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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-05-18 School Committee Minutes Fq Town of Reading a Meeting Minutes Js39r INC044�P Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Date: 2015-05-18 Time: 7:00 PM Building: School - Memorial High Location: Superintendent Conference Room Address: 82 Oakland Road Purpose: Open Session Session: General Session Attendees: Members - Present: Linda Snow Dockser John Doherty, Superintendent Jeanne Borawski Craig Martin, Assistant Superintendent Chuck Robinson Martha Sybert, Director of Finance Gary Nihan Elaine Webb Julie Joyce Members - Not Present: Carolyn Wilson, Director of Student Services Carl Gillies, Student Representative Others Present: Andrea Nastri, Student Representative Alex Nazzaro, Student Representative Al Sylvia, Reading Chronicle Nancy Docktor, Resident RMHS Robotics Team members Dorothy Presser, MASC Bob LeLacheur, Town Manager Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: John F. Doherty, Ed.D. Superintendent Topics of Discussion: I. Call to Order Chair Robinson called the School Committee to order at 7:02 p.m. Chair Robinson welcomed guests and reviewed the agenda. lI. Recommended Procedure A. Public Input(1) Chair Robinson called for public input. There was none. B. New Business (out of order) Page 1 1 Robotics Presentation Members of the RMHS Robotics team updated the committee on the team's activities and achievements of the past year. The team's mission is to promote the STEM initiative and outreach, to encourage collaboration with mentors and teams, gain life skills through work, foster innovation and promote creativity and to foster and develop communities. The team is part of FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) which is comprised of 4 levels. Reading students participate in the FLL (First Lego League) and FRC (First Robotics Competition). FRC is a huge community made up of more than 2,700 teams and 68,000 competitors from 17 countries. Students build and compete with robots of their own design and are mentored by engineering professionals. This year's team is made up of 47 students and 15 mentors. Participation has increased steadily since the inception of the team. Team members can be involved in several different aspects such as software, electrical, mechanical, pneumatics, design, business and scouting and strategy roles. In addition to moving into a new space the team has focused on their business plan. The business team's focus has been on increasing entrepreneurship. They have developed a business plan and have applied for several grants, receiving a $9,000 grant from United Technologies that has been used for registration fees. The team hosted a district event which was a great success and has been active on social media sites. They also have been active reaching out for community support. The group went on to explain this year's challenge "Recycle Rush". Teams were required to build the robot that was capable of stacking totes and recycling containers. They participated in three competitions this year. The first was the competition they hosted where they made it to the semifinals and won the Entrepreneurship award. They next moved to the Rhode Island district and made it to the quarterfinals and once again won the Entrepreneurship award. The last competition was the New England Championship, once again performing well. The students went on to describe what they envision the future of the team to be as they move forward. As part of the outreach goal the team will be reaching out to elementary & middle school students to become involved in the STEM fields with the hope of engaging more girls. The team currently has two junior members from the Parker Middle School. They would also like to hold a district- wide science expo that elementary and middle school students would be able to display their work and provide an opportunity for students for hands-on experiments. The team also hopes to give back to the local business and community, develop team workshops for the preseason and to integrate FIRST Robotics into the RMHS curriculum. Mrs. Webb asked how difficult it was to keep 47 members engaged. The make- up of the team tasks allow for flexibility. The team is expanding the business and outreach aspect and this allows for students to participate as their schedules allow. Page 1 2 Mr. Nihan asked about the mentors. The mentors are professionals in their fields. The mentors provide design and building ideas and feedback as the building process moves along. The School Committee was treated to a demonstration of the RMHS Robotics Team robot. The team had the robot perform the task that was part of the competitions. The School Committee thanked the team for the presentation/demonstration tonight. District Governance Program Dorothy Presser of the MASC provided an overview of the District Governance Program. The program is designed