding windfall, they unanimously agreed to hire Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS) coaches as detailed in the plan. They also believe the investment has the potential to make significant, enduring differences in engagement, learning, and relationships and preventing problem behaviors from developing and intensifying and increasing academic success. They expect to see a decrease in disciplinary referrals, an increase in instructional time, and a decrease in the amount of time administrators spend on discipline issues. The proposal is an efficient and effective use of scarce resources that will increase school safety and will be sustainable through a school-wide approach.
Discussion:
v How long would before there is some impact.
v Looks like these positions will train staff and lead the whole process of the positive behavior. Sustainability by school staff down the road. Individual approach would be ongoing. There was some discussion about how the coaches would work with the Assistant Principal and Learning Coordinator functions.
v How the target schools were selected and the difference between Priorities 1 and 2.
v Efforts to recruit coaches from within school staff or as new hires. They are looking broadly for people who can connect with kids, people with college degrees but not necessarily with any kind of certification.
v Described how the students would be identified who would be included in the caseload. Adults will follow these students from grades 6-8 depending on mobility.
v Principals in smaller schools without assistant principals are experiencing an increase in the time they spend dealing with disciplinary issues leaving less time for staff evaluations, communicating with parents, spending time in the classrooms, research, planning, etc.
v PBIS Coordinators can work on bullying and harassment issues which can lead to expulsion and to create an environment where people do not feel the need to have to bring things to school to defend themselves with.
v PBIS Coordinators will work with families and the community.
v Real target here in terms of behavior is violence; dealing with bullying, harassment, and students who are prone to violence.
The Superintendent distributed a revised copy of the chart showing support staff based on middle and high school enrollment and FTE data that corrected Jefferson Middle School's psychology allocation to 1.0 (a copy is attached to the original of these minutes).
Discussion continued:
§ How coaches can help with mobility issues; front-loading adults with students, use of support staff, good intake when children come, need for consistent approaches and expectations across the schools.
§ Number of children coming in from outside Madison has remained very similar; from same places (Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis). MMSD is much more mobile internally and purely related to the number of children who live in poverty with movement among areas of low-income housing in the city.
§ How principals allocate for different support staff. Higher needs leaves less for teaching staff and less class offerings.
§ Benefits of both PBIS and Assistant Principal positions. Preventive vs. reactive to student behavior.
Memorial High School Principal Bruce Dahmen reported on what the high school principals have been talking about the last few months and what measures they need to be more effective. Their discussion focused on student needs and student behaviors; those who are the most disconnected socially and/or academically. They did discuss school safety in terms of door alarms, cameras, radios, etc., but focused on people, building relationships, dealing with mobility issues, and the desire to be more proactive. They discussed using the case manager model, reviewing student academic history, family history, history with outside health agencies and scheduling programming, building classes, and connecting students with programs and teachers and setting goals to engage and get some achievement. The second piece is increasing security guards to increase the eyes and ears of schools, build relationships with families and serving as a community tool. The Board has to consider the size of the high school buildings and the length of time buildings are open.
Discussion:
Ø Impact of increasing security personnel by one vs. two at each of the high schools. Have to cover large amount of space (i.e., field houses, parking lots, lunch rooms, etc.) and hours from 7 a.m.‑ 8 p.m. Four is the minimum number that should be at each high school walking the halls and outside.
Ø There are many kids who have issues who are most comfortable talking with the security guards.
Ø Many reasons for concentrating security guards in one place while still leaving some in the building.
Ø Coordinator should be able to handle 30-35 student caseloads.
Ø How students will be identified—those who end up in the principal's office, those recommended by student services staff, which students could make an impact on, team approach. Most of these students are in the hallways and not going to classes on a regular basis.
Ø Coordinator fits into the organization chart on the administrative team.
Ø Use of additional radios/cameras, door alarms, etc., has not been permanently decided.
Ø Welcome Centers—discretionary.
Ø Alternative schools—will continue to work with them. Their needs are very different. Have a security guard assigned to the Affiliated Alternatives. Shabazz has not experienced the same issues. Four high schools are the emphasis.
