AMPHITHEATER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Tucson, Arizona
MINUTES OF REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING
OF THE GOVERNING BOARD
Place, Date and Time of Meeting
Wetmore
Center, 701 West Wetmore Road, March 9, 2004, 6:15 p.m.
Board
Members Present
Nancy Young Wright, President
Dr. Kent Barrabee, Vice President/Clerk
Patty Clymer, Member
Jeff Grant, Member
Mike Prout, Member
Central
Administrators Present
Dr. Vicki McLeod
Balentine, Superintendent
Todd A. Jaeger, J.D.,
Associate to Superintendent and General Counsel
Patrick Nelson,
Associate Superintendent
Constance Cigliana,
Chief Financial Officer
Call to Order
EXECUTIVE SESSION
1. Motion to Recess Open Meeting and Hold an Executive Session for:
A. Discussion and Consultation with
Representatives of the Governing Board Regarding Negotiations with Employee
Organizations Regarding Salaries, Salary Schedules, or Compensation, Pursuant
to A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(5), Regarding Certificated, Professional Non-Teaching,
Classified and Administrative Employee Negotiations for 2004-2005 Contract
Year.
A motion was made by Mr. Prout, seconded by Mrs. Clymer and passed unanimously, that the Board recess into executive session. The time was 6:26 p.m.
CONTINUATION OF
OPEN MEETING
Reconvening of Open Meeting and Signing of
Visitors’ Register
Following executive session, Ms. Young Wright reconvened the
meeting at 7:14 p.m., and asked members of the audience to sign the visitors’
register. Procedures for addressing the
Board were described.
Pledge
of Allegiance
PUBLIC COMMENT
There were no public comments.
2. Announcement of Date and Place of Next Regular
Governing Board Meeting
Ms. Young Wright
announced the next regular meeting of the Governing Board: Tuesday, March 23,
2004, 7:00 p.m., Wetmore Center, 701 W. Wetmore Road
3. Recognition of Amphi High
School and Amphi Middle School "I Can Do It" Award Recipients
Board Book Information: Each year the Arizona chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children recognizes students from across the state that, in spite of the challenges of their disabilities, have become a success. Students can be nominated by teachers or other staff members who feel the student is deserving of recognition. This year, two students were nominated to receive this recognition at the annual state CEC convention in Phoenix on February 20, 2004.
Veronica
Castro, a senior at Amphitheater High School, was nominated by Amphitheater
High School teacher Christine Newman.
Christine stated in her nomination letter that when she first met
Veronica she was in resource classes for most of her subjects but as a senior
she is 100% mainstreamed. Last semester
she made the honor roll. Ms. Newman
also stated that “Veronica is one of those students that you don’t want to see
leave because she is responsible, dedicated to learning, and sincere in all
that she does.”
Melissa Carnes, a seventh grader at Amphitheater Middle School, was nominated by Sarah Davis, the Safe School Probation Officer for Amphitheater Middle School. Sarah wrote that Melissa has been on the honor roll this first half of the year and is a valued and active member of many sports and clubs at school. “Melissa is committed to her future and to being a person of good character. She is an excellent example to her fellow students and has worked hard to overcome many difficulties.” She finished by saying, “It is a privilege to have a student like Melissa attend Amphitheater Middle School.”
Dr. Balentine invited Ms. Nancy Harden, Executive
Director of Student Services, to introduce the recipients of the “I Can Do It”
award. Ms. Melissa Carnes and Ms.
Veronica Castro were recognized by the Board and were presented with
certificates of commendation; however, Ms. Castro was not present at this
meeting. Ms. Harden also expressed
appreciation to Mr. Bermudez and Ms. Kathy Davis, school principal and teacher,
for their support of Ms. Castro and her achieved success.
4. Recognition of Amphitheater High School Student for
Winning First Place in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest
Board Book Information: Ashlee
Jones, a senior at Amphitheater High School, will be recognized for winning
first place in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest sponsored by the
City of Tucson. She will read her presentation to the Governing Board.
Dr. Balentine invited Mr. Nelson to introduce Ms.
Ashlee Jones who was recognized by the Board and was presented with a certificate of commendation. Ms. Jones read her award-winning essay for
the Board and audience.
5. Recognition of Wells Fargo for
Their Contributions to Amphitheater District – Team Up for Our Schools
Board
Book Information: Amphitheater School District has received a donation of $5,170 from
Wells Fargo Bank. This donation is a
result of the two-month Team Up for Our Schools program for qualifying new
accounts. This program was created to
help support public schools during a time of budget challenges.
