April 29, 2003
Board members Daren Reese, Gary Wilson, Coleen Estep, Dr. Nick Rogers, Sue Saia and Joelyn Squires were present at last night's board meeting at Arkansas City High School.
Good News Recognition
Kristen Martinez presented Jefferson Principal Mike Henry who introduced third-grade teacher Sandy Keene. Keene earned USD 470's first ever Exceptional Educator Award and has completed the application packet for the Kansas Teacher of the Year program.
Henry said Keene focuses her instruction on the things the district expects. She has high expectations of herself and of her students. Her students' achievement is high compared to other third graders nationwide. She is a competitor and she will bring great honor to our district, Henry said. Keene said there are many exceptional teachers in USD 470 and she feels very fortunate to have received this award.
Consent Agenda
I. Resignations
The board approved the following resignations last night:
II. New Personnel
Benjamin Smith was approved as the new assistant principal at Arkansas City High School. He has been teaching social studies at Buhler High School since 1997. He will earn his administrative certification in May 2003.
Action Item
I. Professional Development School Partnership. During the past two years USD 470 (IXL Elementary) has partnered with Southwestern College in the development of a Professional Development School. Student teachers have been placed with IXL teachers in a two-year internship. The initial placement involves observation and progresses to full responsibility of classroom management and instructional delivery. The placement and supervision of the interns is a responsibility of Southwestern funded through a federal grant to improve teacher quality.
In order to continue to participate in the Professional Development School, USD 470 must assist with funding in the amount of $4,000. The source of funding will be Title IIa - Teacher Quality. These funds would allow another USD 470 elementary school to participate. The funds help provide resources, books and manuals to the USD 470 teachers who participate. They also receive one hour of college credit and continued professional growth. It's a benefit to USD 470's staff, Dr. Jan Voss, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, said. The board voted 6-0 to approve the partnership with Southwestern.
Discussion/Report Items
I. Arkansas City High School Report. Reatha Juden presented the board with information concerning the health careers curriculum. She said these classes allow students to earn certification in CPR and first aid. She said the classes also provide some anatomy and physiology preparation. Juden said the curriculum is strenuous and challenging. She said her students are all good students, and one of them, Brice Harader, was there last night. The board asked her if she thought the classes were challenging.
"If you're willing to learn, cooperate and work as a team, and this is what you want for your life, then it's not challenging," she said. "But if you don't want to learn then it can be challenging."
Juden said the curriculum prepares students to make good decisions about careers and it could help them on a resume for medical school.
Karen Cornejo-White presented information concerning in-house training classes. She discussed the classes the students must take prior to taking in-house training. She discussed some of the items her students do for the district and the community. The students do all the district laminating and make posters, mouse pads, high school agendas, athletic certificates, business cards and t-shirts. The students also make swimming coupons for the Ark City Recreation Commission and Arkalalah buttons for the Chamber of Commerce. Cornejo said the students also do work for Brown's, local churches and the Ark City Police Department.
When Total closed, former Superintendent Dr. Jean Snell asked Cornejo-White's students to set up and evening for former Total employees to come in and have a resume prepared for them.
"This was a wonderful gesture," she said. It fostered "good community relations."
Cornejo-White said she operates her class like a business. The students answer the phone. They earned points every day for attendance and participation. They must complete 180 hours of in-house training. Because of the way the schedule is set up, the students must come in and work with Cornejo-White during three seminar periods every six weeks to earn extra time to meet the state's 180-hour requirement.
Cornejo-White said the students must have at least 50 percent of their business from the community. The students are always in need of projects from the community, she said. To find out more about the services offered by the in-house training class, please call 441-2022.
II. Food Service Proposal. Dr. Ron Ballard, assistant superintendent/business manager, presented information about the food service proposals. USD 470 has completed the Request for Proposals document for food service contracting, effective for the 2003-2004 school year. Upon annual board approval, this contract could be renewed in one-year increments (as has been the district's practice).
Board Vice President Gary Wilson asked if the current food service personnel would receive a lower wage if the contract were awarded to a different company. Ballard said no; the district hires the workers and pays them, then the food service company reimburses the district for those workers' salaries.
Ballard said the district could ask the companies that submit proposals to "show us how they'll help out our district and community financially. This is a lucrative contract. No favoritism will be shown to any company. In fact, I'd like to see the costs go down."
Ballard said he anticipates making a recommendation to the board at either the last meeting in June or the first meeting in July.
III. Board of Education Policies. The board heard a first reading of the following suggested board of education policies:
The board will vote on these policies at the May 12 meeting, which will be at ACHS at 7 p.m. All meetings of the board are open to the public.
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