February 10, 2021 – Minutes

Parent Members

Lori Carter                   X

Tyson Grover              X

Alex Prebula                _

Annettte York              X

Chris Gunther              X

January Anderson       X

 

Employee Members

Karen Hammer           X

Jeff Nalwalker             X

Gretchen Givone         X

 

Welcome-Lori

The group discussed last months minutes; no changes were necessary.  Motion to approve the minutes, C. Gunther first, T. Grover second, all in favor, none opposed, motion passes.

 

Approve Minutes from previous meeting-Lori

 

TSSP Planning Phase-Jeff

Budget Challenges > Spending $$$ > Hiring

1. 1. The district is in discussions to increase pay for instructional aides
   2. President Biden and the Congress are talking about raising minimum wage to $15.00 over the course of years. Our starting wage is currently $4.00 over minimum wage..
   3. Now that all data is entered, the data is looking better than originally thought, the online Kindergarteners are not where they should be though the teacher has done a great job and the parents have been happy, but the children do not have a base to start from.   Kids who have been here are catching up, the 1st grade teachers will have a challenge as the majority are behind benchmark.  Socialization will be another issue with the kindergartners, but we are working on it and the 1st grade teachers will also work on it.
   4. Looking to the future we will have a pretty large budget between TSSA and land trust, so it’s challenging spending the money due to the ability to hire people.   HR is looking at raising wages for aids.
   5. An additional challenge, is minimum wage is going up. So if we raise it, that will get overtaken as the plan goes through for Biden minimum wage.  We will need to maintain some kind of distance from that, at this time we are $4 over minimum wage.
   6. Ideal ways to spend that money is to give kids the instruction they need that they are not getting in tier 1 class instruction that everyone gets.  There is proven results that this works.   We just have trouble hiring aids.
   7. Public practice also works, this is when teachers share with one another, and observe, then use those learned practices in their own teaching.
   8. We want to limit this in a way, so the teachers are there as much as they can be but also balance the benefit the teachers are getting from observing.
   9. For the budget, they have ½ team leadership meetings. This was a great success last year and was easily implemented.   This was not as much this year, due to covid, but would like to do it again.
   10. The group asked asked, do we have an instructional coach,
   11. J. Nalwalker said yes we do. That is a huge high level strategy in creating good instruction. We have had this for years.

 

What works? Biggest bang for our buck.

1. 1. We know that hiring aides to provide targeted interventions is one of our most effective tool
   2. We know that public practice and reflection is an effective way to improve instruction. (Subs) *trade-off
   3. Providing time to plan together. (Subs) *trade-off
   4. Professional development. (Subs) *trade-off

Other ideas

1. 1. Additional software for ongoing assessment of reading comprehension
   2. J.Nalwalker shared the principal brainstorm of what they can address with the funding.
   3. They do different assessments in reading and math, but they use the same source (Acadene)
   4. In 4th and 5th grade, they use adaptive reading comprehension.
   5. One of the key differences between the (i) and (ii) is you can only use the (ii) three times a year.
   6. We are looking for other software to monitor reading and math comprehension and other inventories to better monitor the kids comprehension and understanding.
   7. Material to support current initiatives– SEL
   8. Another material to support our social and emotional learning

Technology ***

1. 1. The group discussed the difference between new technology or different technology.New technology money is built into our plan already, but since we have a big surplus this year, we can use the funds to replace technology already in the plan.  That would not be the first choice for the money surplus spending, but instead to spend it on focusing on skills gaps with the kids.
   2. We are trying to get more advanced ipads to allow for more agile teaching and improving the technology
   3. The upgraded technology to make in class example better.

 

Before and after-school tutoring

1. 1. for the after school programs, data is not great (for the after school classes) the data doesn’t seem to be very good, so the group is looking for other ideas to get creative with that and make it work for us.
   2. We also had money at the beginning of the year for the launch, and that money is still available to use for the children.We are going to use it to address the “covid slide”
   3. The group plans to ask teachers if they are interested in tutoring after school, and then fill hours.
   4. Jeff compared described an online tutoring company as a model for delivering intervention.VIP Kids. Then teachers would get paid online contract wage.
   5. The group recognized that tutors are a greet idea, but finding a tutors right now is a really hard.
   6. If kids could get used to the idea that getting general help for any area, that is a great idea for the them.
      • Nalwalker said we can create tutoring into our plan next year.
      • Jeff asked the group for their ideas for the BLT meeting. That is his building leadership team.  One from each grade level, social worker and the principal
      • What is mission or objective of blt group?focused on curriculum, instruction and implementation.
      • There is also a logistics team, a little committee that deals with issues that come up in the building (e.g. coffee machine, or other group issues, also technology, safety, etc.. – anything that is not curriculum based)

