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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 April 21, 2008 |
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 Arlene Silveira at 7:10 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Carstensen, Maya Cole, Lawrie Kobza, Lucy Mathiak, Beth Moss, Arlene Silveira, Johnny Winston, Jr.
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE PRESENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Sue Abplanalp, Lisa Black, Attorney Frank Crisafi, Steve Hartley, Attorney Dan Mallin, Pam Nash, Art Rainwater, Barbara Lehman-Recording Secretary
OTHERS PRESENT: Board Members-elect Ed Hughes and Marjorie Passman
OPEN SESSION -- Auditorium
2. Approval of Minutes
It was moved by Beth Moss and seconded by Carol Carstensen to approve the minutes of the Special meeting in open session dated April 14, 2008as distributed. Motion unanimously carried.
3. Public Appearances
Thomas J. Mertz, Equity Task Force, spoke to the current drafts on equity stating that, in general, they were very good work and reflected a lot of what the Equity Task Force thought was important. He was very happy with the direction but had some issues with the specificity of the allocation of resources and the definition that was adopted for equity. He suggested supplementing with something that would further identify what the resources are. He also remarked that he did not see addressed the issues of socioeconomic diversity at the school and classroom levels. He asked how and when the Considerations would be used and what would be in place to assess programs and how it fits with the current policy and practice.
Jackie Woodruff, Equity Task Force, asked if the Board was replacing current policy or defining it. She favored the Task Force's definition because the Board's was very broad. She felt the Board did grasp the unequal distribution of resources and the concept that "equity is not equal." She also indicated that the Considerations for determining whether equity will be provided were not intended to come off as optional. Many of the addenda were her passion and everything the Task Force did went back to whether it was measurable and how. She liked the Superintendent's presentation, noting that even that has changed in the last year. She hoped the Board would continue to look forward on that.
Peter Carstensen, husband of retiring Board member Carol Carstensen, was present with their daughter Jean. He sent good wishes from their entire family and thanked everyone for finally releasing Carol. He and her family were very honored that Carol was a part of the Board.
4. Announcements
It was moved by Arlene Silveira and seconded by Carol Carstensen to change the start time of the Regular meeting of the Board of Education on May 5, 2008to 5 p.m. Motion unanimously carried.
It was moved by Arlene Silveira and seconded by Johnny Winston, Jr. to suspend the rules and change the order of the agenda in order to take up Item 6 at this time. Motion unanimously carried.
6. Proposed Settlement and Agreement regarding the Transportation of Private School Students
(Packets included a memorandum from the Superintendent relative to the proposed two-year transportation plan (4/3/08), the proposed settlement agreement, and estimated private school transportation costs for 2008-09. Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)
Steve Hartley gave a brief overview. Yellow bus service would continue, except for students attending Edgewood, and would create significant efficiencies with the pairing of schools and coordination of bell times. A list of what would need to happen to implement the plan was provided in the memorandum as well.
It was moved by Lucy Mathiak and seconded by Johnny Winston, Jr. to accept the Transportation Agreement for private school students. Motion unanimously carried.
5. Recognition of Board Members who are Concluding their Term of Office
Ms. Carstensen and Ms. Kobza were presented with awards from the Wisconsin Association of Schools Boards and a district plaque. Ms. Carstensen was also presented with the Judy Harris Award. Each of the Board members said their farewells and Ms. Kobza and Ms. Carstensen made their departing comments.
Recessed at 8:57 p.m.
Reconvened at 9:02 p.m.
7. Student-Focused and School-Focused Equity Issues and Initiatives within the District
(Packets included a PowerPoint presentation. A copy is attached to the original of these minutes.)
A draft was provided of an initial approach to trying to create a decision making process. The definition was approved by the Board on March 31, 2008. The draft reflected changes from the March 31 meeting. The Superintendent suggested that the next steps involve replacing the definitions and the descriptions of equity in the current policy with the definitions, assumptions, and goals that are part of the draft document. Within the current board policy there is a method for review of every school every year. Administration would revise the policy to require a review of every school every year, and the Superintendent would present an annual report on the status of each school relative to demographics and performance.
Discussion:
v Clarified that a draft could be ready some time after the budget process is complete to go into effect the next school year.
v Last line on the document #5: add "...or create new problems." Suggestion was made to review the annual report before getting deeply into the budget process.
v Under the Assumptions, letter D, the word "equity" is used twice. Replace last "equity" with "our goals."
v Under Goals #2 and #3, change to: "...at the district level." Rather than "...within the MMSD."
v A suggestion was made to not use the Considerations and make these equity factors for planning and decision making, then do the policy and go from there.
v No external measure to use. Lot resides in each person's own internal views of what is equitable.
v Where does research and best practices come in? Second sentence speak to that a bit. No way to divorce resources from the fact that it is what can be afforded. The amount everyone needs is provided and then there are add-ons. What goes are the additional things. No easy answers. Have to continually look at the research that the supplemental will actually make a difference. Base is going to change as there is less and less money.
v Questions have to be asked about what factors make the biggest difference in student achievement at these levels. Have to work with what is available with guidance from the practitioners about who benefits at all levels.
v Continue the dialogue. Has to move to a policy eventually.
It was moved by Johnny Winston, Jr. and seconded by Lucy Mathiak to keep the Definition, Assumptions, and Goals and to ask the Superintendent for formulate a policy that incorporates the Considerations and bring it back to the Board. Motion unanimously carried.
8. Other Business
There was no other business.
-MEETING CONTINUED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION-
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