Class Size & Student Enrichment Committee Meeting Minutes Archive

** This committee has been discontinued **
February 2, 2006 | January 3, 2006 | December 1, 2005
 

Class-Size and Student Enrichment Committee
Meeting Notes from February 2, 2006

Chairperson: Bill Kirkland

Committee Members Present

Our proposed policy on class size limits has received first reading

The body of our meeting time was spent in discussion about process as it relates to the Board’s committees and the responsibilities thereof. Additionally, committee members articulated questions they had about the policy committee’s document that went to the Board. (The committee feels that if the policy committee had allowed an additional review by our committee, the reservations/questions could have been resolved perhaps without Board involvement.)

Recall that after our first submission of the proposed class size policy to the policy committee, that committee made some considerable changes. It is the feeling of our committee, that prior to the February 1 Board meeting and the “first reading” (by the Board) of the policy, the revision of the policy and explanation of the proposed changes should have come back to us for one more look and consideration.

That is, our understanding of our committee’s charge by the Board should have resulted in the above return for our review.

Substitute issues

Sheila and Heather had prepared for committee discussion a brief list of school-related items/information about which they feel substitutes need to be better informed.

Time did not allow for a discussion. However, the following actions were taken.

1. Sheila and Heather were invited to develop a questionnaire to gather from other substitutes more information regarding what they need to know more about.

2. These two committee members will run the questionnaire by Ted for his review and input.

3. Several of our more experienced subs will then be invited to respond to the questionnaire.

4. Sheila and Heather will share the results of this inquiry at our next meeting.

5. Bill asked that the two also review the most recent Barre City and Barre Town Substitute Manuals and report to the committee on their findings.

OUR NEXT MEETING:  Thursday, February 23, 8:00 a.m., upstairs conference room

(next meetings: Thursday, April 6; Thursday, May 4)

Our task at the next meeting:
Discuss the findings of the substitute inquiry.

Class-Size and Student Enrichment Committee
Meeting Notes from January 3, 2006

Chairperson: Bill Kirkland

Committee Members Present

Getting it together for tomorrow’s Board meeting.

Our task at this meeting was to discuss the “how” and the “who” associated with now transferring the fruit of our labors to the Board. Recall that the original charge given to our committee was to review the literature and make recommendations to the Board on the topic of class size at Barre Town.

(Other areas of our charge were delegated by Dave Harrington to the Board at its August meeting, as follows:

     • Teacher aides and paraeducators
     • Volunteer support
     • PTO and fundraising events
     • Student leadership
     • Athletics
     • Social outlets)

Board Meeting Presentation

NOTE: Bill or Paul needs to state that the administration is moving forward in anticipation of having 47 teaching positions for the 2006-2007 school year. Having this said up front may well put the Board’s mind at ease, since at this same meeting the Board will put forth a proposed FT’07 budget that is based on 47 and not 49 classroom teachers.

Bill Kirkland will introduce his committee members.

Bill will give an overview of the charge and it’s three “answers.” He will share the outcome class sizes to which our study has led us; he will speak to the matter of policy; and, he will tell the Board that our four-month study also surfaced some Barre Town financial information and context that our committee wants the Board to have.

Paul will share with the Board the background of one of the most careful, controlled studies in education conducted in this country on the topic of exactly our charge: class size and its effect on student achievement.

Cathy Hilgendorf will make a presentation on the Tennessee Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) studies and their effect on our class size recommendations.

Val Collins will present the financial context talking points from our work

Bill or Ted will summarize the work of the committee. Bill will give the Board members copies of our proposed policy which Laurie G, is drafting.

OUR NEXT MEETING:  TUESDAY, JANUARY 10  8:00 a.m.   upstairs conference room

Our tasks at the next meeting include:

To debrief on our presentation to and discussion with the Board.

To briefly review the above six “other” categories dealt to us.

To set a series of as-needed meetings of our committee to deal with business assigned by the board.

Class-Size and Student Enrichment Committee
Meeting Notes from December 1, 2005

Chairperson: Bill Kirkland

Committee Members Present

Presentation by Dave Harrington, Chair of the Board’s Finance Committee

Dave Harrington came to our meeting wearing two hats. He is at once Chair of the Board, and the leader of the Board’s finance committee. His purpose for coming was to give our committee some fiscal context for our very important guidance to the Board on the topic of staff/student ratios.

During his presentation and the discussion that followed, the following points were made.

• The finance committee is studying a draft of the developing 2006-2007 budget. Currently the bottom line shows a net increase of +4.27%, including the increase of one teaching position from the current year. (I.e. a 49th classroom teacher.)

• From the 2004-2005 to 2005-2006 school years, Barre Town has experienced a decline of about 50 students. From 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 we are anticipating a further decline of about 20 students. (Dave feels that it will be very difficult to “sell” the community on the increase of our staffing while at the same time experiencing two years of declining student population, particularly in the face of other financial realities.)

  • At the state level, the governor is looking for ways to react to the fact that 49.4% of the state budget pays for K-8 education.

  • Vermont enjoys the lowest staff-student ratio of any state in the country.

  • Section 2120.8.1(c) of the newly-approved (Vermont) School Quality Standards reads as follows:
    At the elementary level, classes in grades K-3, when taken together, shall average fewer than 20 students per teacher. In grades 4-8, when taken together, shall average fewer than 25 students per teacher.

A wide-ranging discussion followed, all centering on the budget and the role of our ratio deliberations on the budget. Clearly the way we staff our school impacts on budget. Kathy raised the idea of the Board making more recognition of the per pupil spending differences between our school and other schools in this area, county, and/or state. Barre Town spends less per pupil than most school districts in Vermont. We are at the bottom in this measure, while being near the top in the academic success of our students. Kathy’s point: we need to make a bigger deal about this.

Sheila Bailey offered the suggestion that the Board reinstitute the practice of going out into the community (neighborhood gatherings?) to discuss the budget and other matters to do with the school,

Clearly we need to formulate our thoughts on the all-important matter of class size, and with an eye toward the context offered by Dave and our discussion.

OUR NEXT MEETING:
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15,  8:00 a.m., upstairs conference room

Our task at the next meeting:  To develop a draft set of recommendations to the Board (if we are ready) and talk about supporting documentation and process – e.g., what the committee’s presentation to the Board will look like.