Approved: November 1, 1006
School Committee meeting Oct. 18, 2006
Ms. Alcorn called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Members Present: Ellen Alcorn, , John Coyne, Benjamin Meiklejohn, Susan Hopkins, Otis Thompson, Sarah Muzzy, Lori Gramlich, Stephen Spring, Jonathan Radtke, Joshua Waxman (arrived at approximately 7:15)
Members not present: Jason Toothaker
Report of the Chair
Ms. Alcorn:
· Mentioned last week's workshop with Doug Sherwood, Director of Facilities, on the state of the school facilities and she read a thank you letter, which will be sent to maintenance and custodial staff members.
Superintendent O'Connor:
· Mentioned an Excellence in Sustainable Design and Development award that was presented to Stephen Blatt Architects and the East End Community School on October 6, 2006 by Integrated Design and Development.
· Introduced Scott Wyman, Benefits Specialist, who provided an overview of the Crisis Planning process
· Discussed the request for a sailing club, which is currently being reviewed by the Co-Curricular Committee. Rich Drummond, Athletic Director-Portland High School, updated the Committee regarding the status of the request for sanctioning of a sailing club at Portland High School. Indicated the Co-Curricular Committee would review this request on Nov. 17th.
Mr. Spring - asked if Mr. Drummond thought there would be any obstacles in bringing this to the Committee in December. Mr. Drummond feels it is important that the Co-Curricular Committee discuss this item.
Ms. Hopkins - asked about students receiving a school letter and/or space in the year- book. Mr. Drummond indicates that these things could happen even if sanctioned in December.
Ms. Alcorn - will there by any cost to PPS? Mr. Drummond indicates that SailMaine will be funding this venture. There may be some minimal fees such as registration fees throughout the year.
Mr. Radtke - familiar with the SailMaine - it is a great program.
Six students spoke to the School Committee regarding the request for sanctioning of a sailing club at Portland High School.
Sarah Helming,Head coach of SailMaine, spoke to School Committee.
Jeff Cumming, Sail Master at SailMaine, indicated that SailMaine does cover all expenses. Minimum fees might be regatta fees and $100 registration fee for national recognition.
Ms. Alcorn - asked if SailMaine would be affected if TABOR passes. Mr. Cumming indicated that SailMaine is a 501(c)3 and would not be affected. She also indicated that this group would like to sail their last two regattas as a sanctioned team. Asked Committee members if they wanted to make a motion tonight or wait until December.
Ms. Gramlich - is Co-Curricular Committee policy or practice.
Superintendent - it is practice.
Mr. Radtke - There is a co-curricular process and this process should be followed and act on a recommendation as soon as possible.
Ms. Muzzy - spoke of her support for the sailing club.
Mr. Thompson –asked if there was a provision to sanction the sport until the co-curricular committee met.
Mr. Paulson - insurance agent indicated that this sailing club would only be covered after official sanctioning by the Committee.
Mr. Spring - asked if a letter of intent could be given to the sailing group.
Mr. Cumming - indicated that a letter on school stationary signed by an athletic director would suffice.
Mr. Paulson - letter would need to be vetted through the attorneys before any letter were given to the group.
Ms. Hopkins - would like to see this moved along to see if provisional sanctioning could be granted for the last two regattas.
Motion: Mr.Thompson moved, seconded Ms. Gramlich to provisionally sanction the sport of sailing for PHS with proviso that if legal issues or safety issues are found jeopardize sanctioning that provisional sanctioning would not be granted.
Ms. Schiller, Rob Woodsum, Stephanie Dowling spoke to motion.
Discussion/Debate:
Mr. Radtke - does not support. Not comfortable circumventing past practice.
Mr. Waxman - supports motion.
Ms. Alcorn - impressed with passion of students. Does not support. Concerned about making processes less affective.
Mr. Thompson - recognizes the concern of not following processes. Full sanctioning would take place until co-curricular review is complete.
Mr. Gramlich - requests looking at forming a policy regarding such items.
Vote: It was voted 3-4-1 to provisionally sanction the sport of sailing for PHS with proviso that if legal issues or safety issues were found that provisional sanctioning would not be granted. (Students voted with minority) Motion fails.
