Kennewick School Board Report for February 23

Kennewick School Board Meeting     February 23, 2011    5:30 PM    Adjournment at 9:30 PM

Meeting was called to order at 5:40 PM

Board members Heather Kintzley and Kathy White were absent.

Business:

• Fourteen district teachers who have earned National Board Certification were recognized for that achievement. There are currently 96 National Board certified Kennewick teachers.

• In response to communication from parents about the need for a counselor at Delta High School, board member Lynn Fielding uttered some harsh words. See details below.

• A decision about a waiver request for students in Kennewick High School’s Close Up Club to participate in a trip to Washington D.C. in November, which would require 5 days out of school, was deferred until the March 9 board meeting.

• A district parent asked the board to consider hiring highly qualified preparatory string teachers for elementary music programs so students will be prepared to succeed in high school orchestra.

• Four Kennewick elementary schools have been awarded the OSPI/SBE Achievement award for Overall Excellence. Canyon View, Lincoln, Ridgeview and Washington students have performed well on state standardized tests.

• The board approved continuing the district Dual Language Program into middle school at Highlands. The maximum anticipated cost will be $544,000. over three years. See Jacques Von Lunen’s article in the Tri-City Herald for details:
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/02/24/1380879/kennewick-schools-look-to-add.html

• Mollie Lutz reported a trend of fewer OSHA reportable injuries and claims for district employees from 2005 through 2010.

• Initial development of KSD Strategic Plan North Star (see notes below) district goals was completed. The next step will be presenting the proposed goals to the community for review and comment. See details below.

• Vic Roberts announced the sale of the former KSD Administration building on Auburn Street. Dawn Adams conducted a public hearing. The board passed Resolution No. 8 authorizing the sale of surplus property.

• Akshai Baskaran presented a student safety survey which had been requested by the board. It was decided to continue consideration of student safety and GSA clubs during the March 9 board meeting. See KSD School Board Report of January 11 for background information:
http://ksdcitizens.org/2011/01/19/ksd-school-board-report-by-tom-staly-4/

Delta High School Counselor

During business item 5, communication from parents, at least four parents of Delta High School students rose to address the need for a counselor for Kennewick students attending Delta High. Richland and Pasco students have counselors on campus but Kennewick students are referred to their home high schools for counseling services. In advocating for their students these parents spoke assertively about the issue and asked the board whether they had visited the school. Responding to one parent, Fielding chastised her for “whining” and objected to citizens who “rag on the board”. “Damn” was spoken at one point.

As stewards of district policy who have created behavior standards for staff in interactions with students and parents, board members should model those expected behaviors. Fielding’s lapse of decorum was inappropriate and likely offended those present.

KSD Strategic Plan

Refer to notes from the January 26 and February 8 board meetings for background information.

Proposed Goals –

Original goal – Reduce incidents of fighting, bullying and harassment by 5% per year.

New version – Increase student perception of safety at school as measured by an annual student safety survey.

After discussion the board unanimously approved this revised version of the North Star safety goal:

90% of Kennewick School District students report feeling safe at school.

Original goal – Reduce OSHA Reportable Incidents and Reduce Accepted Claims

Discussion revealed that KSD’s employee safety record for the past several years is better than state and national averages. Wanting to maintain or improve that success the board adopted this North Star goal:

Reduce or maintain OSHA reportable incidents to no more than 40 reportable incidents per year and no more than 45 claims per year.

The four proposed goals related to AP and IB classes, the SAT and ACT, remediation classes at CBC and HEC Board requirements (see February 8 KSD School Board Report) were consolidated into one goal which was approved unanimously as a North Star goal:

85% of students will be prepared for their declared post secondary education, training and work objectives.

Two goals for catching up students whose standardized test scores are in the 1st and 2nd quartiles were consolidated to one North Star goal which was approved by the board:

Students who are behind will be caught up within three years.

This fiscal objective was unanimously adopted as a North Star goal:
 

Kennewick School District will maintain an unreserved, undesignated fund balance of at least 5%.

Having completed the selection of KSD North Star goals, discussion focused on what happens next. Dave Bond summarized, stating the task is to prepare a draft of a “white paper” (see notes below) listing the North Star goals, the rationale for each goal and possibly strategies to achieve each goal. This document will be two to no more than 6 pages which will be one page in its final form. The draft will be presented to the board during the March 9 board meeting.

Notes:

Dave Bond explained what is meant by North Star goals:

The phrase came out of conversations among Board members at the January 2011 retreat and was used in the White Paper draft that became the “straw man” for Board members to consider as they worked on deciding the Strategic Plan goals for the 2011-12 Strategic Plan.
As I understand how the School Board uses the term, the idea of “North Star” goals is that they are the most important goals, or the ones that the district should primarily aim for, just as the north star is a guide for those seeking direction.
Other than that, you would have to ask Board members for their interpretation of how the term is defined in their own minds.

Also, white paper:

A white paper – as the term is used by the KSD – is simply a written document that lays out a proposed district position or direction. The current one that the Board is discussing deals with potential strategic planning issues.

The current white paper discussing potential strategic planning goals was authored by Board Member Lynn Fielding. The purpose is to get a conversation going around some topics that the District wants to consider as part of a future strategic plan. Any Board member can write one and the Board would consider the issues raised. Again, its purpose is to start a discussion or to be the “straw man” if you understand that concept from Debate classes.
At the end of the last meeting, the Board gave me the task to write the White Paper that will go out to the public for input around the proposed strategic plan goals. I am working on that now and hope to have it ready for Board input at the March 9 meeting.