AMPHITHEATER
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Tucson,
Arizona
MINUTES OF
REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING OF GOVERNING BOARD
Place, Date and Time
of Meeting
Wetmore Center, 701 West Wetmore Road, August 14, 2001, 6:33
p.m.
Board Members Present
Dr. Kenneth Smith,
President
Nancy Young Wright, Vice President/Clerk
Dr. Kent Barrabee, Member
Mike Prout, Member
Mary Schuh, Member
Central
Administrators Present
Dr. Vicki M.
Balentine, Superintendent
Dr. Richard Hooley,
Associate Superintendent
Todd A. Jaeger, J.D.,
Associate to Superintendent and General Counsel
Constance Cigliana,
Director of Finance
Call to Order
Dr. Kenneth Smith called the meeting to order.
The Board welcomed newly-appointed administrators Patrick Nelson, Executive Director of Curriculum/ Instruction and Professional Development; Mike Brown, Assistant Principal, Ironwood Ridge High School; Shannon Smith, Assistant Principal, Wilson K-8 School; Peter Kang, Assistant Principal, Cross Middle School; Pam Roberts, Executive Director, Human Resources; and Marilyn Schubert, Director of Health Services.
Signing
of Visitors Register
Dr. Kenneth Smith asked members of the audience to sign the
visitors register. Procedures for
addressing the Board were described.
Pledge
of Allegiance
Coronado
K-8 School National Junior Honor Society students were introduced by sponsor
Viki Dillahunty: Meredith Colburn, Mary
de la Riva, Keyon Fareghi, and Staci Gasson.
They led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and were presented with
certificates of commendation.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There were no comments from the public.
1. Announcement of Date and Place of Next
Meeting
Dr. Smith announced the next regular meeting of the
Governing Board: August 28, 2001, 7:00
p.m., at Holaway Elementary School, 3500 North Cherry Avenue.
2. Review of Stanford 9 Results
Dr. Hooley presented results of the Stanford Achievement
Test, Ninth Edition, conducted from 1997 through 2001. He reported on District cohort scores, and
presented scores in reading/math/language related to students’ number of years
in Amphitheater District and to days of school missed. He noted that by decree of the State,
first-graders are now being tested for reading. Mrs. Schuh requested comparative data for sixth-graders attending
middle schools/sixth-graders attending junior high schools. Dr. Balentine noted that because of
self-selected programs, comparisons were difficult; she stated that it might be
helpful to provide national parallel information. There was discussion of student performance on tests, and of
exploring ways to provide more incentives.
Dr. Hooley reviewed the Continuous Improvement Plan.
CONSENT AGENDA
A motion was made by Mrs. Schuh and seconded by Mr. Prout to approve consent agenda items A-E and H-M. Ms. Young Wright requested that minutes in Item A be briefly discussed. In voting on the consent agenda items, with the exception of A, F and G, the motion passed unanimously, 5-0. Appointment of personnel is effective, provided all district, state and federal requirements are met.
Item A, Approval of Minutes of Previous Meetings:
Minutes of July 13, 1999, Item 23, Review of Superintendent’s Report Regarding Alternative Sites for the District’s Third High School; Direction for Acquisition and/or Additional Study; Approval of Resolution Authorizing Legal Action for Condemnation: Ms. Young Wright referred to discussion/motions regarding a fourth high school site and purchase of the Wilds Road site. It was clarified that no action for purchase/ condemnation was taken at that time.
A motion was made by Ms.
Young Wright to approve the minutes as presented. The motion was seconded by Dr. Smith and passed unanimously,
5-0.
Item F, Review and
Approval of Titles and Other Federal and State Grants:
Related to the grants
being presented for approval. Mrs.
Schuh spoke of requiring testing in grades three to eight being mandated by the
federal government, noting a May memorandum from the Title I Department and a
federal funding update that related to such a mandate. Dr. Balentine responded that Julie Thayer,
Title I Director, would be reporting on the final plans being submitted to the
State. Dr. Balentine noted that
Congress is currently discussing determination of school failure based on only
one year of changed scores, and is looking at another model that would not
indict for one-year performance. She
stated her goal was to move in the direction of districts designing their own
assessment for reporting rather than having the federal government impose
another layer of assessment.
Item G, Textbooks for
Display:
Mrs. Schuh spoke of
consistency of scales in the District, and noted that while the per-book cost
was provided, there was no figure indicating total amount being spent for a
particular textbook. Ms. Young Wright
spoke of the importance of buying the best books the District can afford. Dr. Balentine stated that Dr. Patrick
Nelson, Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction, is looking at the
textbook-selection process and moving the District toward a better
understanding of all of the textbook issues that have been brought forth. Dr. Hooley noted that the correct amount for
the Algebra and Geometry textbooks was $34.00 each.
A motion was made by
Mrs. Schuh, seconded by Mr. Prout and passed unanimously, 5-0, to approve items
F and G.
