Minutes - October 16, 2013
Montgomery County Schools
Certified Staff Advisory Meeting
October 16, 2013
Minutes
The Classified Staff Advisory meeting for Montgomery County Schools met Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 3:30 pm in the Staff Development Room at the Central Office. Members of the advisory who were present included: Christine Stackhouse, WMHS; Terry Maness, MGES; Kathy Bodien, GRES; Carol Mosley, PSES; Tonya Little, TES; Jennifer Hare, EMS; Debby Johnson, SES (filling in for Melanie Lamonds); Beth Bailey, CES; Sonya Chavez, WMS (filling in for Dedie Weaver). Also present from the Central Office; Katie Hursey, and Dr. Dale Ellis. Absent: Adam Garner, EMHS.
Dr. Ellis called the meeting to order and welcomed those in attendance. He encouraged all to attend the Community Area Advisory meeting scheduled for this evening at West Montgomery High School. He reviewed the purpose of the Certified Staff Advisory, which is to communicate concerns and policies between the Central Office and schools to ensure the lines of communication are always open.
Next, Dr. Ellis reviewed information from the Community Area Advisory meeting that was held earlier in the week at East Montgomery High School. Topics included an update on Montgomery County Schools, the Healthful Living Curriculum, and Read to Achieve.
The following information was reviewed:
1. Budget
a. Continued cuts – we continue to receive cuts from the state (We started at the Central Office - $180,000)
b. Cuts in number of teachers and severe cuts to numbers of TAs – We carried as much as we could locally
c. Loss of positions – not loss of people. We maintained those who wanted a job here
The budget is a main concern and what’s to come. It was asked how the government shutdown would affect Title 1 money. It did impact child nutrition, however the issue was taken care of and there is already talk that the shutdown is over.
Another member asked what assistance was received from the lottery. All funds received from the lottery goes to the fund the construction debt for Green Ridge Elementary School.
Discussion also associated with the budget addressed the new Tenure policy that has been established. According to this policy teachers will no longer be able to obtain tenure. This will be in affect by the year 2018. Dr. Ellis plans to put a committee of teachers together to assist him with selecting the 25% of proficient teachers who will be offered the $5000 incentive to give up their tenure as outlined in the passed legislation. It was asked how this would affect teachers who are not in the classroom. Dr. Ellis stated that according to legislation all licensed positions were eligible or included.
2. Legislative/State Issues Impact Morale
a. Cut of Master’s degree pay for future teachers who complete programs
b. Phase out of Tenure over the next 5 years
c. Many changes from state that impact lives of teachers (Read to Achieve, Computer systems, and Guidance Counselor no longer able to serve as testing coordinator, etc.)
3. System Performance
a. We are performing higher now than we ever have on important measures of student achievement
b. Graduation Rate at all time high – 85.3% (State 82.5%)
c. Page Street from a “focus school” to a “reward school”
d. 2012 – 2013 test scores delayed creating another issue for teachers. Will receive scores in the next month
4. School Facilities
a. ¼ cent sales tax projects going well – big one was MS rooks but other projects are benefitting all schools
b. Significant needs arising for our high schools
c. We must find a way to significantly improve HS infrastructure – buildings are in excess of 50 years old
d. We really need to add a wing at EMS to equal what we have at WMS
e. You will hear a lot of talk about these needs over the next couple of years – ¼ cent sales tax covered short term needs, but long term needs are more dire
5. Other
a. Beth Lancaster (MGES) is system Principal of the Year
b. Adam Garner (EMHS) is system Teacher of the Year
c. We have the best staff imaginable
The Read to Achieve curriculum is a hot topic that was discussed. Nights have been held at each elementary school to discuss. This curriculum is a model to get all 3rdgraders reading on grade level. The research behind the curriculum states that if a student can read on grade level in the 3rdgrade, they are more likely to graduate high school. Summer camps beginning the summer of 2014 for students who did not meet grade level reading requirements will be in place to assist with remediation. Money has been set aside to fund these camps. The focus for schools is to ensure that ALL students are reading on grade level.
The Healthful Living Curriculum – Montgomery County has dropped from 2ndto 3rdin the state in teen pregnancy. While this is good news, there is a definite concern in the county amongst teens about this issue. The goal of this curriculum is to extend the curriculum past the 9thgrade and to ensure that it is taught more than one week per year. The focus is also to ensure that our educators are doing the best they can to teach this curriculum, while always promoting abstinence but also making sure that FDA approved preventative methods are part of the conversation. The forms for students to participate will no longer be opt in form, but rather opt out.
Dr. Ellis stated that while there were lots of changes occurring he wanted everyone to not focus on what it is, the how, but the why. The why is for the students!
The following questions were submitted:
East Middle– Teachers have voiced concerns about having phones in the classroom. They feel if they could call a parent as soon as something occurs and have the child speak to the parent, they could be more effective. They feel they could still monitor their students while have up to date contact with parents. Also wanted to know when white boards will be installed in their classrooms.Phone lines cannot be added at this point. The current phone system will not support additional lines. However, in the future if a wing is added to the school a phone upgrade could also be included, which would allow for more lines.
Troy Elementary– Teachers areconcerned about the amount of paperwork required this year; specifically due to Personal Education Plans. Most teachers have stated that it has taken them more than 3 hours to complete the initial phase. They understand that PEP's are required because of the Read To Achieve legislation, however is there a less time consuming way of doing them? In addition, is it necessary tomeetwith parents every month? Can they be notified using a communication folder during the months when there are no Parent-Teacher conferences? Personal Education Plans are required by law. They must be completed, and is something that should have always been done. Therefore, they must be completed as outlined by legislation, which also states that meetings must take place with parents.
Star Elementary-What is the current situation for all of the elementary schools' CONNECT classes? Star currently has one certified teacher for PE, a classified teacher for music, no technology teacher and no art teacher. I am currently concerned about the lack of expertise in such subjects as art, which is a very important subject in preparing globally competitive students. Not only the lack of expertise as concern, but just the lack of the subject being taught at all. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints we are doing the best we can. Dr. Ellis will check on why there is no art. Is there or could there be some acknowledgement of extra time worked for required training after regular working hours? Dr. Ellis will talk with Teresa Dunn about this issue.
WMHS-How are we supposed to be accountable for student progress when Gradebook doesn't work? Dr. Ellis encouraged teachers to do the best they can, but also stated that at this time they would not be held accountable since the computer systems are not working properly. I am concerned that we have to wait to do high school parent conferences when the middle and elementary schools do theirs. They are on nine week grading periods and we are on six week grading periods. Waiting until November 7thto have conferences puts us halfway through the semester. That is too long to be effective. We will not have a report card to give out then, so I do not expect as many parents to come in. The calendar committee is working on addressing this issue for next year’s calendar. Why should teacher assistants be docked pay when they arerequiredto leave their classrooms early to drive their buses? It is not of their choosing that they leave early. At the High school TA's are asked to leave their rooms 30 minutes early in order to get to the middle school for pick-up. This equates to them being docked two and a half hours of pay per week. It does not seem fair that they should be losing 10 hours pay per month. This issue was addressed during the Classified Staff Advisory meeting.
Additional questions asked concerned long distance calls being made. Dr. Ellis stated that teachers should contact parents. Just be mindful that long distance calls are work related and not personal.
EMS also asked about 6 versus 9 week grading periods, and if all schools were going to 6 weeks? Dr. Ellis stated that this was all based on teacher feedback.
There being no further questions. The meeting was adjourned.