to assist school committees and superintendents foster effective strategies for working together with a focus on continuous improvement. There are a series of workshops that will introduce tools and strategies to assist in working more effectively as a leadership team. She explained that this program is flexible and committees can opt to participate in as many of the workshops that they want. The committee asked clarifying questions and commented that they would be interested in pursuing this program. Chair Robinson thanked Ms. Presser for coming to the meeting. Student Representative Mr. Robinson announced that this would be student representative Andrea Nastri's last meeting. He thanked her for her service and wished her luck next year at Suffolk University. Ms. Nastri thanked the School Committee and said she had learned a lot during her tenure and enjoyed the process. Mr. Robinson then welcomed Alex Nazzaro who will be replacing Ms.Nastri as the School Committee student representative. C. Reports Students Ms.Nastri reported on the recent band and choral concerts and the annual Drama Club trip to New York City to attend 2 Broadway shows. She also reported that the seniors are finishing up and looking forward to the upcoming senior activities culminating with graduation. Liaisons Dr. Snow Dockser reported that the HRAC will be going before the Board of Selectman to ask the Board to reinstate the Human Relations Advisory Page 1 3 Committee. She also reported on the recent MASC Day on the Hill. She shared that we are fortunate to have the support of our state legislators. Dr. Snow Dockser also attended the 30th anniversary celebration for Understanding Disabilities which was a wonderful event. Mrs. Webb shared that she and Mrs. Borawski also attended the UD celebration and said it was very nice. Superintendent Dr. Doherty handed out information on teacher retention in response to a request from Nancy Docktor. The Superintendent will have information Mrs. Docktor requested on the Behavioral Health Services at an upcoming meeting as well as the results of the teacher/staff survey. Dr. Doherty provided a brief update on the modular classroom project. He has met with the three principals who are in the process of creating safe access to the fields at their schools for many of the end of year activities. He also shared that he has held community and staff forums to gather input to four questions in an effort to continue to move the district forward. He will post an online survey for those unable to attend one of the forums. The Superintendent also updated the School Committee on the status of the Joshua Eaton search. A candidate was offered the position and declined therefore Birch Meadow Principal Eric Sprung has been appointed as the principal for one year. He will oversee the day to day operations at Eaton. An Associate Principal will be placed at Birch Meadow for the 2015-16 school year. Mr. Sprung will also provide support for this position. A new search will begin in or around February 2016. D. Continued Business Update of School Committee Liaison & Sub-Committee Responsibilities Mrs. Borawski moved, seconded by Mr. Nihan, to appoint Jeanne Borawski as School Committee liaison to the Audit Committee, to appoint Everett Blodgett as School Committee liaison to the Celebration Committee, to appoint Julie Joyce as School Committee liaison to the Board of Selectmen, to appoint Gary Nihan as School Committee liaison to the Finance Committee, to appoint Linda Snow Dockser as School Committee liaison to the SEPAC, and to appoint Chuck Robinson to the Facility Naming Sub- Committee. The motion carried 6-0. E. New Business Update on Audits—Revolving Accounts Mrs. Borawski provided an update on the outcome of the annual Town audit as discussed at the recent Audit Committee meeting. The Town received an excellent report. The auditors provided guidance about certain results that need to be reviewed. Page 1 4 Mr. Robinson briefly explained the role of the Audit Committee. He also pointed out that not all communities have an Audit Committee. Ms. Sybert reviewed the results of the Single One audit which is an audit on the Federal grants and said there were no findings. She then reviewed the annual End of Year Report required by the DESE. There were four minor findings. As part of these audits she pointed out that the student activities revolving accounts have not been audited in several years and we are currently working with Melanson& Heath to perform an audit on these accounts. Another issue that will require action is the request to transfer money from the operating budget to the Adult Education revolving account to resolve a projected deficit. The delay in the relaunch of the Driver's Education program along with the purchase of the vehicle has contributed to this deficit. Mrs. Borawski moved, seconded by Mrs. Webb, to approve the transfer of S10,000 from the Administration cost center to the