A. Approval of
Minutes
Minutes of Governing Board meetings were approved: July 9, 2001; July 3; 2001, June 15, 2001; June 12, 2001; December 1, 1999; July 21, 1999; July 17, 1999; July 13, 1999; June 22, 1999; June 8, 1999; May 25, 1999; May 11, 1999; April 27, 1999. (See above discussion, under Consent Agenda.)
B. Appointment of
Personnel
Certified and
classified personnel were appointed, as listed in Exhibit 1.
C. Personnel
Changes
Certified and
classified personnel changes were approved, as listed in Exhibit 2.
D. Leave(s) of
Absence
Certified and
classified personnel were granted leaves of absence, as listed in Exhibit 3.
E. Separation(s) and
Termination(s)
Certified and
classified personnel separations were approved, as listed in Exhibit 4.
The Board approved the following titles and other federal and state grants: (See above discussion, under Consent Agenda.)
1) IDEA Basic
2) IDEA Preschool
Grant
3) Title I
4) Title II
Eisenhower Professional Development
5) Title IV Safe
and Drug Free Basic
6) State
Chemical Abuse
7) Title VI
Innovative Education Program
8) Arizona
Department of Education School Safety Program
9) Dropout
Prevention
G. Textbooks for Display
(See discussion of this item, under Consent Agenda
above.) The Board voted to place the
following textbooks on display for a period of 60 days, as of August 14, 2001,
in accordance with A.R.S. § 15-721:
H. Requests for
Early Retirement with Special Benefits
The Board approved
requests for early retirement with special benefits, as listed in Exhibit
5.
I. Request to
Terminate Early Retirement Contracts
The Board approved
the termination of early retirement contracts for early retirees, effective
August 31, 2001, due to non-performance of the service requirement: Donna Bean, Daniel Dutz, Robert Craig Hipple,
and Robert Nieto. All early retirement
compensation and insurance benefits will end on that date.
J. Acceptance of
Gifts
Donations were
accepted by the Governing Board, as listed in Exhibit 6.
K. Approval of
Vouchers
The following vouchers were approved as presented and
payment authorized:
Vo.
1063 $ 263,641.52
Vo.
1064 108,024.34
Vo.
1065 73,206.13
Vo.
1066 115,453.15
2001-2002
Fiscal Year
Vo.
107 $
96,879.55
Vo.
108 242,993.61
Vo.
109 378,061.38
Vo.
110 96,075.81
Vo.
111 98,027.18
Vo.
112 268,547.06
Vo.
113 233,637.55
L. Approval of
Removal and Disposal of the P.A.L. Program Classroom Building at Walker
Elementary School
A Walker Elementary
School portable needed to be demolished due to excessive water damage behind
walls, caused by roof and wall leaks.
Remediation estimates ranged from $18,000 to $26,000; estimates for
demolition and appropriate disposal of all materials ranged from $6,700 to
$1,000. Due to extensive damage to the
structure and its carpeting, ventilation system, floor substrates, and exterior
walls, the condition of the building was unsuitable for other District
functions. The Board approved the
demolition and disposal of the P.A.L. portable building at Walker Elementary
School.
Pursuant to Governing Board Policy DJE, the Superintendent authorized an emergency procurement for the purpose of repairing a portion of the Wetmore Educational Center roof due to storm damage. Board members received notification of this emergency procurement indicating the reasons necessitat-ing the emergency procurement, a copy of the purchase order generated for this work, the price quotation provided at that time, and justification from Facilities Support regarding the choice of roofing company.
3. Review and Approval of Governing Board Policies and District Regulations Relating to Student Discipline and Proposed Revisions
Mr. Jaeger noted that proposed revisions to Board policies
and regulations regarding student discipline were studied by the Board on June
26 and July 9, 2001. The policies and
regulations presented for Board action were in keeping with the Board’s legal
obligation to hold students to strict account for “disorderly conduct” on
school property, and to also discipline students for disorderly conduct which
occurs on the way to and from school (A.R.S. § 15-321). In addition, A.R.S. § 15-843 requires
governing boards to prescribe rules for the discipline of students.
Current Policy JIC sets forth specific rules of conduct for
students, violations of which subject students to remedial or disciplinary
consequences. The revision to Policy
JIC recommended by ASBA provides the broad, general direction more commonly contained
in a policy. The specific content of
current Policy JIC, however, continues in the form of new Regulation
JIC-RA. JIC-RA also includes Board
members’ suggestions from previous study sessions. Included among those changes is the addition of Rules 27 to 36
from the Code of Conduct to the list of rules in the regulation. The general Rules of Construction have been
elaborated, and the delineated lists of crimes that must or may be reported as
set forth in the Code of Conduct have been added. A definition of “substantial disruption” had been added to Rule
17.
Mr. Jaeger noted that in a separate but related Board item
(No. 8, continued to the August 28, 2001 Board meeting), the issue of hazing is
addressed in a comprehensive policy that comports with new legal
requirements. A definition of
“picketing” had been added to Regulation JIC-RB. Policy JKB had been revised to include the option of community or
school service when detention is imposed.
