November 30, 2010 Minutes

APPROVED BY THE PITTSFIELD SCHOOL BOARD

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT #51
PITTSFIELD SCHOOL BOARD

MINUTES

Pittsfield School Board Meeting
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Pittsfield Middle High School

I. CALL TO ORDER

Members Present: Mary Paradise
Mike Wolfe (arrived at 6:50 p.m.)
Elizabeth Adams
Kathy Corliss
Clayton Wood

Others Present: John Freeman, Superintendent
Tobi Gray Chassie, Director of Student Services
Bob Bickford, Principal, PMHS
Lois-Jean Stevens, Coordinator of Student Services
Doug Kilmister, Principal, PES

Jason Darrah, Basketball Coach, PMHS

Chairperson Paradise called the meeting to order at 5:36 p.m.

II. AGENDA REVIEW

The following items were added to the agenda:
• SIG update (Dr. Freeman)
• School Board communications (Dr. Freeman)
• Request for temporary waiver of residency requirement (Mr. Kilmister)

III. ACTION ON AMENDED AGENDA

On a motion made by Mr. Wood and seconded by Ms. Adams, the Board voted unanimously to approve the amended agenda.

IV. PUBIC INPUT – None

V. SCHOOL BOARD

A. ISSUING OF BUILDING KEYS

Jason Darrah, coach of the PMHS boys basketball team, reported to the board that he previously had an exterior door key to access to school building. Mr. Darrah was informed at the beginning of the current season, however, that he would not receive a key to the building this season. He then spoke with Athletic Director Peter Tuttle, PMHS Principal Bob Bickford, and Superintendent of Schools John Freeman, before coming to the School Board to discuss his need for access at times when the school is closed and secured.

Ms. Paradise stated that the Board had previously asked the administration to gain better control over the distribution of keys. Although the current school board policy does not specifically restrict coaches from having a key, the school administration believed that it was the Board’s wish to limit the people who have access to the exterior doors.

According to Mr. Bickford, Mr. Darrah followed the appropriate steps in resolving this issue. Further direction was requested from the Board by Mr. Darrah and the school administration.

Ms. Paradise summarized the direction of the Board by saying that administration can distribute keys as they see fit and in accordance with school board policy with an appropriate sign out system. Access to a key by employees, including coaches, can occur as deemed appropriate by the administration. Use of the building when closed and secured, however, must be arranged and approved in advance. Community members may also sign out keys for day use. Ms. Stevens explained that a sign-out system has been established and is fully operational.

VI. APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES

A motion was made by Mr. Wood and seconded by Ms. Adams to approve minutes of the November 9, 2010, meeting.

On page 1, change “Thursday” to “Tuesday.” On page 5, change “Wednesday” to “Tuesday.” The motion carried unanimously to approve the minutes as amended.

VII. PES ADMINISTRATION

A. REQUEST FOR TEMPORARY WAIVER OF THE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT

Mr. Kilmister distributed copies of a letter from a parent of a PES student requesting a temporary waiver to the residency requirement to allow non-resident attendance. On a motion made by Ms. Adams and seconded by Mr. Wood, the Board voted to deny the request. Ms. Adams, Ms. Corliss, Mr. Wood voted in the affirmative, and Ms. Paradise abstained from the vote.

B. HALLOWEEN PARADE

Mr. Kilmister presented information regarding the disadvantages of the elementary school hosting the annual Halloween parade. He stated there is a belief that there is a place for the parade in the community and suggested that the Pittsfield Recreation Department be approached with the idea of hosting an event. Discussion ensued regarding the pros and cons of hosting the event. Ms. Paradise suggested that Mr. Kilmister seek input from community members before making a final decision.

C. PES CHESS CLUB

Mr. Kilmister informed the Board of a Chess Club that is forming through the efforts of George Szelest, head custodian. Mr. Szelest is seeking assistance from middle high school students.

D. PROPOSAL FOR TEAM LEADERS

A proposed change in the make-up of team leaders was described by Mr. Kilmister. He explained that he is expanding the number from six to eight.

VIII. PMHS ADMINISTRATION

A. PARIS TRIP

Mr. Bickford outlined the details of a proposed PMHS art / foreign language excursion to France in 2012, developed by PMHS Art Teacher Bill Mitchell and Foreign Language Teacher Amy Gardner. Ms. Adams suggested providing clear rules and regulations prior to any financial transactions to avoid possible confusion at the last minute. On a motion made by Mr. Wood and seconded by Ms. Corliss, the Board voted unanimously to approve the trip.