Mr. Radtke moved, seconded Ms. Hopkins to add an Exec. Session to agenda to discuss PEA negotiations pursuant to 1 MRSA § 405D
Vote: It was voted unanimously to add an Exec. Session to agenda to discuss PEA negotiations pursuant to 1 MRSA § 405D
Report of Committees
2. Finance Committee – Mr. Thompson - met this evening and reviewed a report to be included in next packet explaining steps taken by joint finance committees two years ago. Briefly reviewed the various items in the report.
3. Legislative Affairs Committee – Ms. Gramlich – indicated that third week in December is deadline for submitting bills to legislature.
4. Riverton Building Committee – Mr. Coyne – reported that steel is now going up at the school.
5. Elementary Facilities Committee – Ms. Hopkins – Committee met last week. City and School web sites have Elementary Facilities committee information. Briefly reviewed events at the last meeting
6. Other Committees and/or member concerns - Mr. Meiklejohn spoke about free Metro service. Bus full of high school students.
1.
Consideration and action to approve the meeting minutes of
the September 20, 2006 and October 4, 2006 meetings.
Mr. Meiklejohn moved, seconded Mr. Coyne and voted unanimously to approve the meeting minutes of the September 20, 2006 and October 4, 2006 meetings.(Students voted with majority)
Old Business
1. Consideration and action to approve the following policies
(Mr. Radtke took items out of order)
b. JL – Local Wellness Policy
Mr. Radtke moved, seconded Mr. Coyne to approve policy JL – Local Wellness
Carol Raymond, Health Coordinator, spoke to the Committee regarding the process used to develop this policy.
Mr. Meiklejohn - asked about recess being before lunch.
Carol Raymond indicated that each school has their own schedule for recess and lunch.
Ms. Whynot-Vickers - some schools are also taking 10 minute breaks to walk students around the school or some other type of exercise/physical activity.
Ms. Alcorn - asked about recess being used as a punishment. How does the district plan to address this? Also indicates possibly using locally grown foods.
Carol Raymond - indicated that wellness committees would be site based and will be looking at recess. Bill Verrill is looking into using locally grown foods.
Mr. Meiklejohn moved
seconded Mr. Spring to
include in guidelines the wording- to avoid the purchase of irradiated foods
into school menus.
Ms. Raymond - goals are a driving force. If include in future goals this implies we are doing this and we are not. Everything whether packaged or fresh are washed prior to being used.
Mr. Waxman – asked for clarification of irradiated food. What other processes are used instead of irradiation?
Mr. Radtke – irradiation is a process used to sterilize foods. Supports small, sustainable agriculture. Food Service in the Portland Public Schools does an amazing job in preparing food for the children in the system.
Mr. Spring - would support this language in some policy.
Public Comment:
Bill Weber - spoke to motion.
Vote on amendment: It was voted 2-6 to include in guidelines the wording- to avoid the purchase of irradiated foods into school menus. (Students with majority)
Back to main motion.
Mr. Thompson - spoke to motion and the potential of using recess as punishment.
Mr.Meiklejohn - Supports these goals and would like to strengthen policy by removing the word "goals" and have this become the policy/rules for the district.
Ms. Raymond - indicated that there will be an annual revision of this policy.
Vote: It was voted unanimously to approve policy JL - Local Wellness.(Students with majority)
a. EFE – Competitive Food Sales
Mr. Radtke moved, seconded Mr. Spring to approve policy EFE – Competitive Food Sales
Mr. Radtke spoke to motion.
Mr. Meiklejohn – asked if this meant that bake sales during school days can no longer include cookies, brownies, etc
Mr. Radtke - Bake sales during the day must meet nutritional guidelines. At athletic events, theater performances, etc. or anything that parents/community attends individuals will be able to purchase the usual items.
Vote: It was voted unanimously to approve policy EFE – Competitive Food Sales
(Students voted with majority)
2. Consideration and action to reinstate policy IKC-Class
Rank for classes graduating through 2010.
Mr. Radtke moved, seconded Ms. Gramlich to reinstate policy IKC-Class Rank for classes graduating through 2010.
Mr. Radtke - spoke to motion. Policy Committee recommends passage of this policy.
Mr. Thompson - asked what the difference would be from the motion taken at the last business meeting.
Mr. Radtke - indicated than an end date is indicated in this motion.
Mr. Coyne – asked how soon a new policy would be crafted for future classes. When do 8th graders select classes? Superintendent O'Connor - 8th graders will select their schools and begin selecting classes in January.
Mr. Radtke - possibly will have draft language sometime in March.
