ERCSD Curriculum and Philosophy Committee Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, September 16, 2008 – EHS Roy Morrisette Alumni Room

 

 

Board Present:           Patty Lovejoy, Tomasen Carey, Barbara RigordaEva, Jennifer
                                    Maher, Dave Miller, Kate Segal, Ray Trueman, Townley Chisholm

 

Administration:           Mike Morgan, Tom O’Malley, Bill Perkins, Vic Sokul

 

Visitors:          Kate Wheeler-Smith, Sue Robertson, Kathy Norton, Rob Newman,
                        Betty DeSimone, Liz Faria, Wendy MacArthur-Keith, Kathy Norton
                        and Roy Morrisette (6:52 PM)

 

Meeting began at 6:30 PM

 

1. Exploratory World Language Program at CMS—Update:

• Mr. O’Malley reported that four (4) World Language teachers are each teaching a section of the Grade 6 Exploratory Program. 
• The teachers are exposing students to the languages and to the cultures.
• This is a multi-lingual approach and is not limited solely to French, Spanish, and Latin that is available in grades 7^th and 8^th.
• Discussion followed about scheduling transition experienced by 6^th graders.

 

2. Parent Conferences:

• Ms. Carey encouraged CMS to hold parent/teacher conferences for 2008-09.
• Mr. O’Malley noted the parent/teachers conferences will be offered, but will be voluntary for parents to schedule/attend.
• Mr. O’Malley and Mr. Perkins reported that CMS held three successful Parent Nights last week.
• Ms. Lovejoy suggested that teachers might be able to use some sort of rotating format to allow teachers to meet with parents during the day.
• Ms. Carey liked the idea of parents meeting with teachers when school is in session.
• Mr. Miller recommended that the administrators be allowed to develop and implement this idea.
• Ms. RigordaEva commented that she had heard many positive comments about the recent open houses.  She complemented Mr. O’Malley for being so approachable.
• Discussion ensued regarding collective bargaining language and how it might impact Parent Conferences.
• Ms. MacArthur-Keith suggested that the day not be extended for teachers for this purpose.
• Mr. Morgan encouraged Mr. O’Malley and Mr. Perkins to work on a proposal to be presented at the September 23^rd Coop Board meeting.

 

 

3. Parent Survey:  Respect issue:

• Ms. RigordaEva discussed students leaving school district due to lack of feeling respected and this may be connected to staff members’ communication skills.  Ms. RigordaEva discussed a specific incident of a student leaving the school district in response to a respect issue.   She talked about the privacy issue regarding an "action plan" response situation and explained that when administration and teachers discuss a problem a privacy issue comes into play.  Therefore, some parents have the "impression" there is a lack of response to their concern, when in actuality, the problem is being addressed behind the scenes.  Ms. RigordaEva questioned how to create a better balance of communication with parents, while still adhering to the privacy issue in a disciplinary situation involving an SAU employee.
• Ms. Maher pointed to data from survey and number of neutral replies and does not necessarily think neutral is negative.  We need more communication.
• With regards to response to data about students respecting other students, Ms. Lovejoy agrees.  She thinks administration could certainly address it with teachers.
• Mr. Morgan noted it is his intention to use the data to create awareness of these concerns.
• Mr. O’Malley has discussed the issue of what is respect with his staff and counselors.  There are different interpretations of definition.
• Mr. Chisholm feels we need to look at data and how we could use it to make improvements.
• Mr. Morgan noted that CMS Staff and Student Survey results showed 83% of students felt respected by teachers.
• Consensus by board members present that they would like more positive results with respect.
• Mr. Morgan suggested looking at how to use Channel 22 more effectively to communicate and there may be more options with cable to “show our programs” where we can focus on students.
• Mr. Miller agreed that we need to focus on the students.
• Liz Faria asked if there could be a regularly scheduled time on Channel 22 for Board meetings to air.

 

4.  Parent Survey:  Level of academic challenge issue:

• Mr. Morgan will discuss with Channel 22 ways to share the Parent Survey Results on that channel, i.e. open forum, etc.
• Mr. Morgan noted that the results from the “level of academic challenge question” on the survey are a sensitive issue and we need teacher, parent and Board feedback. 
• The survey results on this question were noted that 52% of parents were satisfied and 20% were not satisfied and that we need to look into this.
• Ms. RigordaEva still would like something more concrete for our advanced students.
• Mr. Miller noted we need to meet the needs of all the students.
• Discussion followed on differentiation – how difficult it is to differentiate well.
• Ms. Lovejoy noted that Dr. John Cronin’s report showed CMS is challenging our top students.
• More discussion followed, including class size, cluster grouping, Professional Learning Communities and perception of parents not being satisfied.
• Mr. Sokul reported that the high school is working on consistent expectations for different leveled courses and will bring to Curriculum Committee meetings.

 

 

5.      Board Workshop for specific topics, including setting of Coop short-term goals:

·        Mr. Trueman brought up polling parents of student who leave the district in high school to go to either a private school or GBeCS.

 

Meeting adjourned at 7:52 PM

 

 

Minutes taken by, 

Michael A. Morgan, Superintendent and Kate Segal, Board Member