Dr. Balentine expressed appreciation for the
contribution made to Amphi by Wells Fargo.
Mr. Alex Solese, Branch
Manager/Vice President, was in attendance and represented Wells Fargo. The Board recognized Mr. Solese and Wells
Fargo for their contribution and support of public education; a certificate of commendation
was presented to him.
Mr. Solese
added that the Team Up for Our Schools program would be re-initiated again
later in the year. Additionally, Wells
Fargo is beginning another educational program whereby a free hands-on Banking
Tutorial CD, designed for ages four through adult, is available to anyone for
the asking. He also stated that Wells
Fargo wishes to continue re-investing in the community and public education.
6. Recognition of Twenty-Year
Accident-Free Bus Driver – Coralie Keesler
Board
Book Information: Bus Driver Coralie Keesler, a recent retiree from the Amphitheater
Transportation Department, completed twenty years of accident-free service to
the District prior to her retirement.
The Administration wishes to commend Ms. Keesler on her outstanding
driving record and its positive impact on the safety of the students and
residents of the Amphitheater District.
Dr. Balentine invited Mr. Lappitt to recognize Ms. Keesler for her achievement and successful
transporting of students during her twenty-year history with Amphi. All totaled, Ms. Keesler travels
approximately 15,700 miles per year within her established Amphi route and more
than 500,000 miles during her thirty-year career at Amphi and in New York
before that – all accident free. The Board recognized Ms. Keesler for her
accomplishment and presented
with a certificate of
commendation.
Ms. Young Wright requested that Item K be removed for discussion and separate vote. Mr. Prout requested that Item N also be removed for brief discussion. Dr. Barrabee moved to approved the consent agenda Items A – J and Items L, M, and O. The motion was seconded by Mr. Prout and passed unanimously, 5-0. Appointment of personnel is effective, provided all district, state and federal requirements are met. (Please see Items K and N below for discussion and vote.)
A.
Approval of Minutes
of Previous Meeting
Minutes of the February 24, 2004 Regular and Executive Session Governing Board meeting were approved.
B. Appointments
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
Leave of absence
requests were approved for certified and classified personnel, as listed in
Exhibit 3.
E. Separation(s) and
Termination(s)
Certified and
classified personnel separations were approved, as listed in Exhibit 4.
F. Approval of Vouchers Totaling and Not Exceeding Approximately $1,100,000.00
The following vouchers were approved as presented and payment authorized:
Vo. 584 $
230,367.09
Vo. 585
71,715.97
Vo. 586
20,905.21
Vo. 587 96,521.63
Vo. 588
285,897.71
Vo. 589
392,828.41
G. Acceptance of Gifts
Donations
were accepted by the Governing Board, as listed in Exhibit 5.
H.
Approval
of Out of State Travel
Out-of-state travel was approved for
staff (source of funding indicated): Scott Linaker from Canyon del Oro High
School to attend the Rocky Mountain Athletic Trainers’ Association Clinical
Symposium & Membership Meeting, March 24-28, 2004 in Denver, Colorado
(Trainers’ Association); Cathy Eiting
and Mary Ann McClung from School Operations, Patti Lopez from Title I, Debbie
Arechiga from Painted Sky, Chris Potter from Mesa Verde to attend the Reading
Association 49th Annual Convention, May 1-6, 2004 in Reno, Nevada
(grant funds); Deanna Day from Career Ladder and Mary Ann McClung from School
Operations to attend The Literacy Leaders Institute/Sponsored by Scholastic and
NCTE in San Francisco, California, July 11-14, 2004 (grant funds).
I.
Request
to Terminate Early Retiree Contract with Special Benefits
Board Book
Information: Mr. Evan Hitch has informed the District (per
letter) that he wishes to terminate his early retirement contract. Mr. Hitch, former Teacher at Amphitheater
High School, was approved for the District’s early retirement program with an
effective date of May 18, 1996.
The Governing Board approved termination of the early retirement contract for Mr. Evan Hitch effective March 31, 2004; all early retirement compensation will end upon termination date.
J. Approval of Disposal of Surplus Property
via Surplus Auction
Board
Book Information: The District
accumulates surplus property that is no longer needed for use in District
facilities. All District sites are
notified the surplus items are available and are given time to review to determine
if items scheduled for disposal may be used elsewhere.
