What would you ask February 3, 2010
Posted by Wolfe Gary in Education.2 comments
If you had the chance to sit down with Delaware’s Governor to discuss education issues what would you ask first. I may get the chance so I’m asking for some honest help. I already plan along with our CFO to ask about Equalization and a better idea of where we are going with RTTT.
No new taxes says Markell January 29, 2010
Posted by Wolfe Gary in Delaware, Delaware Politics, Education.add a comment
When he finished delivering his State of the State Mr Markell made it known he did not introduce any new taxes. What he failed to tell you is the Dover does not want to have that on their necks, but the local school boards can have that on theirs! There was a line in his budget that read:
• Reduce funding for public school transportation to reflect reduction in fuel costs and projected new routes – $3,334.9
What is actually means is that the cost of transporting students to and from schools which was funded 100% from your state taxes will now be funded 75/25. That 25% districts will need to pickup can only be funded by most districts by raising local taxes! So the funds the state still will collect out of your taxes will pay for something besides student transportation, and now we will have to raise local taxes to cover buses! The worst part about this whole thing is that because of Equalization issues in the state poorer districts and communities will foot the biggest part of the bill again. Mr. Markell explain to the law abiding tax payers of this state why we pay higher taxes while those in our prison system get better health care then folks on the outside, and they eat free food while we work hard to put food on the table everyday?
DSBA meeting 1/13 January 19, 2010
Posted by Wolfe Gary in Delaware Politics, Education.2 comments
Sorry I’m late getting these notes up, but was busy with some home medical issues. Now the DSBA BofD meeting was business as usual for most of the night however the big topic on all lips was Race to the Top. Like most others who had met with rep from DEDOE, and signed the MOU it left a bad taste in their mouths. The biggest issue was it felt as if everyone except board members were given face time with the governor and DOE’s folks to get an understanding. We all felt as if we had a dagger hanging over us to sign or the children we represent would not get even the remotest of funding! There is not a district who does not see the writing on the budget wall so any money is better then none.
The issue is not only were we not given all the details in a timely manner, but there are so many potholes in this program it smells like something I’ve stepped in before. The DSBA was asked to write a letter of approval for the RTTT plans of Delaware, and it did but a second letter is planned to go to the folks in Dover. This second letter will detail the feelings of local board members who as the elected representatives of the districts should be held in as high regard as the teachers unions and superintendents!
Other business of the night was review of the legislative updates for the incoming session. One of interest was a discussion of the states Zero tolerance policies with legislation being recommended that gives boards more room to discuss each incident individually and set the appropriate discipline for each. Last tidbit was a website if you have time and want to search your districts- SunlightOnSchools.org
Milford’s MOU January 12, 2010
Posted by Wolfe Gary in Delaware Politics, Education.1 comment so far
Tonight the Milford Board met with a representative from DEDEO to discuss the Race to the Top grant MOU that needed to be submitted by Jan 13th. After much discussion, most of it centered around how to sustain the funding for the data and instructional coaches that are part of the states plan? Also how are the districts to handle the questions that will be raised when the state hires these folks, and yet we are trying to find funding to keep our instructional staff positions with the state of the states budget? Lastly, the question came up why is the state going to hire a third party organization to handle the coaching positions, thereby paying high dollar consultants, when there are plenty of folks sitting up in Dover who are suppose to be gathering data and helping to coach our instructional staff already? Bottomline, districts are being asked to sign a document that is not fully developed, and which has more questions left open then just a few! The board agreed to back the signing of the MOU, but only because it was backed into a corner by the same folks who know how the create un-funded mandates!
News from above the canal-Education January 10, 2010
Posted by Wolfe Gary in Delaware Politics, Education.add a comment
I was doing some more digging on race to the top and ran across an article that those from Lower Delaware may not have picked up on and so I leave you a link http://www.examiner.com/x-30090-Delaware-Education-Examiner~y2010m1d8-Christina-School-Boards-Race-to-the-Top-workshop-cont?cid=exrss-Delaware-Education-Examiner
For those of us from smaller districts in Sussex County, and even Kent, seems we are not even looking at crumbs from the federal dollars when New Castle gets done! I’m sorry but the districts mentioned in the article, and that which our ED Sec came from created their own issues. Those of us down by the beaches only seem to be important when the sun shines for summer vacation!