Adult Education revolving account. Mr.Nihan asked if we had purchased or leased the car. Ms. Sybert said we had purchased the car. Dr. Doherty added that the deficit in the revolving account has been caused by a delay in starting the program. The motion carried 6-0. III. Routine Matters a. Bills and Payroll (A) The following warrants were circulated and signed. Warrant 51547 5.14.15 $226,749.03 Warrant 51547E 5.14.15 $2,877.30 Warrant P1523 5.8.15 $1,409,398.47 b. Bids and Donations (A) c. Minutes Mrs. Borawski moved, seconded by Mrs. Joyce, to approve the open session minutes dated May 11, 2015. The motion carried 6-0. d. Calendar IV.Information V. Future Business Page 1 5 VI.Adjournment Mrs Borawski moved, seconded by Mrs. Webb, to adjourn. The motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m. NOTE: The minutes reflect the order as stated in the posted meeting agenda not the order they occurred during the meeting. Handout: Teacher Retention Data YJF. oherty, d.D. Page 1 6 John F. Doherty,Ed. D. Craig Martin Superintendent of Schools Assistant Superintendent for Learning and Teaching 82 Oakland Road Reading,MA 01867 Phone:781-944-5800 Martha J. Sybert Fax:781-942-9149 Director of Finance and Operations Reading Public Schools Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow To: Reading School Committee From: John F. Doherty, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools Re: Teacher Retention Data A question was asked during the public input segment of a recent School Committee meeting regarding retention data of teachers. Listed below is a table listing the teacher retention data since the 2009-10 school year. Currently, we keep three categories of reasons for teachers leaving the school district. They are labeled as follows: Resigned-Indicates that a teacher has submitted their resignation. This could be for a variety of reasons including relocation out of state,job advancement, leaving teaching to raise a family, leaving for another school district, etc. Up to this point, we have not categorized this category into more specific reasons,but we are looking into doing this in the future. Retired-The teacher has retired from teaching. Non-Renewal(NR)-The teacher's contract is not being renewed. This category could also include termination or reduction in force due to budget constraints. Table 1-Teacher Retention Data (2009/10 to 2013/14) School Year Resigned Retired NR Grand Total 2009-2010 22 4 4 30 2010-2011 19 4 4 27 2011-2012 20 4 3 27 2012-2013 14 4 10 28 2013-2014 21 7 6 34 Grand Total 96 23 27 146 Beginning this year, we will be conducting exit interviews for staff who are leaving the district. This data will be helpful as we continue to improve our Human Resources continuum of services. If you have any questions,please do not hesitate to contact me. The Reading Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race,color,sex,gender identity,religion,national origin,sexual orientation,age or disability. John F. Doherty,Ed.D. Craig Martin Superintendent of Schools Assistant Superintendent for Leaming and Teaching 82 Oakland Road Reading,MA 01867 Phone:781-944-5800 Martha J. Sybert Fax:781-942-9149 Director of Finance and Operations Reading Public Schools Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow To: Reading School Committee From: John F. Doheny, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools Re: Teacher Retention Data A question was asked during the public input segment of a recent School Committee meeting regarding retention data of teachers. Listed below is a table listing the teacher retention data since the 2009-10 school year. Currently, we keep three categories of reasons for teachers leaving the school district. They are labeled as follows: Resigned-Indicates that a teacher has submitted their resignation. This could be for a variety of reasons including relocation out of state,job advancement, leaving teaching to raise a family, leaving for another school district, etc. Up to this point, we have not categorized this category into more specific reasons, but we are looking into doing this in the future. Retired-The teacher has retired from teaching. Non-Renewal (NR)-The teacher's contract is not being renewed. This category could also include termination or reduction in force due to budget constraints. Table 1-Teacher Retention Data (2009/10 to 2013/14) School Year Resigned Retired NR Grand Total 2009-2010 22 4 4 30 2010-2011 19 4 4 27 2011-2012 20 4 3 27 2012-2013 14 4 10 28 2013-2014 21 7 6 34 Grand Total 96 23 27 146 Beginning this year, we will be conducting exit interviews for staff who are leaving the district. This data will be helpful as we continue to improve our Human Resources continuum of services. If you have any questions,please do not hesitate to contact me. The Reading Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race,color,sex,gender identity,religion,national origin,sexual orientation,age or disability.