The Auction Company Count
Your Assets, Tucson Business License 0097982, Auctioneer’s License 0100240 will
assign lots, conduct the sale and collect payment from successful bidders. A Finance Staff Accountant and the
Purchasing Manager will monitor the sale.
Expenses to be paid from
Auction receipts:
1)
20% commission to the Auctioneer
2)
Set up fee to Auctioneer not to exceed $350.00
3)
Advertising costs not to exceed $900.00
4)
Overtime
wages (40 hrs. total) for three Warehouse Staff
(one
Saturday for setup and a second Saturday for the Auction)
The last District Auction
was held on March 9, 2002.
The Governing Board approved the disposal of surplus property through a
competitive Auction, as presented.
K.
Adoption of
Governing Board Meeting Schedule for 2004-2005 Fiscal Year
Board
Book Information: A proposed schedule for the Governing Board’s 2004-2005 fiscal year is
attached (as shown in Exhibit 6).
Traditionally, the Board has had a regular meeting
on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month, unless the date fell on a
holiday. The Board may meet, however on
such days as it determines in its discretion, so long as it meets the minimum
requirement of having one regular meeting per month during the regular school
year. A.R.S. 15-321(D). The proposed schedule follows that
traditional schedule with exceptions where meetings would conflict with
District-side vacation breaks and other calendar conflicts.
Ms. Young Wright suggested a concept to
accept the schedule dates as proposed, but to dedicate the first monthly
meeting to “regular business” and the second monthly meeting to “discipline”
matters. She invited discussion and
feedback from other Board members.
Mrs. Clymer inquired whether this change in
scheduling might impact the cycle of action items. Dr. Balentine assured her that, if an action item had timing
constraints, adjustments could be made.
For example, an item can be placed at the front of the Student
Discipline/Executive Session agenda for approval. Similarly, if a brief student-discipline item needed attention,
it too, could be placed at the front of a regular meeting agenda for
action.
Dr. Barrabee and Mr. Prout each stated that
the proposal was worth consideration.
If the new schedule appeared to not be successful in accommodating all
of the Board’s business, the matter could be reconsidered.
Ms. Young Wright proposed the adoption of
the 2004-2005 Board Meeting schedule as submitted, with the stipulation that
the meetings be delineated as stated (above); Dr. Barrabee seconded the
motion. Mr. Prout asked that it also be
considered having the start time no sooner than 6:00 p.m. Mr. Prout and Mr. Grant stated that 6:00
p.m. start-times are often difficult to accommodate. Ms. Young Wright stated that this could be accommodated – with the
exception of an outside emergency situation. (the Public portions of regular
meetings would remain with a 7:00 p.m. start-time.) With no further discussion, Ms. Young Wright called the vote;
Item K passed as modified, 5-0.
L.
Review and Approval
of Supplemental Texts
Supplemental texts are presented for Board
review and approval.
1)
Special Education – the list of supplemental texts is attached
2)
Amphitheater High
School –
St. Martin’s Guide to Writing, 7th
Edition
ISBN #0312400527
Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishing
Group
The Governing Board approved the
supplemental texts, as presented (as shown in Exhibit 7).
M. Approval of Textbook for Display
Board Book
Information: In accordance with Section
15-721 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, new textbooks must be placed on display
for a period of 60 days prior to official adoption by the Governing Board.
The Bedford Introduction to Literature, 7th Edition
Publisher:
Bedford/St. Martins
Author: Michael Meyer
Price: $52.50
The Governing Board approved placing the textbook, The Bedford Introduction to
Literature, 7th
Edition, on display for a period of 60 days as required, beginning March 9,
2004, as presented.
N.
Award of Contract
For Washington D.C. 8th Grade Tour Based Upon Responses to Request
for Proposal 03-0041
Board Book Information: A
Request for Proposals (RFP) was mailed to six vendors February 3, 2004. The RFP
requested prices and an itinerary for a six-day, five-night Washington DC Tour
for 8th Grade students at Richard B. Wilson Elementary.
ET-Educational Tours and WorldStrides were the two responding vendors. The RFP
text required the following:
·
Round trip air
transportation Tucson, AZ to a Washington DC area airport
·
Deluxe motor
coach transportation on the ground
·
Quality hotel
accommodations - up to four students per room, hotel type a Raddison,
Doubletree, etc.