January 10, 2010
Posted by Wolfe Gary in Delaware Politics, Education.5 comments
I have been away for awhile but not absent as I’ve been reading all that I can on “Race to the Top” our wonderful governors latest insight. I caught a post from http://transparentchristina.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/newsflash-baton-rouge-state-school-board-association-unanimously-rejects-race-to-the-top-by-a-vote-of-17-0/ which was about a school board from Baton Rouge that felt the cost was too high for the benefit. That is my biggest concern as the boards prepare to meet and sign the MOU that is required by Jan 11th. I have asked other board members who I know from around the state what are their concerns as well, and when I read the section I’ve quoted from the article I know why I am having second thoughts. The quote is, “A key consideration is the requirement that local school boards
must continue to fund programs initiated with R2T grants once the
four-year term of the grant expires. State and federal budgetary
forecasts, board members concluded, likely will not yield new
appropriations and local school board members would be required to ask
for tax increases.” I actually had to go back and re-read the executive summary again to see if this was in there and sure enough it is!
So as local board members meet to review and possibly sign the MOU I still can’t see how Jack Markell can ask the boards to sign when we all know what our lovely state budget is looking like! How do we continue programs when we don’t even know if the state will have funds when the 4 years of RTTT ends?
Questions after the Board Meeting November 1, 2009
Posted by Wolfe Gary in Delaware, Education.6 comments
Every once in awhile I leave a board meeting with more un-answered then answered questions so I thought I would put them out for discussion. I continue to learn more and more about LFS, or Learning Focused Schools, and I was wondering what other districts were doing with it, and how they were making out with it? I am meeting with our district staff in an up coming workshop so I was trying to get me ducks lined up. Another question that struck me was do other districts have communication policies which detail who can or can not talk to the news media, or public? We had discussions on this topic, and we can’t seem to get the language right that does not restrict things too much. Last thing to cross my mind after our 11:30pm late meeting was, how can we as a board make sure we communicate with the public to know what they want in a school?
October 26th Board Meeting November 1, 2009
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We began the monthly meeting on a high note with the recognition of a special group of students from Benjamin Banneker who were involved with the Special Olympics. Then we recognized staff members for their Leadership commitments to the district. Those staff recognized was Brian Clarke, Scott Husbands, Susan Frampton, Melissa Tuttle, Cynthia McKenzie, and Latosha Weldon. Also recognized for their growth and continuing improvement to Leadership skills were Nancy Carnevale, Mark McDaniel, and Beth Conaway. The last shining star of the evening was Bev Harp who received the Delaware School Nutrition Association Outstanding member of 2008-09. Congratulations to all, and keep up the good work.
Under correspondence reviews, Sylvia Henderson and the staff of Lulu Ross were thanked by the Milford Relay for Life organization for their continued support and a donation of $1000.00.
The Superintendent report started with a review of change orders for the new Central Academy, and the new Upper Elementary. One order that was reviewed and rejected by the board was for additional paving to be done on the parking lot, and the architect recommended this as well. Also discussed as part of the construction updates were a decrease in the number of landscaping trees planned for the parking area due to security concerns. The trees will be relocated to other areas, including outside the new baseball and softball fields. The work for phase 4 on the ~5 acres along route 1 was discussed, and at present, the only work planned is to complete the track throwing area.
The board was given a presentation by Mr. John Laznik from the University of Delaware, who discussed the technology that was available to the district in order to begin planning for the opening of the two new schools. With the right questions, the district can look at population’s densities and growth to determine where future lines and boundaries will be, as well as, new busing routes. Along the same thought lines, the board approved the state waiver for Student-Instructor ratios, as there are some classes in the elementary that exceed the recommended 22 per classroom. These are very few, and the new schools are the answer to these higher numbers.
Last part of the superintendents’ report is the recommendation of the administration to designate 1 Wednesday a month for professional development, and on those days the students would not start until 10am. The staff would report on time and training could be done that would not interfere in teaching hours for students. Those students who had to report because of parental conflicts would be able to go to the cafeteria and use the time for study or homework. The districts instructional hours would not be in conflict, and the plan has the backing of the State DOE. The last business for this section was tabling of the policy 1001 for Communication with the Public until more work can be done on the language.
The personnel reports started with approval of two policies, replace policy 4212, and change policy 4309. Under staff changes the board approved the new principal of the to be completed Central Academy, Mr. Mark McDaniel. Mr. McDaniel has as been with the district 16 years, and most recently was an assistant at the High School. Other staff changes included the hiring of new nursing, and teaching staff, as well as, the retirement of a 26 ½ year staff member, Ms. Betty Evans.
The meeting proceeded with approval of the financial reports, and the conversion of the districts bond notes that were part of the capital projects in the district. The night ended after a presentation by Dr. Herrera on the Special Education indicators.