B. POLICY IKF. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Mr. Bickford stated that in light of the increase in the mandatory age of attendance to 18 and the need to provide alternative pathways to completing secondary education, it may be appropriate for the Board to review and potentially amend Policy IKF, Graduation Requirements. Mr. Bickford detailed the issues to be considered, including:
• A one credit decrease in the number of required credits;
• A reduction in the health education credit requirement;
• The adoption of an alternative diploma that would meet the state minimum graduation requirements;
• A determination of which students will be included in graduation exercises; and
• Consideration for the development and implementation of alternative celebration for students who complete their secondary education without completing the requirements for a PMHS diploma.

Discussion ensued regarding the home education policy.

Mr. Wood suggested that the opinion sought at the PMHS Site Council meeting on this topic be considered by the Board. Mr. Bickford will include the minutes from that meeting in the next Board report. Ms. Paradise directed the school administration to draft recommendations for the Board’s consideration.

C. SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER

Mr. Bickford reminded the Board of Pittsfield Police Chief Robert Wharem’s visit to a School Board meeting earlier in the fall during which he spoke about developing a plan that would allow for a member of the Pittsfield Police Department to have an ongoing presence in the schools. Chief Wharem is suggesting piloting a plan that would place a police officer in the schools, starting at the beginning of the year, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily. If this pilot project is a success, Chief Wharem is in favor of having a full time officer in the school starting with the 2011-2012 school year.

Mr. Wood suggested seeking information from the community relative to this proposal. He stated that he was impressed by the Chief’s enthusiasm regarding the school and, in particular, his collaborative relationship with Dr. Freeman.

Ms. Corliss asked which budget would fund this program, to which Mr. Bickford answered the police department budget. She further asked about boundary issues that may arise in addressing student discipline, to which Mr. Bickford explained that there are some concerns that would need to be examined further. Ms. Paradise expressed concern about whether the Select Board is informed of this proposal, what the plan would be if the cost of the program could not be sustained by the Select Board, whether the supervision of the officer would be the police department or the school district, and the threat of escalating situations with police presence.

Ms. Paradise stated that she believes that many questions remain unanswered and that she doesn’t believe that time would allow for thorough planning and discussion in time for a January 2010 start-up. She asked Mr. Bickford and Ms. Stevens to continue their research on the proposal.

D. SCHOOL STANDARDS REPORT

Ms. Corliss asked if the school standards report for PMHS was finalized and sent to the Department of Education. Mr. Bickford stated that the report was completed and sent, with a follow-up letter providing the most recent health inspections.

Ms. Corliss stated her concern regarding courses offered in the catalogue, but not actually available due to lack of students signing up for the courses. Mr. Bickford noted that the 2011-2012 course of studies booklet will be ready for Board review in January.

IX. STUDENT SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

A. TRUANT OFFICER

Ms. Chassie stated that RSA 189:34 requires the Board to appoint a truant officer. The district administrative team has recommended Ms. Stevens be appointed as the district truant officer.

On a motion made by Mr. Wood and seconded by Mr. Wolfe, the Board voted unanimously to appoint Ms. Stevens as the district truant officer.

B. SPECIAL EDUCATION POLICY AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Ms. Chassie presented the Special Education Policy and Procedures Manual for the Board for consideration. It was requested that Ms. Chassie send the manual electronically to the members of the Board with approval considered at a future meeting.

X. SAU ADMINISTRATION

A. GYMNASIUM FLOOR

Ms. Corliss complimented the district on the new floor. Mr. Bickford explained that there are several considerations being taken into account before finalizing the project. The certificate of occupancy has not yet been issued by the Pittsfield Fire Department; permission for temporary occupancy has been granted.

B. POLICY – READING

Policy EBBC – Emergency Care and First Aid was proposed by Dr. Freeman. This policy is recommended to establish consistency with Policy JLCE. On a motion made by Mr. Wolfe and seconded by Mr. Wood the Board voted unanimously to rescind Policy EBBC and to make appropriate note in the tables of contents of the Board Policy Manual.

C. POLICY – RECOMMENDATION

Dr. Freeman recommended Policy IJO – Community Resources, Policy IMAH – Daily Physical Activity, Policy JLC – Student Health Services, and Policy JLCE – Emergency Care and First Aid for approval. On a motion made by Mr. Wolfe and seconded by Mr. Wood, the Board unanimously adopted Policy IJO – Community Resources, Policy IMAH – Daily Physical Activity, Policy JLC – Student Health Services, and Policy JLCE – Emergency Care and First Aid, as amended.