·
On site
coordinators, tour guides, bus drivers
·
Security
(certified) to include one each security staff for each hotel wing occupied.
Security required from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily
·
All reservations
and logistics planning
·
Meals to include
a cooked, hearty breakfast, (bacon eggs, pancakes), lunch, (fast food OK) and
dinner Golden Corral, Fuddruckers, (restaurant style)
·
Williamsburg side
trip
·
Williamsburg
study visit
·
Tavern meal in
Williamsburg
·
Jamestown tour
·
All admissions,
fees, gratuities are inclusive
·
No charge
chaperone for every 15 students
The dates requested for travel were any six days between June 11, 2004
and June 18, 2004. Depending on space available 8th grade students
from other District schools may be invited to participate.
The proposed itinerary was:
·
Day one Airport
pickup travel to Fredericksburg
·
Day two Williamsburg
study visit w/guides & Jamestown Island
·
Day three
Arlington National Cemetery, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Union
Station, Capital Hill tour, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, Pentagon, &
FDR Memorial
·
Day four Mount
Vernon, Air & Space Museum, Kennedy Center performance,
·
Day five Ford’s
Theater, Holocaust Museum, Washington National Cathedral, Washington Monument
·
Day six White
House, Bureau of Engraving & Printing, National History Museum, National
Gallery of Art, depart airport for Tucson
Pete Burgard, Purchasing Manager and Ben Dickey, Teacher Wilson School,
evaluated the vendor responses.
All other information [other than
vendor name] contained in the proposals shall remain confidential so as to
avoid disclosure of contents prejudicial to competing offerors during the
process of negotiation. Proposals and
modifications shall only be shown to school district personnel having a
legitimate interest in them or persons assisting the District in evaluation.
The Procurement Code also provides
that:
After contract award the proposals
shall be made open for public inspection, except to the extent that the
withholding of information is permitted or required by law.
R7-2-1050(E). Accordingly, if necessary, the Board may
recess the public meeting and convene an executive session to discuss or
consider the confidential proposal documents, pursuant to A.R.S.
§38-431.03(A)(2).
Complete and original proposals for each organization listed
above are available, by appointment only, for review in the office of the
Purchasing Manager.
Mr. Prout stated that because of
limitations in the open discussion of a competed award of contract, he would
only ask for clarification of the rationale behind the bulleted item as stated,
“No charge chaperone for every 15 students.”
Mr. Jaeger responded saying that
the District policy requires that student trips have a sufficient level of
chaperoned, adult-supervision. An
incentive to accomplishing this is to ensure that chaperones do not incur
out-of-pocket expenses. The cost of the
chaperone’s travel, etc., is built into the students’ travel costs; each one
paying a proportionate share. The
statement was included to specify that one chaperone would travel at no cost
for each 15 students.
Mr. Prout stated that this award
appears to be for a minimal number of students requiring only 1 or 2
chaperones. He wanted to know if these
chaperones are District employees or parents; Mr. Nelson confirmed so. Mr. Prout noted the “marked-up” amount of
costs charged. Additionally, he was
unclear how the trip could be considered a “school trip” when less than 1% will
be attending the trip. He stated that
he did not feel that the proposal is fair to the students and their families
and can therefore not vote in favor of this item.
When asked about an alternative
method for chaperone coverage during student travel, Mr. Prout responded by
saying that perhaps scheduling (District sanctioned) trips with excessive costs
should not occur.
Dr. Balentine added that this
student trip is scheduled for the summertime and as it includes the use of
tax-credit dollars – the District follows the RFP practice to ensure that
procurement requirements are followed appropriately.
Mrs. Clymer inquired about
student fundraising. Dr. Balentine
offered to provide additional trip details in a Friday memo. She
clarified that the approval of the RFP, the vendor contract, is now being
proposed. This is a two-step process:
once this step has been accomplished, then the approval of the trip will be
submitted for Board approval.
Mr. Prout added that similar-type
trips had raised questions previously about advertising during school
time. He expressed concern that when
trips become District-sanctioned it results in teachers using class-time to
advertise these trips. Teachers can
then staff these trips as chaperones receiving free-expense-aid trips that are
paid by extra costs to the families of students participating. When a desirable and costly trip is allow to
be advertised during class-time, it puts class-pressure on more students to pay
for the teacher’s trip. With
chaperone/student rations, the more class-pressure applied results in more free
trips for teachers. Mr. Prout implied
that this is a conflict of interest.