Ø Cameras only at Sennett right now. Primary concern was more radios. Radios work better than cell phones. It is not just administrators or hall monitors that carry them; nursing, LMC, guidance, students services, etc.
Ø Security guards are, many times, the first line of conversation.
Ø Issues with using volunteers; training is required to work with middle and high school kids, liability issues, need for accountability to the district.
Ø Security guards are respected. They are welcomed as part of the staff.
Ø Demographics of the caseload not a factor in terms of hiring; relationship builder is what is needed.
Ø Just being an adult is not enough at middle and high school levels. Skill and training is important at that age level.
Superintendent indicated that this is one of the more important things that have been brought to the Board. He stressed the need to get kids connected to school adding that the consequences for the district and the children are devastating.
It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Lucy Mathiak that the 2007-08 MMSD budget be amended to authorize the expenditure of $720,500 for safety and security purposes as outlined in the Safety and Security Proposal, identified as Appendix JJJ-6-12, with said $720,500 expenditure to be funded by transferring: (1) $376,955 from the Fund 10 Reserve for Contingencies account; and (2) $343,545 from the Fund 10 Salary Savings account.
Discussion on the motion:
ü There was a suggestion to approve the four high school engagement counselors (PBIS) for Tier 1 and one high school security assistant for each school and leave open the remainder of the proposal until a future meeting for a total of $409,000 with $311,511 remaining.
ü There was a comment about asking the district if there are other things to consider as far as funding. The Superintendent responded that this is the highest priority.
ü There was a comment about wanting to see how these positions work out as the Board looks at what needs to be done next year.
ü It was suggested that other funding sources be used for those things that are more facilities issues, particularly for the Welcome Center concept. The Superintendent noted that staffing is more important in the Welcome Centers.
ü Staying on the positive side of the line with security in the schools.
ü Opportunity to cover some of the gaps made by cuts to psychology and social work and athletic directors, etc.
ü Addresses some issues relative to the size of the buildings and those that are just under the enrollment figures for as assistant principal.
ü Core group of students exist who need this help.
ü Job is to teach and not be disciplinarians.
It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Lucy Mathiak to withdraw the motion. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Lucy Mathiakthat the 2007-08 MMSD budget be amended to authorize the expenditure of $140,000 for Engagement and Behavior Case Managers at the four high schools. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Lucy Mathiak that the 2007-08 MMSD budget be amended to authorize the expenditure of $175,000 for five 1.0 PBIS coaches assigned to Jefferson, O'Keeffe, Whitehorse, Black Hawk, and Sherman Middle Schools. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion carried 5-2 with Maya Cole and Beth Moss voting no.
It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Lucy Mathiak that the 2007-08 MMSD budget be amended to authorize the expenditure of $188,000 for high school Security Assistants (2 per school) for East, La Follette, Memorial, and West High Schools. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
It was moved by Arlene Silveira and seconded by Lawrie Kobza to fund the three approved items from the Safety and Security proposal with $376,955 from the Fund 10 Reserve for Contingencies account and the remainder of the cost from the Fund 10 Salary Savings account. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
FOLLOW UP: More information on the Affiliated Alternatives and Shabazz. Administration will come back with Tier 2, more detail on the Welcome Centers, any needs for Shabazz and the Affiliated Alternatives, and also night security assistants for Memorial and La Follette in January.
7. Expulsion Process—Follow Up from Hearing Examiner Discussion, Expungement, and Modifications to Discipline and Expulsion Policies and Processes
It was moved by Arlene Silveira and seconded by Lucy Mathiak to table this item of the agenda. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
8. Other Business
There was no other business.
9. Adjournment
It was moved by Lucy Mathiak and seconded by Carol Carstensen to adjourn the meeting at 10:41 p.m. Student Representative advisory vote was aye. Motion unanimously carried.
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Previous: 2007-12-03 || Special Meeting - Open Session || Next: 2008-01-28