D. FLOOR COVERING

Dr. Freeman reviewed the quotes from suppliers of floor covers to be used on the PMHS gym floor when the gym is being used for activities other than physical education or athletics. These included: Covermaster – $5,907, Innovative Athletic – $6,001, and All Court Fabrics – $6,802. Ms. Adams pointed out that the administration will need to reconsider the rules relative to shoes and refreshments during non-athletic functions, such as school dances. On a motion made by Mr. Wolfe and seconded by Ms. Adams, the Board voted unanimously to accept the bid from for Covermaster for the purchase of floor covering.

E. FY 2012 BUDGET

Dr. Freeman distributed the estimated revenue summary for 2011-2012 for the Board’s review. He also distributed a revised proposed 2011-2012 budget.

Ms. Adams distributed a newspaper article entitled, Half of Stimulus Money for Schools Goes to State.

Ms. Paradise suggested using the budget work session to go through the budget line-by-line. A session has been scheduled for Thursday, December 2, 2010, at 5:30 p.m. in the PMHS Conference Room. Ms. Paradise advised members of the Board to email questions to Ms. Blanchette, with a copy to Dr. Freeman. Together, they will make every effort to answer questions before Thursday.

F. PES SIDING

Dr. Freeman provided an update regarding the assessment of the siding at PES. He will keep the Board informed as more information becomes available.

G. STUDENT SAFETY FORUM

Dr. Freeman reminded the Board of the student safety forum scheduled for Wednesday, December 1, 2010, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The forum will be held in either the media center or cafeteria at PMHS, depending of number of participants.

H. SIG UPDATE

Due to the time, the Board agreed by consensus to hear the SIG update at its next meeting.

XI. SCHOOL BOARD (Continued)

A. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT

Dr. Freeman reiterated that the School Board Negotiating Team reached an agreement with the Education Association of Pittsfield (EAP). On Monday, November 29, 2010, the EAP voted unanimously to approve the negotiated collective bargaining agreement. On a motion made by Mr. Wolfe and seconded by Mr. Wood, the Board voted unanimously to approve the negotiated collective bargaining agreement.

B. NEAS&C REPORT ON COMMUNITY

NEAS&C Self-Study Committee Co-Chairperson Kiza Armour was not available to discuss the report. The item will be included on the next agenda.

C. COMMUNICATION

Dr. Freeman distributed the following emails that were sent by a Board member to a quorum of the Board since the last Board meeting:

Email sent to the Board from Ms. Adams on November 19th:

Concord Monitor article from Tues. Nov. 16, reports that the State will take half the Stimulus money and the other half goes to the schools. You can read it online and I will bring it with me next meeting. Could someone find out how this affects our budget before the next meeting? The Budget Committee Chair gave me the article for our information. In regards to the article about the forwarded speech by Sec. Duncan, Sec. Duncan seems to address much of what we discussed last meeting and the unrealistic mandates from the NHDOE we heard about.
Lea

Subject: Secretary Duncan takes on the public school system
Date: Friday, November 19, 2010, 8:10 AM
Bam! Pow! Whomp! Sec. Duncan Knocks It Out of the Park – Rick Hess Straight Up – Education Week

excerpt: In the Q&A, Duncan didn’t let up a lick. In my favorite remark, he said that unions “absolutely” have “to change and reform,” but he then let boards, supes, and the U.S. Department of Ed have it with both barrels. He said, “We don’t talk enough about dysfunctional school boards. Ultimately, unions don’t set school budgets, school boards do. And school boards have often shown a tremendous lack of courage, having nothing to do with union challenges. Superintendents often care about their political longevity more than doing the right thing…I’m talking about our [U.S.] Department of Education, [which] I think, in many cases has been a huge part of the problem… I promise you, we’re looking in the mirror every day to say how do we stop being this compliance-driven bureaucracy and how do we support innovation.” As my friend Mike Petrilli would say: Boom!

Email sent to the Board from Ms. Adams on November 22nd:

Follow up on some of the reasons for NHSBA Resolutions.
Lea
Date: Monday, November 22, 2010, 5:52 AM
The three testing groups who helped develop CC’s college readiness standards, not surprisingly, are going to help implement assessments based on the standards they developed, all under the claim that these are “state-led” initiatives and are “internationally benchmarked” and “research-based.” These testing companies will develop exactly the kind of assessments that the Gates Foundation planned for, based on the kind of standards it paid for that would lend themselves to these assessments.
“College readiness” is to come to mean that the first two years of college will be equivalent in content to the last two years of high school, but will earn college credit.
Remember, NH is piloting graduating students after 10th grade! (Marc Tucker initiative)
And CB and ACT will produce “college readiness” cut-scores on tests that show the most of our high school students are suddenly ready for “real” college courses, when they are in fact barely ready for whatever content they may have studied in the last two years of high school.
====================================================================
> http://www.act.org/activity/winter2010/commoncore.html
> ACT Lends Research, Expertise to Common Core State Standards
> InitiativeACT has played a key role in the development of the
> common core standards for college and career readiness in English
> language arts and mathematics, which were released for public
> review in September 2009. ACT’s research and staff will also play
> key roles in the next step, which is the development of the K-12
> common core standards.
>
> The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the
> National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA
> Center) are jointly leading the Common Core State Standards
> Initiative in partnership with ACT, Achieve, Inc., and the College
> Board. They are asking states to adopt a set of common core
> standards and to participate in the development of a common
> assessment system aligned to the core.
>
> Governors and chief state school officers in 51 states and U.S.
> territories have committed to the state-led process. If all adopt
> the common core state standards, approximately 43.5 million
> students-or 87 percent of the U.S. student population-will be
> affected.
> The initiative builds directly on recent efforts of leading
> organizations and states that have focused on developing college
> and career readiness standards. It helps ensure that state
> standards are research-based and evidence-based, are
> internationally benchmarked to top-performing countries around the
> world, are aligned with college and career expectations, and
> include rigorous content and skills.
>
> A Standards Development Work Group, which included content experts
> from ACT, Achieve, Inc., and the College Board, helped determine
> and write the common core standards. A Validation Committee of
> national and international experts on standards reviewed the
> process and substance of the common core standards to ensure that
> they are research and evidence-based and will validate state
> adoption on the common core standards.
>
> “ACT has been measuring the mathematics, reading, and writing
> skills included in the Common Core State Standards for many years.
> Through our work with the College Readiness
> Standards(tm), College Readiness
> Benchmarks, and the National Curriculum
> Survey, we know what skills are needed to be college
> ready. The Common Core standards are very much aligned with our
> data,” said Sherri Miller, assistant vice president, Educational
> Planning and Assessment Systems, ACT Education Division.

__._,_.___
Email sent to the Board from Ms. Adams on November 28th:

Date: Thursday, November 25, 2010, 7:21 AM
Jamie Gass: Monied interests try to seize public education
01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, July 25, 2010
By JAMIE GASS
BOSTON
The recent Independence Day holiday provided an opportunity to reflect on the principles of American democracy. Few had a bigger role in developing those principles than Massachusetts’s own John Adams, who wrote the state constitution, proposed that Thomas Jefferson pen the Declaration of Independence, nominated George Washington to lead the Continental Army and appointed John Marshall as the nation’s chief justice.
But the plain-spoken Adams would be appalled if he saw the way public officials and unelected trade organizations, funded by private foundations, are flouting democratic institutions in their push to alter federal, state and local education policies.
Public education has long been administered and paid for by state and municipal governments. That local focus has kept it largely free of the “Gucci Gulch” phenomenon of policy crafted by influential D.C. lobbyists.
But that’s all changing. Unelected trade organizations, fueled by tens of millions of dollars from private organizations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, are working to persuade states to adopt proposed national education standards and assessments. Many of these organizations, like the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, have poor records when it comes to improving student achievement and are made up of public officials whose membership dues are taxpayer funded.
Testing companies and other private vendors are using vehicles such as the Partnership for 21st Century Skills to promote policy changes that would potentially position them to reap substantial financial gains.
Massachusetts produced Horace Mann, the father of public education. But events here are a far cry from Mann’s vision of an educated, engaged citizenry.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education last year killed off a requirement that U.S. history join English, math and science as subjects in which students must pass a Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam to graduate from high school. The Executive Office of Education is working to resurrect regional DESE offices it calls “Readiness Centers.” Neither move was approved by the state legislature.
Last year, Commissioner of Education Mitchell Chester signed a $146 million contract to integrate softer “21st century skills” into MCAS tests even though neither the legislature nor the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved the change.
The board never voted on, or even saw, either of the commonwealth’s two applications for federal “Race to the Top” education-grant funding before they were submitted. Grant-competition rules require superintendent or school-committee-chair support, but don’t require a full committee vote.
The BESE just voted to replace the commonwealth’s best-in-the-nation academic standards with weaker national standards and assessments. The public comment period for the proposed national standards was just three weeks during the summer, when many educators are on vacation. Comment periods are usually a couple of months, always during the academic year.
When it comes to the national standards, the line dividing public officials and trade organizations has become so murky that Pioneer Institute recently submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for correspondence between state education officials and organizations like NGA, CCSSO, the Gates Foundation and the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
It’s particularly unfortunate that public education is the setting for this circumvention of democracy and the public trust. Even as we teach our children about the sanctity of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Federalist Papers, they watch adults develop ever-more-clever ways to brush aside the principles those documents exemplify.
An ongoing fiscal crisis that has Massachusetts facing an estimated $2 billion deficit for the next fiscal year provides the backdrop for these end runs around democracy. Readiness Centers would cost money to operate; switching to the national academic standards would require expensive new assessments.
Massachusetts municipalities have been laid low by fiscal woes. The switch to national standards would inflict even more pain by forcing them to pay for new teacher professional development programs and textbooks that are aligned with the new standards and assessments.
John Adams believed future generations would mark Independence Day “with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations.” But he would find nothing to celebrate in selected federal and state officials sidestepping democratic institutions that are the Founding Fathers’ most enduring legacy.
Jamie Gass is director of the Center for School Reform at the Pioneer Institute, a Boston-based think tank.

