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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 January 28, 2008 |
Doyle Administration Building 545 West Dayton Street, Room 103 Madison, Wisconsin |
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Special Meeting of the Board of Education was called to order in open session by President Arlene Silveira at 8:12 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Carstensen, Maya Cole, Lawrie Kobza, Lucy Mathiak, Beth Moss, Arlene Silveira, Johnny Winston, Jr.
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Steve Hartley, Bob Nadler, Art Rainwater, Ann Wilson-Recording Secretary
OPEN SESSION - WORKSHOP
The meeting resumed in Open Session at 8:30 p.m. in Room 103.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Carstensen, Maya Cole, Lawrie Kobza, Lucy Mathiak, Beth Moss, Arlene Silveira, Johnny Winston, Jr.
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Steve Hartley, Kurt Kiefer, Art Rainwater, Ann Wilson-Recording Secretary
3. Announcements
There were no announcements.
4. Revised Timeline for Citizens Naming Committee Work
(Written materials provided in advance: Timeline for Naming the New MMSD Elementary School updated December 2007 - attached to the original of these minutes.)
Art Rainwater presented a revised timeline for the Citizens Naming Committee that requires the Committee to recommend a minimum of four names and the reasons for the recommendations to the Board of Education by February 18, 2008. The timeline also includes a Board of Education public hearing on the Committee's proposed names during the week of February 25, 2008 and the recommendation that the Board of Education selects a name for the building at least 14 days after the public hearing, March 17 or later. The revised timeline is consistent with Board Policy 6700.
It was moved by Lucy Mathiak and seconded by Johnny Winston, Jr. to approve the updated Timeline for Naming the New MMSD Elementary School (December 2007) as presented. Motion unanimously carried by those present (Beth Moss was out of the room).
5. Computer Purchase from the Technology Referendum and the Common School Fund
(Written materials provided in advance: Memorandum from Art Rainwater dated 1/24/08 re: Purchase of Computers from Technology Referendum; Memorandum from Amos Anderson dated 1/24/08 re: Dell Computer, Inc., Employer Information Report - all attached to the original of these minutes.)
Art Rainwater noted the Finance and Operations Committee at its last meeting had postponed approval of the purchase of computers because of concerns about the deployment plan. In consultation with the Finance and Operations Committee chair, Lucy Mathiak, it was agreeable to propose the purchase of the computers under the current bid with the deployment plan to be reviewed at a later date. The current bid from Dell expires on January 31, 2008 and cannot be extended.
It was moved by Lucy Mathiak and seconded by Carol Carstensen to approve the purchase of 870 Dell computers at a cost of $590,045 to be funded from the Technology Referendum and the State Categorical Common School Fund as described in the memorandum dated January 24, 2008. Motion unanimously carried.
It was moved by Lucy Mathiak and seconded by Beth Moss that district staff return to the Finance and Operations Committee for approval of a plan for equitable distribution of 870 computers purchased through the allocation of funds from the Technology Referendum and the State Categorical Common School Fund and to cascade from the other units as a result of the allocation. Motion unanimously carried.
6. Student-Focused and School-Focused Equity issues and Initiatives within the District
(Written materials provided in advance: Memorandum from Art Rainwater dated 1/23/08 re: Discussion around Equity with attachments: Equity Task Force Final Report, Fundamental Equity Issues Draft 2, Proposed Definition of Equity. Written material provided at the meeting: Addition to Draft 2 - What the School/Class Comes With - all attached to the original of these minutes.)
Art Rainwater reviewed the written materials, noting the two examples provided for a proposed definition - one from the Equity Task Force, one from the administration. The second draft of the Fundamental Equity Issues document includes the information provided from the Management Team about current strategies to achieve equity listed in two categories: new initiatives and ongoing initiatives. Areas for additional work were identified: the need for different grouping or weighting to distinguish the importance of a strategy; the need to add strategies in some areas; the need to develop a measurement process. There was discussion about coming to agreement on measurement in order to arrive at a definition.
DISCUSSION:
· Difficult to "relate" a strategy with a corresponding item.
· Discuss how we measure in order to arrive at a definition.
· Develop a sub-group to arrive at a "crisper" definition.
· Words in the definition should be the key to what to measure.
· Up to the Board, now, to "own" documents and roll out a policy statement.
· Board is not precluded from taking equity into consideration when making decisions as it works toward a policy statement. Can also have personal definition of equity.
· Looking for a statement that can be used as the Board deals with issues. May be interpreted differently depending on issue. Definition will not solve problems.
· Density.
FOLLOW-UP:
· Board members will work on the definition examples and provide their feedback about the most important elements to be included within the next week or as soon as possible.
· President Arlene Silveira indicated that the Board Officers would look at scheduling further discussion of Equity on the Board of Education meeting calendar.
7. Other Business
There was no other business.
8. Adjournment
It was moved by Lucy Mathiak and seconded by Johnny Winston, Jr. to adjourn the meeting at 9:07 p.m. Motion unanimously carried.
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