Ms. Young Wright inquired about
policy regarding this kind of activity within class time. Mr. Jaeger explained some travel policy
information as it related to past concerns.
Mr. Jaeger stated the sanctioning of the trip presently is as a
purchase. This is a two-step process;
first the authorization of the trip’s purchase, then the authorization or
approval of the travel. With the
District’s “sanctioning” of the trip it does become District business and the
associated “permission” under policy allowing discussion as a school
activity. Within policy, there is still
authority for administration to limit the time spent on the particular event.
Further discussion ensued
regarding event/attraction costs, ancillary fees, and transportation costs
(airline, busses, etc.). Government
employee travel allowances were cited as comparison. If there is no use of District monies, then the RFP process is
unnecessary, but then student solicitation is not permitted nor is use of
Arizona State Donation Credits allowed.
The District’s liability insurance does provide umbrella coverage.
Dr. Balentine suggested pulling
the item from the agenda; she will obtain and forward additional information,
if necessary. Mrs. Clymer suggested
re-evaluating the intensity of the itinerary.
Ms. Young Wright moved to remove
the item from the agenda. The motion
was seconded by Mr. Grant and passed unanimously, 5-0.
O. Review
and Approval of Mentorlinks Grant
Board Book Information:
Coronado K-8 School received a
$1,750 grant from the Saddlebrook Rotary Club for “Project LINK.” The mission of Project LINK is to create an
ongoing relationship between Coronado 4th and 5th graders
and high school students at Ironwood Ridge High School.
The Governing Board approved the Mentorlinks
Grant from the Saddlebrook Rotary Club in the amount of $1,750.00 for Coronado
K-8 Schools, as presented.
STUDY/ACTION
7.
Review of Proposed Revisions to Governing
Board Policies Relating to Support Staff (Certificated Employee Group)
Board Book Information:
Over the course of the last several weeks, representative teams from
both the District administration and the Amphitheater Education Association
have met and conferred over employment related policy matters for district
certificated employees.
These discussions resulted in the attached drafts of
proposed revisions to the below-referenced policies and regulation affecting
the Certificated employee group. The
proposed revisions include the following key changes:
GCCA
(Professional Staff Sick Leave)
·
New employees, and those employee who have accrued
less than five days of sick leave, shall be deemed to have already earned five
days of sick leave for the purposes of any personal illness during the first
five months of any contract year.
GCCG
(Professional Staff Voluntary Transfer of Accrued Sick Leave)
·
Employees may voluntarily contribute accrued sick
leave regardless of the donor’s or recipient’s employment classification.
·
Donated sick leave will be paid to the recipient in
an amount equal to one (1) day of pay for a beginning employee based on step
one (1) of the compensation range of either the recipient or the donor,
whichever is the lower amount.
GCK-R
(Professional Staff Assignments and Transfers)
·
A teacher who has been employed as a teacher for
less than two (2) years prior to the effective date of an involuntary transfer
is ineligible for an involuntary transfer.
·
Elementary School Principals have the right to
designate two (2) individuals who will not be considered for involuntary
transfer. [Middle School and High
School Principals have the right to designate one (1) individual who will not
be considered.]
This item is presented for the Board’s
initial review. No action is required
at this time.
Dr. Balentine stated that a
correction should be noted that this item will focus on Certificated employee
group and added that this item is presented for study only, at this time.
Mr. Jaeger provided a summary of
the two policy changes being recommended and the change in regulation being
proposed (which was formerly a policy and continues to be negotiated), as
indicated above.
Ms. Young Wright confirmed that
the one signature missing from the signed negotiations team statement was due
to that person’s absence, not as a means of (team) disagreement.
8.
Resolution
Recognizing the Special Contributions of Educational Support Personnel
Board
Book Information: It takes many employees of every job description to make a school
district run and provide a quality education to students. Each year, national activities focus
recognition upon the invaluable efforts of teachers and school
secretaries. There are a great many other
positions that do not enjoy their own day of special recognition.
The District’s Educational
Support Personnel, also known as “Classified Staff” serve in many crucial roles
throughout the district, including but certainly not limited to: bus drivers and monitors, carpenters,
groundkeepers, clerical personnel, food service personnel, and custodians. Day in and day out, they ensure that schools
are safe, clean, and welcoming to students.
They create a positive atmosphere that encourages students to
learn.
