Minutes - October 19, 2016

Certified Staff Meeting

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Members present include: Janet Deaton, EMHS; Crystal Thomas, CES; Katie Kimrey, WMHS; Stacey Crump, SES; Deborah Robbins, EMS; Katie Morris, MLA; Anissa Gillis, MGES; Amy Yarboro, PSES; Chareta Green, TES; Philip Bailey, GES. Absent: Kyle Greene, WMS.

Dr. Ellis welcomed all in attendance. He reviewed the purpose of the meetings, a means for him to provide information and to keep the lines of communication open between him and the schools as well as provide an opportunity to ask questions.

UNC Lab School

The legislature passed during the session an achievement school district which takes the 5 lowest performing schools and allows a charter school to take over and run the school. The fear is that the number of schools taken over could continue to increase. This hurt public schools. Also passed was opportunity scholarships, which is money taken away from public schools and made available for parents to be able to send their child to a private school. A plan was established to increase these scholarships significantly over the next 10 years.

Another bill that passed is the UNC Lab School. It forces 8 colleges in the UNC system to operate a lab school in a school district. Basically, a charter school operated by the college system. Unfortunately, Montgomery County is included on the list to be a district that will offer a UNC Lab school through UNC-Charlotte. MCS was chosen as a potential district because 25% or more of the schools in our district are low performing. This would require MCS to cooperate with UNC-Charlotte to open a K-8 (open enrollment) Charter School in Montgomery County. Dr. Ellis is completely against this concept. If MCS is not chosen this year there is potential that in the next waive Montgomery County could be included. Therefore within the next 2 years we will be contacting our representatives to help fight this from happening.

Facilities Update

MCS has an approved USDA loan, which we were made aware of at the end of September, to build an Early College/CTE Center and consolidated Central High School. Our goal is to do what is best for our students. Currently, we are holding Town Hall Meetings to gain feedback from the community on the academics and structural design for these new schools. From these meetings a document will be developed and a committee comprised of teachers from both high schools to provide feedback. There is a design committee comprised of 40 people from MCS and MCC that will also provide feedback to the process.

An RFQ has been released to architects to develop designs, which will also be approved by the committee. Our goal is to have a functional building that meets the educational needs of our students. There will be a 6 to 9 month time frame that the architect firm will be designing plans. By next summer ground breaking will occur. Fall of 2019 is the goal for opening the new schools. The latest will be fall of 2020. The urgency of the time frame of this funding is the reason why a vote was not done.

A wing at East Middle will also be completed.

Is there discussion about what will happen to old schools? It will be deeded back to the county and they will have sole responsibility of what will happen. 

Due to an election year legislators were generous. There was a 1.5% raise across the board, and ½% bonus, which will be given prior to Christmas. There was an additional allocation of $72,000 for merit pay. This will be given to non-certified staff.

Merit Pay

Education does not lend itself to merit pay. Legislation stated that merit pay shall not be distributed evenly across the board. The Merit Pay will be given to non-certified staff only and will be based on 3 components – school performance, individual performance, and individual attendance.

Teacher supplement was raised 10% across the board at the last school board meeting.

Questions

Why are students unable to access internet at home?

Plans to bridge gap between East and West?

Any news on committee invite?