The administration recommended approval of the revised policies as
presented.
Mr. Prout noted that the word “discipline” was used in multiple ways, not appropriate in a regulatory document. He suggested that “discipline” have a single, unambiguous meaning of good and orderly behavior.
In discussion of various segments of the policies and
regulations, Mr. Jaeger provided clarification and advice, responding to
further questions from the Board.
Policy JIC, Item 18, Disruption of classroom
activities: Mr. Barrabee asked that the
word “substantially” be removed, stating that no disruptions were
acceptable. Mr. Prout suggested that
all such qualifiers be removed.
Board members addressed Policy JKD, Suspension for ten days or less, When suspension is involved:
“A parent must be notified before the student is allowed to leave campus. If no parent contact can be made, the student may be isolated . . .” There was discussion of changing “may” to “shall,” but of the word “shall” denoting legal responsibility/liability; and of leaving such decisions to the discretion of the school administration.
Mr. Prout, noting that Board members have a heavy
responsibility regarding student discipline matters, stated that this
responsibility is not addressed in policy.
A motion was made by Dr. Barrabee to accept the revised
policy with the exception of the elimination of the word “substantially” in
Rules 17 and 18. Mrs. Schuh stated
that, with the understanding that the word “may” was not being changed (see
paragraph related to Policy JKD above), she would second the motion. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0.
A recess was taken from 9:32 to 9:45 p.m.
4. Review of 301 Performance Pay Plan
This item was for study only. The administration requested input from the Board members, before
submission of the final plan for approval at the August 28, 2001 Board
meeting.
Board book information:
Deanna Day, Career Ladder and Performance Pay Manager, had worked with
members of Amphitheater education Association and District administration to
develop the draft 301 Performance Pay Plan.
The goal of the plan is to increase student achievement and compensate
teachers for making those gains with students.
In general, the plan calls upon sites to determine areas for improvement
and then to plan strategies, programs, assessments, and staff development to
ensure achievement growth at significant levels. Philosophically, the Amphitheater Plan attempts to be true to the
rigorous intent of the statute, to use multiple measures of academic
achievement, including standardized test scores; and to build capacity in
teachers for facilitating academic gains with their students through staff
development. Ultimately, the plan
assumes a continuous growth model for each school, rather than utilizing a set
standard for all schools, so that student growth in specific areas is
rewarded. Participation in the plan is
not mandated, so District teachers must choose to participate. Nonetheless, all teachers at a given site
will avail themselves of the support in the form of staff development and
training. A District Oversight
Committee will review site plans and assessments for compensation, and provide
its recommendations to the Superintendent.
Ms. Day introduced members of the committee who had provided
input, and described the process followed in developing the plan. She pointed out that the committee
recommended two separate and distinct 301 Pay for Performance Plans: a District
Site-Based Plan, and a Career Ladder Plan.
She provided an overview of the proposed Performance-Based Compensation
Plan for 2001-2002, and spoke of dovetailing the Continuous Improvement Plan,
the 301 Plan, and the Career Ladder Plan into one common endeavor.
John Lewandowski, President of Amphitheater Education
Association, addressed the Board, stating that one issue included in the plan
that did not come out of committee was that indicators from the Continuous
Improvement Plan would now be used for assessment. He spoke of the difficulties of getting this in place for this
year, and asked that the Oversight Committee look at this for another
year. Mr. Lewandowski asked for the
opportunity to take the final draft to Amphi E.A. members, not necessarily for
approval, but for informational purposes.
Hank Rowe questioned
whether sites must document increase in one or two of the areas of school
engagement in order to receive funding.
Dr. Barrabee spoke of his concern about the plans’ effect on
morale. The item was for study only and
will be presented at the August 28, 2001 Board meeting.
Mrs. Schuh made a motion to table items 5, 6, 7 and 8 until the next Board meeting. There were no audience members wishing to speak to these items. The motion was seconded by Ms. Young Wright and passed unanimously, 5-0.
5. Review of Governing Board Policy DKC
Regarding Travel Reimbursement
This item was continued to the August 28, 2001 Governing Board meeting.
6. Review of District Policy BJ Regarding
Legislative Lobbying and Discussion of Lobbying Activities
This item was continued to the August 28, 2001 Governing Board meeting.
7. Review of District Policies and Regulations
Pertaining to Gifts to the Governing Board, District, and Staff
This item was continued to the August 28, 2001 Governing Board meeting.
8. Review of Governing Board Policy JICFA
Regarding Hazing
This item was continued to the August 28, 2001 Governing Board meeting.
There were no requests for future agenda items.
No audience members addressed the Board.
A motion was made by Mr. Prout, seconded by Ms. Young Wright
and passed unanimously, 5-0, that the meeting be adjourned. The time was 10:43 p.m.