Collaborative School Committee

Chin, Clapper, Danley, Hook, Fisher, Knickerbocker, Learned, Lessard, Martinez, Minoque, Swan, Vicente, Weightman, Wollins

General Updates:

1. Textbook Budget

• 100K on budget last year to start textbook cycle
• 77K spent so far (math)
• 17K AP History books
• 17K remains
• Plan to front load budget with 100K this year (3 departments have requested this money)
• Gotten to this point of need as a matter of resource management, etc.

2. Certification of IB Teachers

• Are all IB teachers are certified?
• Every 2 years is the certification cycle for IB teachers.

3. Closed Lunch Period and Food Trucks

• Pizza, Burritos, Mexican Popsicles going well
• Overall lunch is going well and there has not been any calls so far
• It is taking up a lot of management time (that will need to be evaluated)

4. Volunteer Needs

• Which areas?
• Need to talk to Alyssa R.
• Sustaining her position will be a competing line item next year

5. Fundraiser / Auction:

• David’s auction items were pretty much dropped
• Only 9 items in auction for Back to School Night
• Not a failed event — just weak
• Lessons to learn: David is recommending a bigger event sponsored by CSC later in the year. Need to contact Jose, David, Alyssa and Kelli to discuss.

NEW BUSINESS

1. Enrollment Numbers 2015-16

• Jose reported that as of last Friday numbers were 1360, today at 1351, hopefully will be a little higher
• Enrollment numbers increased by 160 students in Honors; so numbers are up in 9^th grade and in Honors.
• Budget partner probably won’t take money back
• There will not be any extra money, but GW won’t lose money
• Also, we won’t RIB a teacher
• There is a carry — forward from last year’s budget & that covered the 9^th grade academy
• 95% full in all shadowing opportunities

2. Budget

• Is the money for advisement and 9^th grade academy going to be there next year? For further discussion as the year goes on.
• GW has the largest number of ELL, so we need help in EL development. We may get additional allocation from Greta Martinez’s office, but we don’t know this now (there are about 200 kids)
• The idea of having student tutors from theIB program was brought up but a teacher mentioned this education is mandated by law & tutoring would not really fulfill that
• Bryn Learned will talk to Margie and we will readdress this at the next meeting
• We don’t have any extra money and the money is already allocated
• A teacher asked if GW has turned away any students and some have been turned away because they didn’t meet credit requirements.
• There is a mill levy of 111K for tech each year. A large portion of that has been spent on computer carts (78 for carts, 20 for teacher computer replacement)

3. Arts Mill Levy

• This is rolled into the general fund, so how do we know where that extra money is allocated? It is supposed to supplement, not supplant.
• Unknown whether CSC can determine that (like a hook in Jell-O)
• Scott said he would clarify that

4. Should CSC use Unified Improvement Plan (UIP)

• Four main areas are still being focused on: ELL, Low income students
• Barb pointed out:
  • Student performance in declining (all)
  • Staff is not highly qualified according to 2012, 13, 14 = teachers not teaching in their subject area
  • There was a discussion of parents following a student through their day to observe, based on info determined by teachers and administration.
  • Example: 15-20 parents over a 2-week period shadow a student (not their child) to help view level of educational quality and satisfaction. This is too broad a focus.