J. Nalwalker asked where the group wants to focus the surplus money

1. 1. In the land trust plan we can hire additional aids, increase opportunity for public practice, we can purchase technology, or replace current materials, or get new materials; for those items we do not need to amend budget. For other new ideas we may.
   2. Total surplus is around 63,000, meaning we are 44k over our expected surplus.
      1. We cannot use this money to increase pay rate of aids, is that true?   The rates are looking to be raised, but that has to be done eventually across the district since we are a public entity.
   3. We had to budget this year was tricky due to covid, so that had lead to the surplus.
   4. So far we have purchased extra material and software for the students.
   5. This money is nice as we can be on the front end of school material and technology replacement.
   6. Nalwalker asked the group ideas.
      1. York. Learning and design, franklin covey had experience here and she taught them how to attach skemas in the brain into short term learning.
         • This may not be a viable option but she really helped people understand how people learn and the brain science behind it.
         • Note that anything we do has to be approved by the district but if we have something that aligns with that and can give teachers a boost.
      2. Other suggestions:Try to get more motivation back into what school means for kids.  Having a hard time with behavior issues, request to add more play works time, can we have more time to add another brain booster section with the teachers we have?
         1. The teachers are feeling the covid pandemic, to get more support; Can we get some more support in the rooms, or can we use some of the monies to hire the aids more often?
         2. It was noted that anything that will change the master calendar (more brain booster) will be difficult.
            • More recess and more PE has good evidence, but will take away time in the schedule.
            • This is something that J. Nalwalker will bring to the leadership council and take up for discussion. **ACTION for J. Nalwalker**
            • Nalwalker will see what it takes to get permission to add more activities
            • The issue is if we do get an additional 20 minutes each day, how are the teachers going to make that up in instruction. That stress is something to consider on the back side.
            • Gretchen said in France they have rec centers, no school on wednesday, were taken to the rec center and learned how to do activities.
            • The group validated that the more physical activity the kids have, the better they will learn and absorb. The idea of loving school will be better if kids can get more physical activity.
            • The group noted that there will be residual effects of not having enough physical activity, and not enough group interaction, we need to figure out a plan forward so we can bring it to the district to make decisions for years down the road.
            • Gretchen said that research proves this works well.
            • The buddy bench is another great idea. J. Nalwalker said we can immediately get buddy benches.  **ACTN** J. Nalwalker will order buddy benches. (Not using LandTrust or TSSP funds)
            • Annette York
              1. Schawartz emotion wheel, print out an emotion wheel and they can show how they are feeling. Getting kid sto name emotion can help with empathy, resilience.
              2. This is the emotion wheel. Sometimes kids don’t know how to describe their feeling.

• https://www.google.com/search?q=shwartz+emotion+wheel&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS822US823&oq=shwartz+emotion+wheel&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i10i160j33i299.14299j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Surplus Funds 2020-21-Jeff

1. Total planned surplus with high-end of promised raise: $18,690
2. Total projected surplus as of January 2021: $63,000
3. This is$44,310over our projected surplus.
4. Reasons include:
   1. Raises came in on the lower end of projections
   2. Three positions went unfilled $24,000
   3. Moving aide from instructional position to office position due to unexpected office retirement.  She was paid until November 9thfrom different budget.
5. We have purchased math material, reading materials and software with some of the surplus money already
6. We are following our surplus plan to purchase additional technology including updating all remainingstudent devices as well as teacher ipads and laptops to spend the remaining surplus down to close to $0.

 

 

One-to-One Initiative-Jeff

District Plans

We will continue with social emotional training

we will purchase more software for tracking how well the children are doing

we will also move forward with some kind of a general tutoring program for after school, similar to bruen den.   We can call it bob cat den.  it’s all up to the ability to staff it.

 

Other business-Lori

Can we have Kelsy give an overview of the social emotional learning program?

The group said yes, that would be great to see the response and how it is going since that has been started.

This would allow the group to see what is happening and how it is being implemented

 

Motion to adjourn? – Yes, T.  Grover first, second by C. Gunther, motion to pass by all.