NSBA call to action over HR 2647. October 8, 2009
Posted by Wolfe Gary in Delaware Politics, Education.1 comment so far
Today an email call went out to board members to contact their local federal legislators over our disapproval of section 535 of the National Defense Authorization Act of FY2010. I am pasting the section in the post and the readers can see what it reads. The bottom line is the federal government is looking at providing school vouchers to families of military personnel whose children may have to attend a school needing improvement under NCLB. So instead of looking for ways to improve those schools that border our military bases in the US, we just allow military children to attend private schools. If I lived in an area like an urban district which had schools in need of improvement, and I was told my children had to attend that school, but the military children could get vouchers I do believe I would be a little put out!
SEC. 535. STUDY ON OPTIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO DO NOT ATTEND DEPARTMENTOF DEFENSE DEPENDENTS SCHOOLS.
(A) STUDY ON OPTIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.—
STUDY REQUIRED.—the Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, conduct a study on options for educational opportunities that are, or may be, available for dependent children of members of the Armed Forces who do not attend Department of Defense dependents’ schools when the public elementary and secondary schools attended by such children are determined to be in need of improvement pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 110–117).
OPTIONS.—the options to be considered under the study required by paragraph shall include the following:
(A) Vouchers.
(B) Education provided by the Department of Defense through the Internet.
(C) Charter schools.
(D) Such other options as the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, considers appropriate for purposes of the study.
ELEMENTS.—the study required by paragraph shall address the following matters:
(A) The challenges faced by parents in military families in securing quality elementary and secondary education for their children when the public elementary and secondary schools attended by their children are identified as being in need of improvement.
(B) The extent to which perceptions of differing degrees of quality in public elementary and secondary schools in different regions of the United States affect plans of military families to relocate, including relocation pursuant to a permanent change of duty station.
(C) The various reasons why military families seek educational opportunities for their children other than those available through local public elementary and secondary schools.
(D) The current level of student achievement in public elementary and secondary schools in school districts which have a high percentage of students who are children of military families.
(E) The educational needs of children of military families who are required by location to attend public elementary and secondary schools identified as being in need of improvement.
(F) The value and impact of a school voucher or other alternative educational program for military families.
(G) The extent to which the options referred to in paragraph (2) would provide a meaningful option for education for military children when the public elementary and secondary schools attended by such children are determined to be in
need of improvement.
(H) The extent to which the options referred to in paragraph (2) would improve the quality of education available for students with special needs, including students with learning disabilities and gifted students.
(I) Such other matters as the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, considers appropriate for purposes of the study.
(b) REPORT.—Not later than March 31, 2010, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives a report on the study required by subsection (b). The report shall include the following:
(1) A description of the results of the study.
(2) Such recommendations for legislative or administrative action as the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate in light of the results of the study
September 28th Meeting notes October 7, 2009
Posted by Wolfe Gary in Education.2 comments
The September 28 Board of Education meeting was not only a longer then normal meeting, but also had some very human moments. After the opening minutes, and recognition of the Milford FFA group for their excellent results at the regional competition in Springfield, Mass the board went into an early executive session. After returning, the board heard from Mr. DiCostanzo and the family of Kelly Tyrrell Gill who were presenting a proposal for the board to consider that would memorialize Kelly for her work. The board agreed that Kelly was the type of educator whose loss warranted some type of memorial, and the board asked the family and friends to allow the board the time to consider the options before the next board meeting.
The meeting then changed gears and the discussions turned to construction issues, which include approval of several change orders. In addition, the construction management group was asked questions about timelines, and whether the paving work will be carried out before the winter shuts down blacktop companies. Other issues that were discussed were athletic field concerns, and the reminder of the official ground breaking this Saturday at the new elementary school.
Board policies that came up for discussion at this meeting were a complete revision of the Communication policy # 1001 that gave greater guidance to staff on how to work with the media. Policy # 4214 on conducting termination proceedings was also up for a first reading as it is being revised to bring it in line with current legal practices. A policy that was approved by vote was # 4309 which added a District Mentoring Coordinator to the limited contracts for personnel services section. This position is part of a new initiative that the Superintendent has started to bring in more community mentors. The second approved policy was # 6114 which updated the Computing and Internet Policy to bring it inline with State policies for computer usage.
The board was then giving reports by Personnel, Finance, and Operations on the current hires, financial reports, and the move to update the current transportation methods for bidding on yearly field trips and sports trips. A board committee will meet with contractors to help put together a more user-friendly design for communicating between the district and the contractors. The board meeting ended at 8:30pm as the board went into another executive session to discuss personnel issues.