Mr. Meiklejohn - asked about class ranking at each high school and should Casco Bay High School be excluded.
Superintendent O'Connor - only two classes currently at CBHS so there are no AP classes.
Mr. Spring - Great Maine Schools criticized this policy. Does this policy dissuade students from taking early college credit courses?
Public Comment:
Cynthia Lowenstein, Michele Butterfield, Bill Weber, Michelle Hedrich spoke to the motion.
Amendment: Mr. Coyne moved, seconded Ms. Gramlich to include the class of 2011.
Discussion/Debate:
Mr. Waxman - supports amendment.
Ms. Muzzy - supports amendment.
Mr. Meiklejohn - fails to see how having or not having weighted grades would affect a decision on which school a student would go to. Supports motion.
Superintendent O'Connor - private school open houses have had a larger interest than usual. Students looking for rigor are looking at weighted grades. Concerned that parents are making decisions based upon the lack of a policy.
Ms. Muzzy - shortly after selecting a high school a student then signs up for honors courses or regular courses. Need to have a policy in place for 8th grade students.
Mr. Spring - difficult comprehending why parents/students would not select a rigorous course whether weighted or not.
Ms. Gramlich - spoke about possibly sending daughter to public schools. Believes and supports having a policy in place for 8th grade students looking at high schools.
Superintendent O'Connor recommends including class of 2011. Met with Wanda Monthey and Duke Albanese regarding National Governors’ Association funding to PPS to look at access for all students for AP classes.
Mr. Radtke called the question:
Vote on amendment: It was voted 7-1 to include the class of 2011 (Students voted with the majority)
Back to main motion.
Mr. Thompson - issue has become controversial. Number of parents and students indicating concern about lack of weighting policy and others indicated that they are harmed and/or hurt by this type of policy.
Friendly amendment:
Mr. Meiklejohn moved to amend Policy IKC to read "the principal or guidance staff of each high school may set up a program of class ranking of students. One program may be based on grade averages and may be weighted to.......
Mr. Spring - challenging to support a weighted grade policy as it stands.
Mr. Waxman - spoke to reinstating policy IKC.
Mr. Radtke - supports motion. 1)Incumbent upon Committee to follow normal processes 2) incumbent to show evidence that there is a basis behind belief and this has not been done; 3) has never know a major change that hasn’t caused controversy.
Mr. Meiklejohn - supports motion.
Mr. Coyne - supports motion.
Ms. Hopkins - unfortunate the way the process took place.
Vote: It was voted 7-1 to reinstate policy IKC Class Rank for classes graduating through 2011. (Students voted with majority)
New Business
1.
First reading of
policies:
a. JICA –
Student Dress Code
b. KLMA –
Recruitment and other Post-Secondary Opportunity Information Access
c. KJA – Title IX- Booster Clubs
Mr. Radtke reviewed the three policies for a first reading.
Personnel
1. Consideration and action to approve the Personnel items
listed.
Leave of Absence: Effective 2006-2007 School Year
Olivia Solodar Resource Room/Longfellow .5 Personal
Change in Degree: Effective 9/1/06
Judith Shank Literacy Specialist/East End $2,511*
Certificate of Advanced Study-Literacy Education/USM
Mr. Radtke moved, seconded Mr. Coyne and voted unanimously
to approve the Personnel items listed
1. Strategic Plan - Superintendent O'Connor mentioned that she had attended a strategic planning meeting at SMCC and indicated that many of the goals in that plan mirror goals set in the PPS strategic plan. Reviewed Highly Skilled Employees and Purposeful Response to Learner Needs.
Beginning in January each department will be coming to the School Committee to talk about their school goals and targets
Bill Weber - spoke about the candidate’s night held at Portland High School on Monday, Oct. 16th. A question was asked about what would the outcome be if TABOR passed and asked about consolidation.
Superintendent O'Connor responded that select panel report recommends consolidation of school systems of 3,000.
At 9:40 p.m. Mr. Meiklejohn moved seconded Ms. Hopkins to go into Executive Session to discuss negotiations with the PEA pursuant to 1 MRSA §405 6 D to discuss negotiations.
At 10:04 p.m. Mr. Meiklejohn moved, seconded Mr. Spring to come out of Executive Session.
At 10:06 p.m. Mr. Meiklejohn moved, seconded Mr. Spring to adjourn the meeting .
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Jo O'Connor
Superintendent of Schools