Email sent to the Board from Ms. Adams on November 28th:

Here is a little follow-up on the RTT program from some of those states receiving the Federal Dollars. They are deciding NOT to accept it and here are some of the reasons why.
Lea

Date: Thursday, November 25, 2010, 6:57 AM
1) The “assessment” hasn’t been drafted YET
2) The teacher often times does not have full autonomy in their classroom (ie…does not choose text book)
3) what about the students who do not show up for class?
4) what about the students who do not do the work required in class?
5) this is why we hire Administrators!

The Answer Sheet – Schools chief returns Race to the Top money — for his teachers

Posted at 5:00 AM ET, 11/24/2010
Schools chief returns Race to the Top money — for his teachers
By Valerie Strauss
A number of school districts in states that won money in the Education Department’s $4 billion Race to the Top competition have decided they don’t actually want the money because, in most cases, officials think it is more trouble to accept it.
In Ohio, which won $400 million in the Race sweepstakes, more than two dozen districts and public charter schools say they think it will cost them more than they will get from the federal government to implement the required reforms, according to Sean Cavanagh at www.edweek.com.
And then there is the Jones County School District near Macon, Ga., headed by Superintendent Bill Mathews.
Mathews has decided not to accept $1.3 million in Race to the Top money — the district’s share of Georgia’s $400 million pot — for reasons including his refusal to implement a value-added assessment system for teachers, based on student standardized test scores. (The county had signed up for the money before Mathews became superintendent last year.)
Assessment experts say these systems should not be used to evaluate teachers, pointing to new research that indicates they are not reliable and error rates are unacceptably high, but they are supported anyway by the Obama administration. Many of these systems are seen by teachers as ignoring other factors beside a teacher’s influence that can affect a student’s performance on a standardized test.
And that’s why Mathews decided not to accept the money and why the county school board went along with his recommendation.
Mathews was quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the research doesn’t bear out the effectiveness of these systems, and that implementing one would be too expensive. He said that educating children in the county’s public schools is a team effort by all of the adults in the building, and that singling out the teachers in this way would be wrong.
“My philosophy has always been that from the front door to the back door, from the secretary to the lunchroom worker, [everyone] is responsible for the student achievement of every child,” Mathews was quoted as saying. “We set our goals and if we meet our goals, we all celebrate.”
We’d all be a lot better off if there were more Bill Mathewses out there running our public school districts.
-0-

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XII. COMMITTEES

A. DRAKE FIELD – Ms Corliss and Mr. Wolfe

No report

B. SELECT BOARD LIAISON – Mr. Wood and Ms. Adams

No report

C. BUDGET COMMITTEE – Ms. Adams and Ms. Corliss

No report

D. NEGOTIATING TEAM – Ms. Paradise and Mr. Wolfe

No report

E. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN – Mr. Wood

Ms. Paradise reported on the four school district items included in the updated Pittsfield Capital Improvement Plan: PES window replacement, PES roof replacement, PES siding replacement, and energy efficiency projects for both schools. She complimented Mr. Odell for his work in putting the plan together for the town.

XIII. NEXT MEETING

There will be a work session on Thursday, December 2, 2010, at 5:30 p.m. The next regular School Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 9, 2010, at 5:30 p.m. at the Pittsfield Middle High School. The agenda will include SIG update and budget. The need to hold the Board meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 23, 2010, will be considered on December 9th.

XIV. PUBLIC INPUT (Second Session) – None

XV. ADJOURNMENT

On a motion made by Mr. Wood and seconded by Mr. Wolfe, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 8:58 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Tobi Gray Chassie
Recording Secretary