While one annual day of
recognition can certainly not approach the level of appreciation due these
dedicated staff members, an annual focus can hopefully ensure public and media
attention to the continuous work of our staff.
A resolution has been prepared for the
purpose of setting April 21, 2004 as the date this year when the contributions
of Educational Support Personnel are specially recognized. The resolution expands on the discussion
above.
Dr.
Balentine read the proposed Resolution, which sets apart Wednesday, April 21,
2004 as the “Educational Support Personnel Appreciation Day.”
Board
members expressed their shared appreciation for support personnel of all types
– positive feedback was listed for each level of support staff. Mr. Prout added the information should be
expedited to groups such as PTO groups, etc., to allow time for planning.
Dr.
Balentine added that information would be sent out to all sites and department
heads, as well as, announced at an administrative meeting later in the
week.
Mr.
Prout moved to accept the Resolution, which recognizes the special contributions made by all
Educational Support Personnel, as presented (shown as Exhibit 8).
Mr. Grant
seconded the motion, and passed unanimously, 5-0
9.
Resolution of the
Governing Board Regarding Fundamental Unfairness in NCLB with Respect to Students
with Disabilities and with Limited English Proficiency
Board Book
Information: The Governing Board is familiar with and has previously discussed the
requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with
Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), two federal laws that greatly affect
public education in America.
The
NCLB is a sweeping revision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It contains accountability standards at
every level of public education: state,
district and individual school. The
law imposes achievement labels and reform mechanisms where its standards are
not met. Accountability standards
include labels for “persistently dangerous schools”, underperforming schools,
and failing schools.
The IDEA is a broad law, which
governs in many respects the education of the disabled. Among other things, the law mandates
accommodations in educational programs and services for disabled students. It also requires specialized services
designed at an individual level for affected students. And, of course, IDEA also mandates
behavioral intervention plans for students with disabilities and limits the
actions of schools in disciplining students with disabilities. Significantly, the federal government is
presently reviewing whether and how to modify the IDEA. The notion of modifying
IDEA has increased in relevance – arguably – to a point of urgency now, given
some of the new accountability measures that are embodied in NCLB and the
state’s Proposition 301.
In
August 2002, the Governing Board of the District, of a different composition,
adopted a resolution expressing concern over conflicts existing between these
two laws. That resolution focused upon issues of student discipline and labels
relating to student disciplinary events.
Based
upon previous discussions among the Board, a second form of resolution has been
prepared which focuses upon the conflicts between these two laws as to
assessment and which also focuses upon concerns pertaining to limited English
proficient students. If approved, this
resolution, like the last, would be sent to President George W. Bush, relevant
members of Congress, and the Secretary of Education.
As a Resolution of the Board, this item is presented to the
Board for action in the Board’s discretion.
Regarding the
resolution itself, Dr. Barrabee stated that he was impressed with extent to
which concerns were addressed. He
believes that an expectation of 100% proficiency for any student is an unreal
expectation. Additionally, he does not
believe full-funding, alone, can provide 100% proficiency and that this is an
unattainable goal and therefore he is uncomfortable in asking for full-funding
for this purpose.
Specific verbiage changes were identified; the following statements include those proposed changes:
1. (Page 2, paragraph 6) “WHEREAS, many of the students identified through IDEA possess very real, well documented, and sometimes serious disabilities which make 100% proficiency by 2014 a grossly unreasonable and even punitive expectation.
2. (Page 2, paragraph 7) “WHEREAS, many LEP students are disadvantaged when such “high stakes” testing is limited to a single assessment conducted in English.
3. (Page 2, paragraph 10) “WHEREAS, one expressed intent of NCLB was to provide parents with greater access to information about schools, but the reality of the law may result in confusion and anger from parents about the unrealized and impossible promises of the legislation.
4. (Page 3, paragraph 2 - bullet #3) Eliminate this paragraph; concept is incorporated in page 3, paragraph four.
5. (Page 3, paragraph 7- bullet #8) Eliminate this paragraph; concept is incorporated in page 3, paragraph four.
Following considerable discussion among the Board members, Mr. Grant stated that idealistically and optimistically he prefers to pursue full funding and continue to seek a goal of 100% proficiency. Dr. Barrabee added that there is a difference between a goal being desirable and an expectation. Mrs. Clymer supports asking for full funding. She agrees with Dr. Barrabee’s opinion that expected proficiency is unattainable given current prin